What is the difference between first and second degree sunburns

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Written on: January 6, Types of sunburn. First-Degree Burn The least harmful burn is the first-degree burn, also called superficial skin burn. Second-Degree Burn The second-degree type of burn, also called superficial partial-thickness burn, effects the top two layers of your skin. Third-Degree Burn The third-degree burn, also called deep partial-thickness burn, is deeper than the second-degree burn and is more severe.

Fourth-Degree Burn The last type of burn is very serious and to be avoided at all costs. If you have a mild sunburn, put your burn under cold water and gently wash it with soap do not put ice directly on the skin as it can cause frostbite or skin damage and then apply aloe vera or an antibiotic cream.

Still got doubts? See a doctor today. Share on facebook. Share on twitter. Share on linkedin. Share on reddit. Share on email. Livia Hengel. These include headaches, raised temperature, fatigue, and nausea. First degree sunburn may take up to a week to heal. In the meantime, people with sunburn can try the following to help ease the symptoms:. It may take weeks to heal and may need specialist treatment. A person with second degree sunburn may notice the following symptoms:. People with second degree sunburn can follow the same steps to ease their symptoms as those with first degree sunburn.

However, they may need further advice and treatment from a healthcare professional. People with second degree sunburn should contact a doctor if they have skin that is badly blistered and swollen or have symptoms of heatstroke or heat exhaustion.

These symptoms include :. Second degree sunburn may take several weeks to heal. Treatment may require specialist burn cream and burn dressings. Occasionally, people with severe sunburn may need hospital treatment, particularly if they also have heatstroke. Treatment may include :. Children and babies with severe sunburn should always visit a healthcare professional for further advice and treatment.

Certain factors increase the risk of sunburn. These include :. Deep second-degree burns will eventually shed the top layer of skin. This is called sloughing. Second-degree burns can develop over time if not treated promptly. Skin tissue continues to burn even after the heat source is gone. It's similar to how steak continues to cook when taken off the grill. If you want the skin to stop burning, you'll have to actively cool it down. Place the burn area under cool running water to stop the burning process.

Then, flush the area with water for 20 minutes to return the tissues to their normal temperature. Abrasions, typically caused by a fall or crash onto a hard surface, are often called "road rash" or "friction burns.

You can also get friction burns from things like rugs "rug burns" or ropes "rope burns". Signs of second-degree road rash include:. Since burns are essentially just damage to the outermost layers of skin, called the epidermis, road rash treatment and burn treatment are very similar. It's easy to identify a first-degree burn: The skin is red. In a second-degree burn, blisters develop. Third-degree burns are more difficult to determine.

You'll likely need a professional burn unit to make the call. In the picture above, the deep second-degree burn was caused when an oven door sprung back up before the person was able to get their arm out. For a burn to be considered third degree, the damage has to have completely destroyed all the layers of skin and reached the fatty tissue underneath. There's just no way to tell that outside of a hospital. If the skin is not intact, treatment is also essential to prevent bacteria from entering into the wound.

This picture is a third-degree burn caused by a hot motorcycle muffler. The photo was taken at the doctor's office about a week after the burn happened. This one is a third-degree burn because the muffler burned the skin on the arch of the foot all the way through the inner layers of the skin and into the subcutaneous tissue beneath, or the layer of tissue underneath the skin. Signs of a third-degree burn include:. First-, second-, and third-degree burns all have unique symptoms. The severity of a burn is usually determined by how far it goes into the layers of the skin and the area of the body it covers.