Burn (injury) facts for kids
A burn is a type of injury to your skin or deeper body parts. Burns can be minor, like a sunburn, or very serious. In some rare cases, severe burns can even be deadly. Doctors classify burns into different levels, often called "degrees," from one to six.
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What are Burns Like?
Most burns are not too serious, like a mild sunburn. These are often called first-degree or minor second-degree burns. More serious burns, like third-degree burns, can happen from very high heat or even from radiation.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns are minor and usually heal at home. They rarely leave scars. You might get one from touching something hot quickly, like a warm stove, or from a mild sunburn. These burns cause pain, but they only affect the top layer of your skin. The nerves underneath are not damaged.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns go deeper than first-degree burns, affecting the second layer of your skin. You can often treat these at home, but some people choose to see a doctor or go to the hospital for them. These burns can cause blisters and more pain than first-degree burns.
Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns are very serious. They burn through all three layers of your skin, leaving a scab or a dry, leathery patch. While they are severe, the chances of dying from them are very low if you get to the hospital right away for treatment.
Fourth-Degree Burns
This type of burn goes through all the skin layers and damages the nerves nearby. Strangely, you might not feel pain directly in the burned area because the nerves are destroyed. However, there can be a lot of pain around the edges of the burn. Very few people survive fourth-degree burns. If someone gets one and is still alive, they need immediate hospital care.
Fifth-Degree Burns
A fifth-degree burn is even deeper. It burns through the skin, the nerves, and reaches the muscle underneath. This is a life-threatening injury.
Sixth-Degree Burns
This is the most severe type of burn. A sixth-degree burn destroys the skin, nerves, muscles, and even scorches the bones. Sadly, this kind of burn usually causes immediate death.
Images for kids
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Second-degree burn of the thumb
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Guillaume Dupuytren (1777–1835), who developed the degree classification of burns
See also
In Spanish: Quemadura para niños
