Scarring – third degree burns will generally heal with scarring. Additionally, any surgery that is needed will leave scars.
Scar contracture – if a third degree burn heals on its own and forms scars across a joint, then as the scar matures it may contract (shrink). This may lead to an inability to fully move the joint, and so surgery may be needed to release the scar. Even if skin grafts are used to reduce this happening, these can also shrink and so need further surgery in the future.
Slow healing – third degree burns can take many weeks to heal on their own, and so burns specialists may use a skin graft to help healing. Occasionally a burn can heal up but with a thin, unstable scar – this can easily break down again and again, so surgery may be needed to try to get the area to heal fully.
Disfigurement – third degree burns, whether operated on or not, can leave scars that are very noticeable to you or to others. This is especially so when the burns are to the face. Whilst scarring can be improved by surgery or other means, there is unfortunately no way to completely remove them. The recent advances made in face transplant surgery may, however, provide hope for those with the most severe types of facial burn injuries.
Skin colour changes – a third degree burn will often leave an area of pigment change in the skin. This is usually in the form of a paler patch of skin, which can be permanent (hypopigmentation), or darker skin (hyperpigmentation)