How to Recognize and Treat a Second-Degree Burn

What Do Second-Degree Burns Look Like?

You can recognize a second-degree burn by the following symptoms:

• Skin discoloration (white, deep red, or dark brown)
• Blisters
• Shiny, moist skin
• Redness around the wound
• Seeping wound
• Pain, discomfort, and skin sensitivity
• Swelling

Scalding

This second-degree burn was caused by scalding with hot water. The woman involved was carrying a pot of boiling water and lost her grip on one handle. The water spilled on her left hand.

Open Flame Burn

An unloaded potato gun (potato launcher) gave this person a second-degree burn. The device 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

A reusable heat pack burned this person’s neck. The person microwaved the pack for 60 seconds, even though the instructions said to heat it for 30 seconds.

Heat Pack Burn (Five Weeks Later)

After a burn from a heat pack, this person was treated with topical anesthetics to numb the skin. This picture shows how the burn looks five weeks after the injury.

Candle Wax Burn

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.

How Can I Tell If It’s Infected?

Signs of an infected second-degree burn include:

• Significant swelling (or swelling that gets worse instead of improving)
• Severe pain (or pain that’s worsening instead of improving)
• Pus seeping from the burn
• Redness around the wound
• Red streaks coming from the wound
• Fever

How Long Will It Take To Heal?

Healing time varies depending on the depth of the wound. Second-degree burns typically heal in 1-3 weeks, but could take six weeks or longer.

Will I Have a Scar?

Second-degree burns can cause scarring, but not always. Even if you don’t have a scar, you may notice that your skin becomes lighter or darker in the area where the burn occurred. This type of discoloration may fade a little over time but tends to be permanent.

Prevention

Second-degree burns and all other types of burns can be prevented with simple precautions. For example:

• Don’t touch surfaces that are hot or may be hot.
• Keep your hot water heater turned down.
• Wear sunscreen if you’re going to spend time outdoors.
• Wear gloves and protective gear when working around fire or chemicals.
• Don’t get close to open flames, especially when wearing loose clothing.
• Don’t let children near hot objects such as pots and pans and make sure their food has cooled to a safe temperature before giving it to them.

Summary

Second-degree burns damage the skin’s top and second layers, the epidermis and dermis. If you have a second-degree burn, you can expect to have pain and see redness, blistering, skin discoloration, and swelling. You may have some scarring,