Thermal burns generally damage the skin, an organ vital to our survival.

The skin acts as a protective barrier against infection and water loss, a body temperature regulator, and a sensory organ for touch, pain, temperature, and pressure perception.

Thermal burns can damage this protective barrier. The result can be loss of body temperature control, loss of body fluids and water, and susceptibility to infection. Repair of the skin is critical in maintaining body health. To treat thermal burns successfully, the degree of the burns, the percent of the body area burned, and the severity of the burns must be determined.