Firefighters

Layers of Skin

Skin is composed of three layers:

• Epidermis - the uppermost layer of skin that provides waterproofing and serves as a barrier to infection.
• Dermis - located directly beneath the epidermis and consists of connective tissue that cushions the body from strain.
• Hypodermis - the lowermost layer of skin and serves the primary purpose of fat storage.

Burns are classified by their depth and the layers of skin affected:

• First-degree burns are the mildest type of burn and involve minimal tissue damage to the skin's surface (epidermis). Symptoms of a first-degree burn are pain, redness and swelling. Sunburn is a common type of first-degree burn.
• Second-degree burns affect the epidermis and the layer of skin below it (dermis), causing redness, pain, swelling, and blisters. Second-degree burns are deep enough to affect sweat glands and hair follicles and are considered severe burns. If they are improperly treated swelling and decreased blood flow can cause the burn to worse and become a third-degree burn.
• Third-degree burns affect the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis and result in extensive scarring. Third-degree burns are the most serious and potentially fatal, and recovery is slow and painful due to the amount of damaged skin tissue.