Minor burns are usually treated at home, and folk medicine enlists dozens of remedies to soothe and protect slightly burned skin. Burns range from minor sunburns, scalds, and rope burns to blisters and charred skin. The level of seriousness is classified by degrees and can be determined within 30 minutes of being burned. The usual effects of a first-degree burn are pain, discomfort, and a reddening of the skin's surface; a typical sunburn is an example. The skin heals quickly, with the damaged top layer peeling away after a day or two. Second-degree burns are characterized by blisters, sharper pain, deeper redness, and swelling. Third-degree burns destroy all the layers of the skin, sometimes turning the area white or charred black. The nerve endings may also be damaged, so that little or no pain is felt after the excruciating initial pain. Serious burns over more than 10 percent of the body may cause shock.

Home remedies should be used only for first-degree burns and small second-degree burns. Anyone with second-degree burns affecting the hands, feet, or genitals, or with blisters more than one inch across should consult a physician immediately.

All third-degree burns are considered medical emergencies, since muscle and bone may be exposed and the risk of infection is high. Electrical burns may also require a doctor's evaluation; they can penetrate muscle and damage the heart and other internal organs with only minimal marking of the skin.