How long does it take a burn to heal?

Most small first or second degree burns heal in just a few weeks. If a small burn has been surgically closed with skin grafts, it may heal quickly. But larger wounds or more serious burns take up to three months or longer to heal.

Again, burns may have varying depths, depending on the cause of the burn or the damage. One part of the burn injury may be a first or second-degree burn. The other part may be deeper and more severe and affect the surrounding tissue, muscle, fat and bone.This makes treating a burn difficult, as various therapies will need to be applied, depending on the depth of the injury.

Length of healing time for burn wounds to heal depends on the depth and extent of the wound. First-degree burns heal quite quickly in usually less than 3 weeks. Deep second-degree and third-degree burns may require debridement, antibiotic dressing changes, and surgical reconstruction with skin grafts or flaps requiring months of healing and rehabilitation. Larger 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 90% of total body surface area may be fatal if not aggressively treated soon after the incident.