Burn Care

Severe burns require specialized treatment. Our burn care team uses a range of cutting edge techniques to help you heal. We aim to give you the best functional and cosmetic outcome possible after a burn injury.

Doctor wearing white coat holding a patient's hand that has been wrapped in a bandage

Doctor standing by female patient's bedside smiling

UCLA Health Excellence in Burn Care

Specialists at the UCLA Health Regional Burn Center offer comprehensive services for adults and children with burn injuries. Located on the UCLA West Valley Medical Center campus in the San Fernando Valley, our burn center is one of only a few in the Los Angeles area providing the highest level of burn care available, including a dedicated hyperbaric oxygen chamber for burn injury treatment. Our skilled experts help you heal from a burn injury and achieve the best possible outcome, both in terms of appearance and function.

Additional highlights of our program include:

Multispecialty approach: Your care team includes burn surgeons, reconstructive surgeons, critical care doctors and other specialty physicians, as well as physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, pharmacists and specially trained nurses. We work together to create customized and effective care plans.

Coordinated treatment: Our team provides all burn care services in one convenient location. We schedule your appointments close together to make your experience as seamless as possible.

Comprehensive services: From inpatient care to surgery and outpatient follow-up, you have access to every burn treatment you may need. We offer a full range of up-to-date treatments, including skin substitutes, skin grafting and spray-on skin to optimize your recovery after a burn injury.

Established experts: Our physicians have completed specialty training to provide the highest level of care for burn injuries. We train other health care professionals in the treatment of burn injuries and educate our community on burn prevention.

Pediatric care: We offer comprehensive care to children who have severe burn injuries. Our team includes experienced Child Life Specialists who help children prepare for treatment and feel more at ease.

Our Areas of Care

We provide a range of services to promote healing and restore your quality of life after a burn injury. Our team specializes in:

Acute burn care: We offer emergency treatment and stabilization for severe burns.

Outpatient burn care: Our specialists provide outpatient evaluations and follow-up care for burn injuries.

Psychological counseling: A severe burn doesn’t just affect you physically. We recognize the emotional and mental effects of a burn injury.

Reconstructive surgery: Severe burns may require surgery to reduce scarring, restore your appearance and help you regain range of motion. We offer the most advanced reconstructive techniques available.

Rehabilitation services: Physical or occupational therapy can help improve function and mobility during or after healing from a severe burn. Read about our rehabilitation services.

Survivor support: A burn injury can affect your mental health and overall function. We connect you with ongoing resources to help you recover physically and psychologically.

Types of Burn Injuries

Health care providers categorize burn injuries by their severity. There are three main types of burns:

First-degree burns: These burns affect the top layer of your skin (epidermis). Your skin darkens or turns red and may feel painful to the touch.

Second-degree burns (partial thickness burns): These burns affect the top and bottom skin layers (epidermis and dermis). You experience the symptoms of a first-degree burn, along with swelling and blistering. Treatment may include surgery to help repair wounds.

Third-degree burns (full thickness burns): These burns are the most severe. They affect all your skin layers, including the fat in your skin. They also damage sweat glands, hair follicles and nerve endings. In critical cases, scarring from these burns can lead to rigid, tight muscles (contractures). You often need more advanced treatments, such as skin grafting or reconstructive surgery, to treat a third-degree burn.

Burn Injuries and Disorders We Treat

We treat burns requiring immediate medical attention (acute burns) and long-lasting problems from burn injuries (chronic burn wounds). Our team provides comprehensive care for all populations, including pediatric and elderly patients with burn injuries.

Additional types of burns we treat include:

Chemical burns: You get these burns from contact with a harsh chemical or other destructive (corrosive) substance.
Electrical burns: These injuries occur when an electrical current passes through your tissues. You may get them when you have direct contact with a live electrical source, such as an outlet, power line or lightning.
Fire burns: Also called thermal burns, these injuries develop due to contact with a flame.
Freeze burns: You get a freeze burn because of long-lasting cold exposure.
Scald burns: Contact with very hot steam or water can cause a scald burn.

We also care for patients with conditions related to burn injuries, including:

Exfoliative dermatitis: This rare condition causes inflammation and peeling of your skin’s top layer.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome: This rare disorder causes blisters, rashes and skin peeling.

Burn Treatments We Offer

Second- and third-degree burns often require specialized treatment to prevent infection and scarring. We offer a range of options to improve your cosmetic and functional healing, including:

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: You lie in a pressurized chamber and breathe highly concentrated oxygen. This innovative treatment increases oxygen flow to your skin and tissues and improves wound healing.

Physical and occupational therapy: Physical and occupational therapists teach you specific exercises to improve strength and mobility. They may also use hands-on techniques, such as massaging the area or gently moving your muscles and joints. These approaches decrease rigidity and improve your overall function.

Scar management: Multiple burn scar treatments aim to improve symptoms such as itching, tightness or discomfort. Your surgeon may use techniques such as laser resurfacing, steroid injections and fat grafts to decrease symptoms and promote further scar improvement.

Skin grafting: Skin grafts replace damaged tissue with healthy tissue from other parts of your body. Skin grafting is a common treatment for deep second- and third-degree burns.

Reconstructive surgery: Severe scar formation can limit your range of motion and function. Reconstructive burn surgery may release this scar tissue or treat scar tissue with a laser to improve your range of motion or function.

Meet Our Team

Our specialists are committed to helping you heal and restoring your function after a burn injury. We offer a range of advanced techniques to help you achieve the best possible outcome. In addition to world-class surgical care, critical care and specialized nursing, our team includes comprehensive specialty services, including physical and occupational therapy, nutrition, pharmacy, counseling and social work to assist your recovery.