• Question: What happens to your skin as it gets burnt?

    Asked by UNKNOWN ANONYMOUS to Hephzi on 10 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Hephzi Tagoe

      Hephzi Tagoe answered on 10 Mar 2015:

      When skin gets burnt, the extent of damage varies and the burn is classified as either
      1st degree (affecting just the outer skin), This is the common type that usually occurs at home with ovens, oils etc. Not so serious and heals quite quickly.
      2nd degree, (affects the outer layer and the next layer underneath). This occurs in the home as well with irons etc and the extent is more serious causing redness, oozing blisters and quite painful.
      3rd dgeree: these penetrate further and may affect muscles and bones. Interestingly it’s not so painful becuase the nerve endings that give feelings are also destroyed so you can’t feel anything.
      4th degree burns. Thisv is the worse form going through skin to the fat to bones and the rest of the body.

      The human body is made of flesh just like that of animals and the effect seen when burning a piece of meat or chicken e.g during a barbeque is basically the same for the human flesh. The longer you cook, the more charred it gets, and when over burnt gets hard/brittle.

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