The skin is the largest organ of your body as well as the one most exposed to the environment. These are two reasons why it is more than likely that, at some point in your life, you will expose it to either intense heat, UV rays or chemicals. Burns will result from this exposure and with them comes the risk of scarring. Burn scars can be different from other scars. Read on to find out more about them.
How do I get burn scars?
As your skin is the most exposed organ of your body, burns are fairly common. In terms of burns, degrees are important (pun intended), as burn injuries are classified into 3 groups: first degree burns, second degree burns and, you guessed it, third degree burns. The higher the degree, the more serious the burn. Depending on the severity and seriousness of the burn and the extent of the affected skin area, it may be necessary that you consult a healthcare professional or visit an emergency room.


First degree burns are not likely to leave any scar on your skin since they only affect the epidermis. On the other hand, second and third degree burns affect the dermis, thereby increasing the chances of scarring [1–3]. Therefore, it is important that your burned skin is properly taken care of as quickly as possible. Your care provider may elect to apply special burn creams or ointments and appropriate dressings [4].

With severe burns, it is not possible to fully prevent burn scar formation as burn wounds tend to form hypertrophic or keloid scars [5]. If the burn has occurred in an area subjected to tension, such as joints, it can cause what are called contracture scars that could result in movement limitation [6,7].