Before applying a burn treatment, the burning agent must be stopped from producing further damage, for example, fires are extinguished, clothing, especially any that is smoldering (such melted synthetic clothes), covered with hot tar, or soaked with chemicals must be removed immediately.

Care at home includes maintaining the burn clean to prevent infection. In addition, many patients are given analgesics, for at least a few days. The burn can be covered with a nonstick bandage or with sterile gauze. The gauze can be removed without sticking by previously being soaked in water.

Hospitalization is sometimes necessary for optimal care of burn injuries. Burns that impede a person from performing essential daily actions, such as walking or eating, make hospitalization necessary. Grievous burns, deep second- and third-degree burns, burns afflicting the very young or the very old, and burns affecting the hands, feet, face, or genitals are commonly best attended at burn centers. Burn centers are hospitals that are specially implemented and staffed to care for burn patients.

Burn Classification

Superficial Minor Burns: The burn is carefully cleaned to prevent infection. If dirt is deeply incrusted, a doctor can give analgesics or numb the area by injecting a local anesthetic and then scrub the lesion with a brush.

Deep Minor Burns: The burn may need examination at a hospital or doctor's office, possibly as often as daily for the first few days.

For this kind of burn commonly skin graft may be needed. Most skin grafts restore the damaged skin. Other skin grafts help by temporarily covering and protecting the skin as it heals on its own. In a skin grafting procedure, a patch of healthy skin is taken from a healthy area of the person's body (autograft), from another living or dead person (allograft), or from another species (xenograft) commonly pigs because their skin is very similar to human skin. The skin graft is surgically adhered over the damaged area after eliminating any devitalized tissue and ensuring that the injury is clean. Autografts are forever. Allografts and xenografts, however, are rejected after 10 to 14 days by the person's immune mechanism. Artificial skin has been created recently and can also be used to restore the damaged skin. Burned skin can be replaced anytime within several days of the burn.

Severe Burns: Grievous, life-threatening burns need immediate care.

Keeping the burned area clean is crucial, because the injured skin is easily infected.

Because grievous burns take a long time to heal, sometimes years, and can cause disfigurement, the person can become depressed.