Burns—even minor ones—can be very painful. A minor burn may heal within several days, while a more serious burn may take weeks or even months to heal completely.
You may notice that the burned area feels tight and hard while it is healing. It is important to continue to move the area as the burn heals to prevent loss of motion or loss of function in the area.
When your skin is damaged by a burn, you have a greater risk of infection. Keep the wound clean and change the bandages regularly to prevent infection and help the burn heal.
Burns can leave permanent scars. Taking good care of the burn as it heals may help prevent bad scars.
Major Burns
Burns injure the skin and can also injure other parts of your body, such as your muscles, nerves, lungs, and eyes. Burns may also become infected easily. Pain from a burn may get worse in the first few weeks as the burn heals.
The color, texture, and feel of your skin will change as new skin and scar tissue form. You may notice that the burned area feels tight and hard while it is healing. It is important to continue to move the area as the burn heals to prevent loss of motion or loss of function in the area.
Complete healing of a burn may take from a few months to up to a year. Recovering from a burn can be a painful and trying process, but there are steps you can take to make sure that the burn heals as well as possible.