Burn Types

As there are so many elements that can cause a burn, I am going to look at the different textures, colours and general look of burns all caused by different incidents. This is going to benefit me when it comes to creating my own burn, using the clay mould and silicone. By researching different types of burns, I will gain scientific knowledge which will then help me create my backstory to how my burn happened, as well as making sure the burn is scientifically correct.

Heat Burn - Boiling Water

Scalding Burn Injuries
http://www.petrilaw.com/scalding-burn-injuries/

This is a burn of boiling water coming into contact with skin, otherwise known as scalding. The top layer of the skin is burnt, as well as the tissue beneath. A scald is a burn caused by moist heat, such as steam, hot water etc. A moist heat will damage the skin deeper than a dry heat, and is classed as a second degree burn. It can cause blistering, and also remove the top layer of skin, causing the wound to weep and appear wet. The appearance of this wound looks as if the top layer of skin has been melted away, revealing the tissue underneath. On the edges of the scald, the skin appears aggravated and sore, becoming a much darker shade of pink. The area within the scald is a pink tone, with some areas appearing much more more. The texture of the skin seems mottled and moist, as the skin weeps to clear away any infection. If I were to create a hot water burn or scald, I would make the prosthetic piece only slightly raised to indicate the swelling. The texture would be mottled, I would use sculpting tools to create indents of the skin. To enhance this, I would use one of the laminating brushes to create the pores of the skin. When colouring, I would try to replicate the colour of the model's skin first, then begin to add in the pinks/reds to make the colour as realistic as possible. To create the look of the weeping skin, I would test out products like vaseline, water spray or even gelatine to see what would produce the most realistic look.

Close up of burn caused by gas fire.
Credit-ST STEPHEN'S HOSPITAL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Israel Gonzalez, shows scars left by gas explosion in his home.
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/education/article23623696.html 

Dry Heat Burns - Fire

On the right is a close up image taken of the skin of a patient with burns caused by a gas fire. The area of redness is where the skin has been completely damaged, and will need medical attention such as a skin graft. Dry Heat burns tend to be caused by fires, explosions and fireworks. Below is the image of the hands of Israel Gonzalez, a teen that was engulfed in flames after a house fire. The explosion covered 65% of his body in flames. The image is him after years of rehabiliton and healing. The skin is much less red, but the texture is uneven with a shin tone to it, as it is new skin. If I were to create a fresh burn, the skin would be a lot more uneven, and I would try to capture the shiny texture through products such as vaseline. To create the uneven tone, I would test out pressing a fabric like fleece or felt against the clay to see if that would create the mottled texture of the burn. If I were to create the older scars of the burn, I would make the prosthetic piece a lot more flat, but mottled in texture, testing out pressing other materials onto the clay to find desired effect. The skin is shiny but not wet, I would leave the grease paint colour on without powdering to give it the shine it has.

Electrical Burn

Scorched hand cause by electricity.
http://medicinembbs.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/
injury-due-to-heat-and-electricity.html

Skin can become uneven in colour.
 http://medicinembbs.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/
injury-due-to-heat-and-electricity.html

An electrical burn is caused by faulty electricals, with the hands becoming the entry point, and the feet or other hand becoming the exit point. The human body is a conductor, so we technically become part of the circuit. At 10 mA, there will be a faint twitching of the body, 30mA will result in spasms of body parts, and at 50mA heart attacks are likely. With electrical burns, part of the skin will become pale, this is called 'local vasoconstriction'. The skin blisters, this can be from a couple of millimetres to many centimetres, and with the larger blisters, the skin may peel off leaving the tissue exposed. A 'Spark Burn' is a burn that can leave scorched areas of skin, where there has been an air gap between the live conductor and skin. If I were to create an electrical burn I would choose the 'spark burn', and create blisters and burnt skin. If I created the same burn as below, I believe it would not challenge me as much, and there would be little use of prosthetic pieces, a lot of it is down to colouring. For the scorched hand, I would create a couple of blisters, each a different size, and maybe one that had just burst. I could then fill up the burst one with a pus-like liquid, which would add to the gruesomeness. The burnt skin effect would be created with the supra colours, as I feel I could create that effect well with them.

Radiation Burn

Acute Sunburn

http://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/

acute_sunburn_picture/picture.htm

Radiation Burn (or sunburn) is a burn caused typically by UV rays from the sun or tanning booths. The sunburn itself is a inflammatory response to UV rays. A sunburn can be sore to the touch, hot, swollen and red in colour. Sunburn is very harmful, as it can lead to the growth of cancer cells/melanoma in our bodies. Skin cancer affects many people, with 100,000 new cases in the UK alone per year. Non-melanoma skin cancer affects slightly more men than women. Sunburn ranges in severity depending on how long the skin is left in the sun, and the strength of the sun. The result of a few hours may be a rosy colour to the skin, maybe redness and hot to the touch, or even blistering and swelling. If I were to create a prosthetic piece for a sunburn, I would look at doing the swollen, blistering burn as not only is it the most severe, it would open up more people's eyes to the dangers of the sun. I would create small blisters scattered around a slightly raised base, with one or two of the blisters open so that I could make them more unsightly and introduce pus. I would colour the base a warm pink and blend outwards like a sunburn does, with the blisters being a grey/yellow tone. I would add flaking skin to the base, which I could create by picking up bits of the clay and flicking them upwards.

Friction Burn

Second degree friction burn
http://firstaid.about.com/od/burninjuries/ss/
10-Examples-of-Second-Degree-Burns.htm

Friction burns are created when the skin is pulled along a hard surface, such as falling over on concrete, and scraping your knee. Motorcyclists suffer very badly from friction burns if they fall off their bikes onto tarmac, the friction can easily rip apart a pair of jeans. A friction burn looks very sore, even when it's a week old. The skin is ultimately ripped off, and grated, exposing the tissue beneath. A friction burn can be caused my many things, so if I were to choose a friction burn as my final choice, I would have to think about how exactly the burn was caused, and do some case studies of victims. If I were to do a friction burn, I would keep the prosthetic piece flat. It would be shallow, and very intricately mottled. I would use a laminating brush or hard paint brush to create this bumpy texture. I would have to use supra colours and fake blood to colour this, as a friction burn can scab over. I wouldn't powder the piece, so that it remains shiny. 

Chemical Burn

Burn Victim
http://griddownmed.com/2015/04/18/burns

A chemical burn is caused when an industrial or household acid or alkali come into contact with the skin. The chemical denatures the makeup of the cell membranes, killing off the cells. With chemical burns, the substance will keep burning the skin layers deeper and deeper. Acids will burn through 'coagulation necrosis' which means that when the acid comes into contact with the skin, it will burn the tissue, forming an insoluble layer which stops the acid burning through the body anymore. Alkalis burn through 'liquefaction necrosis', where the substance liquifies the skin allowing it to burn through faster and deeper. These burns will require immediate medical attention, and are life threatening if not treated. Acid attacks are scarily becoming more common, as an act of revenge that aims to torture it's victims, disfigure and even kill. It is a worldwide issue. If I were to create an acid burn, I would keep my mould flat, and create raised parts where the skin is formed back together. Acid burns are very textured but smooth, as the skin is new skin. I would experiment with creating one large burn and a few smaller ones, as the acid is a liquid and is likely to splash onto other areas of the skin.


With all burns, I am going to have to keep in mind the age of the burn, whether it is fresh or a week old, maybe even a year old, as the healing process kicks in, changing the overall look of the wounds. I will also have to think of a back story, how the incident happened, and where on the body is most likely to have the burn, e.g if I were to choose an acid attack, the wound would most likely be on the face. By researching and analysing the different types of burns, I have learnt that there are so many details in each different one, which I cannot get wrong otherwise the would is scientifically untrue. 








IvyMikeCafe (2015) What to do when people are on fire. Available at: http://griddownmed.com/2015/04/18/burns/ (Accessed: 6 October 2015).

Brouhard, R. (2014) 10 Examples of Second Degree Burns. Available at: http://firstaid.about.com/od/burninjuries/ss/10-Examples-of-Second-Degree-Burns.htm (Accessed: 6 October 2015).

Choices, N. (2015) Skin cancer (non-melanoma) - NHS Choices. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cancer-of-the-skin/Pages/Introduction.aspx (Accessed: 6 October 2015).

Acute Sunburn Picture Image on MedicineNet.com (2015) Available at: http://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/acute_sunburn_picture/picture.htm (Accessed: 6 October 2015).

ADNAN, M. M. and profile, V. my complete (no date) Medical Dictionary Search here. Available at: http://medicinembbs.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/injury-due-to-heat-and-electricity.html (Accessed: 6 October 2015).

Third degree burn caused by gas fire - Stock Image M335/0129 - Science Photo Library (no date) Available at: http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/265680/view (Accessed: 6 October 2015).

Fresno teenager burned in home fire ready for high school graduation(2015) Available at: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/education/article23623696.html (Accessed: 6 October 2015).

Hot Water Scalding (2015) Available at: http://www.healthcentral.com/encyclopedia/hc/hot-water-scalding-3168861/ (Accessed: 6 October 2015).