Partial Vs Full Thickness Burns: Understanding Burn Severity

Initially, it can be difficult to judge the severity of a burn. However, healthcare professionals determine the severity based on the degree of depth of the damage. In other words, how deep does the burn go? This is why you sometimes hear burns referred to as partial and full thickness, but what does that mean? 

What Does Burn Depth Mean? 

When medical staff refer to the thickness or burn severity, they are talking about how many layers were damaged as a result of the wound. Skin is only the uppermost layer of tissue. You can break skin tissue down into at least four unique sections: 

• Epidermis – This is what most people know as skin. The skin actually has many layers, but the epidermis is the topmost. 

• Papillary dermis – This is the section of skin that contains connective tissue and blood vessels 

• Reticular Dermis – This is the thick bottom layer of the skin. 

• Subcutaneous fat – This is a layer of fat that sits under the skin 

Burn depth is measured by what layer is damaged by the burn. Thicker burns damage deeper sections of tissue. 

Thickness vs. Degree 

You may hear burns referred to as degrees. This is just another way of classifying burns. The degree tells you the thickness of the burn. For example: 

• 1st degree = superficial thickness 

• 2nd degree = partial thickness 

• 3rd degree = full thickness 

A 3rd-degree burn is a full-thickness burn and indicates a severe injury. 

What Are Partial Thickness Burns? 

Partial-thickness burns can be broken down further into superficial, mid, and deep partial burns. 

• A superficial-partial thickness burn involves the epidermis to the upper papillary dermis. The papillary dermis is the thickness layer. 

• A mid-partial thickness burn involves the epidermis to the midpoint of the papillary dermis. 

• A deep-partial thickness burn involves the epidermis, papillary dermis, and reticular dermis. 

Any burn that goes deeper than the epidermis but does not involve the layer of fat is a partial thickness burn. 

What Do Partial Thickness Burns Look Like? 

Depending on the degree of the burn, a partial thickness burn will be pale pink to cherry red. They also will likely have a blister, which is skin that forms over a fluid layer in a superficial-partial and mid-partial burn. The blister is there to protect the underlying tissue from infection. Deep-partial thickness burns do not blister, though. 

What Are Full-Thickness Burns? 

Full-thickness burns damage every layer of skin, from the epidermis to the subcutaneous fat. This is a severe burn. However, many may not realize that their burn is this severe because there is damage to the nerves in the skin. 

What Do Full-Thickness Burns Look Like? 

They will be white, brown, or charred-looking. They may also appear leathery. 

Partial vs Full Thickness Burns 

It can be challenging to determine the classification of a burn. There are some characteristics to look for, though, 

Color 

Less serious burns look like sunburn. If a burn is partial, it will be darker in color or mottled looking. Full-thickness burns have a leathery appearance and may be charred. 

Blisters 

Blisters indicate a partial thickness burn. Blisters do not form over superficial burns. They are usually not on more severe burns, either. Burns that cover large amounts of skin may have different degrees, though, so you may see a few blisters even when there are primarily full-thickness burns. 

Blanching 

Blanching refers to the whitening of the skin when under pressure. So, if you touch the skin, it will turn white until you remove your finger. 

You will see blanching in less severe burns, such as superficial or superficial-partial. More serious burns will not blanch because there is damage to the blood vessels. 

Pain 

Less severe burns hurt more. This is because they have healthy nerves that can send pain messages to the brain. A painful burn is likely superficial or superficial-partial. 

The deeper the burn, the less pain you feel because the nerves are damaged. Deep-partial and full-thickness burns are unlikely to register pain after the initial injury. 

It is important to remember that any burn, especially if it breaks the skin, can become dangerous because of the risk of infection.