Burns, regardless of their severity, can result in permanent skin malformations. From minor burns that leave scars to larger ones that need grafting, working with a plastic surgeon can help minimize or eliminate signs of a burn injury and help restore your skin.
Here’s how plastic surgery can help you after a severe burn.
What Burns Typically Require Plastic Surgery
There are three categories of burns: first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree. The degree of a burn refers to the depth of damage, with third-degree burns reaching down, past the epidermis and dermis, to the fat layer.
Typically, first-degree burns require little, if any, medical attention, let alone the need for plastic surgery because of a lack of blistering or open wounds. Pigmentation can occur, however, and to address this, you can opt for phototherapy, a clinically effective method utilizing light to help restore and rejuvenate the skin.
Second-degree burns, on the other hand, may require medical attention and, in some instances, benefit from plastic surgery. Though not expected, second-degree burns can cause scarring if the burn is deep enough. Plastic surgery can help with scar revision treatment.
Because of the severity of third-degree burns, plastic surgery interventions are more involved, requiring grafts. Grafting is using skin from donor sites on your body to help heal the burned skin.
Can You Immediately Seek Plastic Surgery After a Burn?
Skin grafting will be almost immediate with more severe burns requiring medical attention. Third-degree burns heal slowly and improperly without medical attention and skin grafting.
With more minor forms of burns, or once essential medical attention has been applied, definitive correction of burn scarring is usually done well after the scar completely recovers. Sometimes, this can take up to a year.
Doctors may recommend full scar maturation before corrective surgery because scars can grow over time, and until surgery before they are at their full extent may be improper. However, you may not need to wait a year before seeking plastic surgery for your burn injury. Be sure to speak to a trusted medical professional to know your options.
Find Skin Restoration After a Burn at Elite Plastic Surgery in Grand Rapids, MI
Burns can not only impact the cosmetic look of your skin, but they may also impact the function by impacting mobility. Correcting skin after a burn is possible when working with board-certified doctors.
At Elite Plastic Surgery, each plastic surgeon is board-certified with over 40 years of combined experience. Driven by a goal to help deliver results with the utmost attention to care, the doctors at Elite Plastic Surgery are ready to help.
To learn more about how plastic surgery can help after a burn, please call 616-459-1907 to schedule a consultation.
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