Burns

Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and its functions include regulating body temperature and acting as a barrier between the environment and the body.

The skin is made up of three layers;

• The epidermis (outer layer of skin) – is 0.5 – 1.5mm thick. There a five layers of cells that work their way up to the surface of the skin.
• The dermis (underlying layer of fibrous tissue) – is 0.3 – 3mmthick and made of three different types of tissue. The dermis contains hair follicles and sweat glands, together with small blood vessels and nerves.
• The subcutaneous fat (final layer of fat and tissue) – thickness varies from person to person. Contains larger blood vessels and nerves, as well as regulating the body’s temperature.

What is a burn?

A burn is damage to the body’s tissues.

There are four main types of burn which are classified according to their depth and extent of the skin damage, they are as follows;