The appearance of a second-degree burn sets them apart from a less severe first-degree burn.
You’ll see skin discoloration, blisters, redness and swelling, and shiny, moist skin.
What Is a Second-Degree Burn?
Nordyke
A second-degree burn is usually a mild to moderate injury.
Second-degree burns damage the epidermis and the second layer of skin (thedermis).
What Do Second-Degree Burns Look Like?
Shells
The pictures below will show you some of the different causes of second-degree burns and what they look like.
Scalding
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Nordyke
This second-degree burn was sparked by scalding with hot water.
Nise
The woman involved was carrying a pot of boiling water and lost her grip on one handle.
The water spilled on her left hand.
Scalds seldom cause full-thickness (third-degree) burns, but they do blister quickly.
Nise
The rig used hairspray as an explosive agent to shoot a potato into the air.
In this case, the flaming hairspray damaged the skin.
Heat Pack Burn
Nise
A reusable heat pack burned this person’s neck.
Cmoore
There are no blisters here.
This picture shows how the burn looks five weeks after the injury.
Even after significant healing, burns this severe can cause pain for weeks.
Cheryl H.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol (acetaminophen) can help.
Candle Wax Burn
Cmoore
Hot candle wax is a common cause of second-degree burns.
In this case, the candle wax exploded and splattered wax onto the person’s hand.
Sarah
When water touches hot wax near a burning wick, the wax can explode.
The punch in of candle or wax can make a big difference in how severe the injury is.
The most serious burns come from beeswax, which melts at 145 F or higher.
Jayjay
It’s easy to underestimate the dangers ofhot steam.
If the jet of hot steam hits your eye, your cornea can be severely damaged.
When water spills or splashes into a deep fryer, there’s a huge splatter.
Dawn H.
Fat splattering from a hot frying pan can also cause burns.
In this case, hot oil from a campfire frying pan damaged someone’s knee.
Cooking oil can easily exceed 375 F, but it is not the only source of non-water liquid burns.
Shelley Saunders
Even worse is molten sugar used for making candy.
It can easily exceed 340 F.
Sunburn
Jayjay
Sunburnsusually cause redness, stinging, and peeling.
The problem with second-degree sunburns is that large areas of skin are involved, requiring medical attention.
The blistering can be extensive and can cause terrible pain.
A second-degreesunburntakes longer to heal than a first-degree sunburn.
Your skin may still be discolored after you’ve healed and your scars may be permanent.
Second-degree sunburns increase the lifetime risk of developingskin cancer, including melanoma.
Friction Burn
Dawn H.
A friction burn is a pop in of abrasion or scrape.
These injuries often cause second-degree burns.
The most common types of friction burn areroad rashandrug burns.
This normal process is calledsloughing.
This photo shows sloughing after someone spilled hot water from a pot of pasta onto her foot.
When skin sloughs after a severe burn, the exposed tissue may not have begun to heal.
In such cases, oral antibiotics may be needed to reduce the risk of infection.
Treatment
1. it’s possible for you to do this by:
Continue cooling the burn until your pain improves.
This may may take as long as 30 minutes.
No Ice!
Don’t use ice or ice water to cool your skin after a burn.
Temperatures that are too low can further damage the tissues.
Clean the Wound
Wash your hands first to prevent dirt or bacteria from getting in the wound.
Gently clean the area using mild soap and cool water.
Then, pat it dry with a clean cloth, being careful not to break the blisters.
Apply Ointment
Applying petroleum jelly or an antibiotic cream keeps the burn moist and promotes healing.
You dont need to place the ointment on the burn.
Instead, put it on a nonstick dressing and then put the dressing over the burn.
Antibiotic creams should be limited to one week.
Using them longer may cause a rash.
If your burn is still healing at the end of a week, switch to petroleum jelly.
Cover the Burn
Prevent an infection and promote healing by keeping the burn covered.
Apply a nonstick bandage, gauze, or burn bandage.
Keep it loose instead of wrapping it tightly around the wound.
Change the bandage daily after washing the wound or if the bandage gets wet or dirty.
If the bandage sticks to the burn, soaking in warm water helps loosen it.
If you better relieve swelling, choose ibuprofen.
Do not take aspirin because it can increase bleeding in the damaged tissues.
Choose moisturizers that are free of perfume and dyes.
Healing Stages
Burns heal in three stages.
Your second-degree burn will look different during each of the threehealing stages.
How Can I Tell if It’s Infected?
How Long Will It Take To Heal?
Healing time varies depending on the depth of the wound.
Second-degree burns typically heal in one to three weeks, but could take six weeks or longer.
Your overall health and nutritional well-being also influence healing time.
Second-degree burns can cause scarring, but not always.
This jot down of discoloration may fade a little over time but tends to be permanent.
What Is the Fluid in a Burn Blister?
The fluid inside a burn blister is similar to the plasma in your blood.
The blister helps protect the damaged tissues while its fluids contain cells and substances that support wound healing.
You may have some scarring, and your skin may be a different color after the burn heals.
You may be able to treat second-degree burns at home.
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