Question about burn scars (research)

[Parrothead]

Not reading the second link, but Back In The Old Days (TM), they abraided wounds with Maggots. From other readings there ate two types, one which burrows into the wounds and causes boatloads of damage and another which eats all the dead stuff and falls off I can't remember right now which is which, but if you need it, I can look it up.

*icky stuff is whited out.*

[kpzra]

I believe it's only screw worm fly maggots that eat live flesh, but I could be wrong. They still use them in modern hospitals. They do a great debridement job with less damage than a scalpel. I've heard they tickle a bit.

[Cia]

A friend of mine's little sister was burned over a quarter of her upper body when she was a young child. As she grew and went through puberty, she had to have surgeries since some of the scar tissue was on her chest and as she developed breasts the scar tissue wouldn't stretch and caused her some problems.

[Kogarashi]

Quoth Cia

A friend of mine's little sister was burned over a quarter of her upper body when she was a young child. As she grew and went through puberty, she had to have surgeries since some of the scar tissue was on her chest and as she developed breasts the scar tissue wouldn't stretch and caused her some problems.

I'll have to remember that part. I noticed on the Nienie Dialogues link that she needed similar treatments for when she got pregnant (or so it looked?) for the same reason: lower abdominal tissue wasn't going to stretch properly otherwise.

[Sapphire Silk]

Quoth Seshat

I've been told - though this is secondhand info - that if the burn damage is extensive enough, temperature regulation can be messed up.

Only during the acute phase of the burn, typically. Once healing has occured, this usually isn't a problem.

The biggest problem with burns is infection, which can lead to sepsis and death. However, for the OP's character, the biggest challenge is going to be eschar and contractures. As the skin heals, it tightens and can pull extremities into twisted shapes, and the person loses full range of motion over the affected area. This can result in distortions in the face as well, or the ability to stand up straight.

Surgery to release the tightened skin helps this (escharotomies). Scarring in such cases is usually pretty extensive, and takes a long time to heal. This character likely has to use lotions and other products to soften the skin, and do frequent range of motion exercises to maintain mobility.

Some problems the character would face would include body image disturbances (talking in Hero System terms, a Distinctive Feature Disadvantage), the contractures would represent a Physical Limitation, anxiety over appearance a Pysch Lim, and the use of lotions for the skin a Quirk (in GURPS terms). The lotion might also leave the person with a distinctive smell (a Quirk or possibly Distinctive Feature).

Chronic pain might also be another issue to deal with. Also, weakness of an extremity depending on the severity of the burn.

[Pharm Girl]

There is also sometimes problems with excessive scar tissue and of course the psychological issues with self image as well.

[Kogarashi]

Thanks guys. This is super-informative.

Yeah, they'd be older scars, past the infection-risk stage.

[wolfie]

Is this character going to be spending a lot of time in hot areas? 3rd degree/full thickness burns (probably what you're dealing with, since there are scars involved) destroy the sweat glands, so he'd have trouble keeping cool if he's lost them over a large proportion of his body area.

[Kogarashi]

Good to know, thanks wolfie. I don't believe I have the character going to hot areas, but that's definitely something I'll have to remember. ::adds to note file::