There are three primary types of burns; first, second, and third-degree. Each degree is based on the severity of damage to the skin, with first degree being the most minor and third degree being the most severe. Damage includes:
- First degree burns – red, non-blistered skin
- Second degree burns – blisters and some thickening of the skin
- Third degree burns – widespread thickness with a white, leathery appearance
- scalding from hot, boiling liquids
- chemical burns
- electrical burns
- fires, including flames from matches, candles, and lighters
- excessive sun exposure
First degree burns:
First-degree burns cause minimal skin damage. They are also called ‘superficial burns’ because they affect the outermost layer of skin. Signs of a first-degree burn include redness, minor inflammation, swelling, pain, and dry peeling skin (occurs as burn heals). Since this burn affects the top layer of the skin, the signs and symptoms disappear once the skin cells shed. First-degree burns usually heal within three to six days. Still, you should see your doctor if the burn affects a large area of skin (more than three inches), and if it’s on your face or a major joint.
First-degree burns are mostly treated with home care. Healing time may be quicker if you treat the burn sooner. To treat this type, you can:
- soak the wound in cool water for five minutes or longer
- take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief
- apply aloe Vera gel or cream to soothe the skin
- use an antibiotic ointment and loose gauze to protect the affected area
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| Example of a first degree burn |
http://www.burnfree.com/burnfree/burns-101/ (Accessed: 25 March 2016).
Second-degree burns are more serious because the damage extends beyond the top layer of skin. This type of extensive damage causes the skin to blister and become extremely red and sore. Some blisters pop open, giving the burn a wet appearance.
Due to the delicate nature of such wounds, frequent bandaging is required to prevent infection. This also helps the burn heal quicker. Some second-degree burns take longer than three weeks to heal, but most heal within two to three weeks. The worse the blisters are, the longer the burn will take to heal. In some severe cases, skin grafting is required to fix the subsequent damage. Skin grafting borrows healthy skin from another area of the body and replaces it at the site of the burned skin.
As with first-degree burns, avoid cotton ball wraps and questionable home remedies. You can generally treat a mild second-degree burn by:
- running the skin under cool water for 15 minutes or longer
- taking over-the-counter pain medication (acetaminophen or ibuprofen)
- applying antibiotic cream to blisters
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| Example of a second degree burn |
Third degree burns:
Third-degree burns are the worst burns. They cause the most damage, extending through every layer of skin. The damage can even reach the bloodstream, major organs, and bones, which can lead to death.
There is a misconception that third-degree means most painful. With this type of burn, the damage is so extensive that you may not feel pain because your nerves are damaged. Depending on the cause, third-degree burns cause the skin to look waxy and white, charred, dark brown, raised and leathery.
Never attempt to self-treat a third-degree burn. Call 999 immediately. While you’re waiting for medical treatment, raise the injury above your heart. Don’t get undressed, but make sure no clothing is stuck to the burn. There is no set healing timeline for third-degree burns.
Complications:
Third-degree burns carry the most risk for complications, such as infections, blood loss, and shock. Still, this doesn’t mean that minor first and second-degree burns can’t cause complications. All burns carry the risk of infections because bacteria can enter broken skin. Sepsis, or a bloodstream infection, can occur in the most severe cases. This can lead to shock or even death.
Tetanus is another possible complication with burns of all levels. Like sepsis, tetanus is a bacterial infection. It affects the nervous system, eventually leading to problems with muscle contractions. As a rule of thumb, every member of your household should receive updated tetanus shots every five years to prevent this type of infection.
Third-degree burns are the worst burns. They cause the most damage, extending through every layer of skin. The damage can even reach the bloodstream, major organs, and bones, which can lead to death.
There is a misconception that third-degree means most painful. With this type of burn, the damage is so extensive that you may not feel pain because your nerves are damaged. Depending on the cause, third-degree burns cause the skin to look waxy and white, charred, dark brown, raised and leathery.
Never attempt to self-treat a third-degree burn. Call 999 immediately. While you’re waiting for medical treatment, raise the injury above your heart. Don’t get undressed, but make sure no clothing is stuck to the burn. There is no set healing timeline for third-degree burns.
Complications:
Third-degree burns carry the most risk for complications, such as infections, blood loss, and shock. Still, this doesn’t mean that minor first and second-degree burns can’t cause complications. All burns carry the risk of infections because bacteria can enter broken skin. Sepsis, or a bloodstream infection, can occur in the most severe cases. This can lead to shock or even death.
Tetanus is another possible complication with burns of all levels. Like sepsis, tetanus is a bacterial infection. It affects the nervous system, eventually leading to problems with muscle contractions. As a rule of thumb, every member of your household should receive updated tetanus shots every five years to prevent this type of infection.
Severe burns also carry the risk of hypothermia and hypovolemia. Hypothermia is characterised by dangerously low body temperatures. While this may seem like an unexpected complication of a burn, the condition is actually prompted by excessive loss of body heat from an injury. Hypovolemia, or low blood volume, occurs when your body loses too much blood from a burn.
Scars are a complication of all burns. Severe burns may cause keloids, which are discoloured areas of scar tissue on the skin. While keloids aren’t harmful in themselves, they can be bothersome. The appearance of scar tissue can worsen with sun exposure, so be sure to wear adequate sunscreen on any exposed areas.
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| Example of a third degree burn |
Outlook for burns:
When properly and quickly treated, the outlook for first and second degree burns is good. These burns are also less prone to scarring. The key is to minimize further damage and infection. Extensive damage from severe second degree and third degree burns can lead to problems in deep skin tissues, bones, and organs. Patients may require:
- surgery
- physical therapy
- rehabilitation
- lifelong assisted care
- counselling’
Written and SolanMedically, M. (2005) Burns: Types, treatments, and more. Available at: http://www.healthline.com/health/burns#Complications6 (Accessed: 25 March 2016).
Technical lesson three:
Model name: Simona
Skin type: dry
Skin tone: fair skin with yellow undertones
Natural eyes/contacts: natural eyes
Allergies: none
Medication: none
Any open wounds/scars, cuts etc.: none
Required products/materials: Kryolan supra colour palette, spatula, synthetic pus, Kensington Gore fake liquid blood, stipple sponge, witch hazel, Kryolan translucent powder, clear gelatine nuggets, a microwave, cotton buds, moisturiser, a hairdryer, Vaseline and cheap makeup brushes (don’t use your beauty ones as they’ll get ruined).
‘SFX nuggets are re-mixed meltable gelatine blocks that is gently heated in a microwave. It is an ideal medium for gaining invaluable understanding and technical skills for working with 3D l prosthetic media. By its very nature gelatine has inherent advantages not found in latex:
Model name: Simona
Skin type: dry
Skin tone: fair skin with yellow undertones
Natural eyes/contacts: natural eyes
Allergies: none
Medication: none
Any open wounds/scars, cuts etc.: none
Required products/materials: Kryolan supra colour palette, spatula, synthetic pus, Kensington Gore fake liquid blood, stipple sponge, witch hazel, Kryolan translucent powder, clear gelatine nuggets, a microwave, cotton buds, moisturiser, a hairdryer, Vaseline and cheap makeup brushes (don’t use your beauty ones as they’ll get ruined).
Gelatine nuggets:
‘SFX nuggets are re-mixed meltable gelatine blocks that is gently heated in a microwave. It is an ideal medium for gaining invaluable understanding and technical skills for working with 3D l prosthetic media. By its very nature gelatine has inherent advantages not found in latex:
- Economical – gelatine is inexpensive which makes it ideal for experimentation.
- Reusable
- Timing – gelatine setting time can be shortened by placing moulds in the freezer.
- Blending – making your prosthetic appear as natural as possible, with gelatine, the edges can be blended away with witch hazel.
- Translucency – gelatine enables it to move well on the model.
- Non-toxic
- Safety – gelatine is safe to use on all skin types as the ingredients used in gelatine formulas are either food or medical grades.’ It is however a sin to apply gelatine on a Muslim model, therefore ask them for permission beforehand. It’s also unacceptable to apply this product on a vegan so it’s very important for you to make sure your model knows exactly what you’re using.
- Clear – goes on all skin types/colours.
- Doesn’t expire once stored in a cool dry place.
- Nuggets have a very firm texture and can be used on moulds. This is a plus point for continuity as you can create the same shape.
- Gelatine can be used on the hair, face and clothing.
Dmedia, 2 (2016) Mouldlife Gelatine Nuggets. Available at:
http://www.screenface.co.uk/sfx/latex-gelatine-silicone/mouldlife-gelatine-nuggets.htm (Accessed: 25 March 2016).
Gelatine (powder) – this is a food product made from the crushed bones of animals used in food and sweets. Gelatine makeup is pork based, low cost, accessible and flexible. It’s also reusable (just needs to be cleaned and re-melted) and a good value alternative to silicone. This product is mainly used for creating effects like burns, open wounds and scars. For use in special effects makeup, the powder must be mixed with boiling water to become thick like porridge. (Food colouring can also be added during this stage to change the gelatine colour). Next, glycerine must be added to slow down the drying process and prevent the gelatine from shrinking and hardening. Little bits of tissue or cotton wool can be added to the mixture also. Once cooled down, apply it to the skin. When the gelatine is dry it can be painted with cream based makeup. Effects made using gelatine aren’t durable as the substance is perishable. This type of gelatine is said to be unprofessional for use in the industry.
What is synthetic pus?
‘Synthetic pus effect is a preparation for special visual effects in a suitable consistency, colour and hygienic cosmetic quality. It is advisable to use this product only in little amounts for a realistic effect. This is glycerine based and safe for use around the mouth and mucus membranes.’
PROFESSIONAL, K. (2016) Professional make-up. Available at:
https://us.kryolan.com/product/synthetic-pus-effect (Accessed: 25 March 2016).
‘Gelatine prosthetics may be thinned or dissolved with witch hazel. Warm witch hazel works best but whether witch hazel dissolves or corrodes is debated. Many artists leave a bit of the overflow on the blending edge so that during application they can pull the blending edge out as it is adhered and then use witch hazel to cut away the edge.’
http://fx.wikia.com/wiki/Gelatin (Accessed: 25 March 2016).
Step-by-step guide:
Before starting the practical, I set up my station and got rid of any bags, scarves and coats that were in the way for health and safety reasons. I then placed a towel around my model again for hygienic, health and safety reasons. Next, I ensured the area I was working on was clean (the arm). Simona had no product on her arm therefore I was able to start my burn straight away. Sue told us we shouldn’t apply barrier cream when working with gelatine therefore I skipped this step. Firstly, we got given a chunk of gelatine each and placed it in a bowl. We then put it into a microwave for 20 seconds. (Don’t put anything with metal into the microwave). After it had melted, I tested this on the back of my hand using a spatula to ensure it’s not too hot. I felt like it irritated my hand due to its heat therefore I left it to cool down for a bit before applying it onto my model. It’s always good to ask your model if he/she is comfortable with the temperature of the gelatine before applying it all over the arm or wherever u choose to create your burn.
Once it’s cooled, using your spatula spread this across the arm like you would to Nutella on a toast. If you want to create blisters, plop the spatula on the skin. If you want it to be risen, raise the spatula (upward direction). In order to break up the edges, pick the spatula up and down. In order to get rid of all hard edges, apply witch hazel onto a cotton bud and blend this downwards (toward the outer skin).
Once you’re happy with the application of your gelatine, it’s time to dry it using a hairdryer. Ensure to use cool air as hot will melt it. The gelatine will stay tacky. Your finger will stop sticking to it as much when it’s dry and that’s when you can stop. It’s now time to set it with the Kryolan translucent powder and a powder puff (brush).
You can now begin to colour. You must think about light and shade. I created a third degree burn therefore I went in with a red (079) from the Kryolan supra colour palette using my stipple sponge. It’s best to dab the colour on for a more realistic effect. I also applied some black (071) using a thin brush onto the deeper areas I had picked out beforehand using my spatula. I did this using a cheap paint brush as I didn’t want to ruin my beauty ones. For some areas of the burn I mixed red and the black together to achieve a reddish brown. I rubbed the colour sideways in order to blend it out toward the rest of the skin. It’s optional to use moisturiser to thin out the colours. Sue also told us we can mix supra/aqua colours with gelatine beforehand to give the actual gelatine some colour instead of it being clear. One thing however you shouldn’t do is to colour the burn with foundation.
Once I was done with the colouring, I applied some of Sue’s Kensington Gore fake liquid blood. I used a stipple sponge to apply this blood around areas I thought needed emphasis. I also used some synthetic pus from Kryolan, again in the deeper areas I had created. Don’t go too over the top with the blood/pus and it’ll take the eye away from the actual burn.
Remember you can use your fingers also to apply any product such as supra colour or blood. To give the burn an extra shine, apply Vaseline.
To remove the burn, you can gently peel the gelatine off the arm. Clean off any remaining makeup from the skin with a cleanser and wash thoroughly with water. Moisturisers can also be used after removal to prevent the skin from drying. In order to clean the bowls, wash them thoroughly with hot water. Dispose of any gelatine remaining in the bowl.
To remove the burn, you can gently peel the gelatine off the arm. Clean off any remaining makeup from the skin with a cleanser and wash thoroughly with water. Moisturisers can also be used after removal to prevent the skin from drying. In order to clean the bowls, wash them thoroughly with hot water. Dispose of any gelatine remaining in the bowl.
Reflection:
Overall I was happy with the result of my third degree burn. I thought the colouring was good however I wasn’t so impressed with the edges. I felt like it needed to be softened down a lot more with the witch hazel. I also think I should’ve applied more colour to the outer areas of the burn to make it look more realistic. Other than that, Sue said she was very impressed with my choice of colours and use of sytnehtic pus on my burn.
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