How long do burns take to heal? Healing times and stages by depth

How long a burn takes to heal depends mostly on how deep it goes. A small, shallow burn usually heals on its own within a couple of weeks. A deep burn can take months and may need surgery. This guide explains the burn depths, typical healing times, the stages you can expect along the way, the signs of infection, scarring, and when a burn needs hospital care.

If you have just burned or scalded yourself, stop reading and cool it: hold it under cool running water for 20 minutes.

What should you do straight after a burn?

The NHS first aid advice is simple and worth following exactly:

1. Cool it. Hold the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes, as soon as possible and within 3 hours of it happening. If there is no running water, use cool bottled water or a wet towel.
2. Remove clothing or jewellery near the burn, but do not pull off anything that is stuck to it.
3. Cover it loosely. Once cooled, lay cling film over the burn. Do not wrap it around a limb.

NICE clinical guidance on first aid adds that you should not use ice or very cold water, because it can narrow the blood vessels and deepen the burn.

What not to do, according to the NHS: do not put creams, oils or butter on a burn, do not use plasters or sticky dressings, and do not burst blisters. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help with pain.

How long do burns take to heal?

The NHS says small burns and scalds can often be treated at home and take around 2 weeks to heal. Beyond that, the depth of the burn is what matters. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries describe how to assess burn depth and the usual outlook for each:

Burn depth	What it looks like	Typical healing
Superficial epidermal, for example mild sunburn	Red and painful, no blisters	Within a week, without scarring
Superficial dermal (partial thickness, often called second degree)	Red or pale pink, painful, blistered	Within 2 weeks, without scarring
Deep dermal (deep partial thickness)	Dry, blotchy or mottled, may blister	May need surgery; some tightening and scarring
Full thickness (third degree)	White, brown or black, dry, leathery or waxy, often painless	Usually needs surgery; considerable scarring

A StatPearls review of burn classification gives similar figures: superficial burns heal without scarring in 5 to 10 days, superficial partial-thickness burns in 2 to 3 weeks with minimal scarring, and full-thickness burns take more than 8 weeks and need surgery.

Three points make these figures less tidy in real life. NICE guidance notes that most burns are a mixture of depths, that a burn can deepen over the first few days, so it should be reassessed after 24 to 72 hours, and that redness is harder to judge on darker skin. The person matters too: age, other health conditions and the size and position of the burn all affect healing.

What are the stages of burn healing?

For a typical partial-thickness burn that is healing well, NICE guidance on managing non-complex burns describes roughly this course:

• The first 1 to 3 days. Blisters form and the burn may leak a lot of clear fluid. NICE notes that heavy fluid in the first 24 to 72 hours does not necessarily mean infection. A clinician will usually recheck a dressed burn after 48 hours.
• The first 2 weeks. New skin grows across the surface under the dressing, which is changed every 3 to 5 days until healed. Blisters are left intact where possible to reduce the risk of infection.
• The 2-week point. A burn that is not improving as expected, or has not healed within two weeks of the injury, should be referred to a specialist burns unit or discussed with one.
• The following months. Healed skin is often dry and itchy. NICE says itch typically peaks 2 to 6 months after the injury, and advises massaging the area daily with an emollient until it is no longer dry or itchy, usually around 3 to 6 months.
• The next 1 to 2 years. Protect the new skin from the sun with high-factor sunscreen (SPF 30 to 50) or clothing, to prevent patchy or darker pigmentation.

When should a burn be seen in A&E?

Call 999 or go to A&E, as the NHS advises, if the burn:

• is very large or deep
• is on the face, genitals or bottom
• was caused by an acid or chemical, or by electricity

Do not drive yourself; ask someone to take you or call an ambulance. If you are not sure what to do, get help from NHS 111, and call 111 for advice about a child under 5.

The NICE summary on burns sets out when clinicians arrange immediate A&E care. Its list includes all full-thickness burns, deep dermal burns in children, burns to the hands or feet or across joints, burns that go all the way around a limb, high-pressure steam injuries, and burns with possible smoke inhalation. NICE describes signs of inhalation injury such as singed eyebrows or nasal hairs, a sore throat, a hoarse voice or black specks in phlegm. Burns in people whose other health conditions could slow healing also need hospital assessment.

How do you know if a burn is infected?

NICE guidance advises arranging an urgent review for signs of infection such as:

• pain that is increasing rather than easing
• an unpleasant smell
• a lot more fluid leaking from the wound
• fever
• redness spreading around the burn

A children's burns leaflet from Oxford University Hospitals adds an offensive smell with fluid or pus oozing from the burn, and redness and swelling around it that feels hot to the touch. It also warns that burns can occasionally lead to toxic shock syndrome, a rare but life-threatening infection. Seek urgent medical advice if a child with a burn feels generally unwell with flu-like symptoms, has a temperature of 38°C or above, is sick, has diarrhoea, feels faint or dizzy, or develops a widespread flat red rash.

Will a burn leave a scar?

It depends on how quickly it heals. NICE guidance on burn complications says burns that take more than 2 to 3 weeks to heal are more likely to cause hypertrophic scarring: raised, firm, red scars that may feel and look different from the skin around them. Deeper burns can also cause contractures, where the scar tightens and limits movement.

Daily moisturising and sun protection, as described above, help reduce the risk. NICE also suggests referral to a physiotherapist or occupational therapist if a scar or contracture is affecting movement, and mentions Changing Faces, a charity that supports people living with a scar.

Does hyperbaric oxygen therapy help burns heal?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) means breathing concentrated oxygen in a pressurised chamber. It has been studied for serious burns because burned tissue swells and loses blood supply.

• A specialist indication for acute burns. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society lists acute thermal burn injury on its indications list.
• Started early, at higher pressure. A StatPearls review of HBOT for thermal burns describes sessions of 90 minutes at 2.0 to 2.4 ATA, three in the first 24 hours and then twice daily, for 20 to 30 sessions, for burns that extend into the dermis and beyond.
• Weak evidence. A Cochrane review identified four randomised trials, of which two met its criteria, both of poor methodological quality. One found no difference in length of hospital stay, deaths or number of operations. The other reported shorter average healing times with HBOT, 19.7 days against 43.8 days. The reviewers found insufficient evidence to support or refute HBOT for thermal burns. StatPearls likewise says the evidence does not support routine use.

In the UK, burns needing this level of care are managed by specialist burns services. HBOT Medics' single-person chamber runs at 1.5 ATA for planned, screened sessions. It is not a burns service, and a fresh burn needs first aid, then NHS 111, a GP, a minor injuries unit or A&E, not a hyperbaric chamber.

Our page on non-healing wounds explains how we think about slow wounds alongside proper wound care. Our chamber page sets out how 1.5 ATA compares with the pressures used in research, and who HBOT is not suitable for explains why every session is screened. For background, read what hyperbaric oxygen therapy is.

The short version

Cool any burn under running water for 20 minutes. Shallow burns usually heal within 1 to 2 weeks without a scar. Blistered, partial-thickness burns take around 2 to 3 weeks. Deep and full-thickness burns need hospital care and may need surgery. If a burn is large, deep, on the face or genitals, chemical or electrical, go to A&E; if it has not healed in 2 weeks, or shows signs of infection, get it checked.