Skin Burns & Injuries
our areas of focus
What are Skin Burns and Injuries?
Skin burns and injuries damage the important protective layers of the skin and can result in complications like infection or damage to underlying tissues. Although pain might be your first concern, there can also be factors to keep in mind like recovery, scarring, and timeframe. For particularly large or severe burns, your quality of life can be greatly impacted, meaning you are unable to remain active and comfortable in your lifestyle.
Burned skin behaves differently from intact skin. It loses moisture faster, it is more vulnerable to bacteria, and its ability to regulate temperature is reduced. When the injury reaches deeper layers, the structures that normally drive repair, including hair follicles, sweat glands, and the small blood vessels that feed the dermis, are affected as well. That is why depth matters so much in burn care and why two burns of the same size can follow very different recovery paths.
Burn injuries affect approximatley 11 million people annually, but regenerative medicine gives burn patients an additional path forward. Stem cells are one option in rejuvenating tissues and cells affected by burns and injuries, supporting skin regeneration and tissue regeneration from the inside out rather than relying on time alone.
What Causes Skin Burns and Injuries?
The skin is your body’s protective layer against outside materials and harmful substances. However, your skin can easily be compromised by everyday accidents. More severe cases can be the result of cuts, burns, and injuries that require medical attention.
Burns are generally grouped by what caused them, and the cause shapes the pattern of damage:
Thermal burns come from contact with heat. Flames, steam, hot liquids, hot metal, and heated cooking surfaces all fall into this category. Thermal burns are the most common type and tend to cause damage that radiates outward from the point of contact.
Chemical burns result from contact with acids, alkalis, solvents, or industrial cleaners. Chemical burns can continue to damage tissue after the initial exposure until the substance is fully neutralized and removed, which is why the depth of a chemical burn is sometimes greater than it first appears.
Electrical burns occur when current passes through the body. Electrical burns often show small entry and exit wounds on the surface while affecting muscle, nerve, and vascular tissue along the current’s path, so the visible wound rarely reflects the full extent of the injury.
Friction, radiation, and cold exposure round out the list, each producing its own combination of surface and deep tissue damage.
Each person’s circumstances are different, so we begin with a full understanding of your burn or injury, your preferences, and your cosmetic goals for recovery. Our approach at Axis Stem Cell Institute starts with the specifics of your case rather than a standard protocol.
What are Common Skin Injuries and Conditions?
Traumatic Injuries
Traumatic injuries are sudden, severe, and can be life-threatening. They’re usually the result of blunt force, skin penetration, or burns, and can occur because of everyday activities like driving or playing sports. They can also occur because of anomalies like natural disasters and freak accidents. In the event of a traumatic injury, you’ll need immediate medical attention at an emergency hospital center. Some types of traumatic injuries can leave behind permanent symptoms or conditions, while others require only a slow and steady recovery.
Scars
Scars form because of your body’s natural healing process after the skin is broken or compromised. When the dermis, or deep layer of your skin, is broken, the body creates new collagen fibers to mend the break and keep the underlying tissues protected. Once the wound or incision heals, the collagen fibers remain and give the affected skin a different appearance from the rest of the skin. Scars can sometimes be made worse by a lack of moisture or too much collagen production, as in the case of hypertrophic or keloid scars. Some at-home products can be effective at reducing scarring if used during the healing phase, but it can be difficult to reduce the appearance of existing scars without cosmetic services.
2ND & 3RD Degree Burns
Chances are, you’ve experienced a mild burn at least once in your life. These are considered 1st degree burns and are perfectly manageable at home. However, 2nd and 3rd degree burns are less common and can be more dangerous. In a 1st degree burn, only the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is affected. In 2nd degree burns, which correspond to partial thickness burns, the epidermis and dermis are both affected. 3rd degree burns are extremely severe and can affect even the tissues underlying the skin. 2nd and 3rd degree burns require extensive medical attention and can be life-threatening if not properly treated, sometimes with the use of skin grafts. They can also require a lot of time to heal and recover.
Radiation Burns Post-Cancer
Radiation therapy treats cancer using high-frequency radiation to damage cancer cells, ensuring they do not grow. While typically effective in treating cancer, this has serious side effects and can damage healthy cells as well. It’s common for radiation therapy patients to face sores or burns on the skin. Stem cell therapy can help these patients recover and heal more quickly from burns after radiation.
Patients often ask how respiratory and COPD therapy compares with other regenerative options.
How Burn Wound Healing Works
Understanding the phases of burn wound healing makes it easier to see where regenerative therapy fits.
Inflammation
Immediately after injury, blood vessels constrict and then dilate, immune cells flood the site, and the body begins clearing damaged tissue and debris. This inflammatory response phase is necessary, but when it runs longer or hotter than it should, it delays everything that follows.
Cell Proliferation
New tissue starts to fill the wound. This is the stage of granulation tissue formation, when fibroblasts lay down a fresh collagen matrix and new capillaries grow into it to deliver oxygen and nutrients. Healthy granulation tissue formation is one of the strongest indicators that a wound is on track. At the same time, cells at the wound edges and around surviving hair follicles begin migrating across the surface to close it.
Remodeling
Over weeks and months, the disorganized collagen laid down during proliferation is gradually replaced with stronger, better-aligned fibers. The quality of this remodeling phase largely determines how the final scar looks and how well the skin moves.
Wound repair depends heavily on blood supply, controlled inflammation, and the availability of cells capable of rebuilding structure. Severe burns compromise all three at once. Regenerative therapy is aimed directly at those three variables.
How Stem Cells Support Skin Regeneration
Mesenchymal stem cells are the cell type at the center of regenerative approaches to burned skin. These are adult cells with two properties that matter here. First, they can develop into several tissue types, including the fibroblasts and vascular cells that rebuild dermis. Second, and arguably more important, they signal. Mesenchymal stem cells release growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular vesicles that influence the behavior of the cells already present in the wound.
That signaling activity supports burn wound healing in several ways at once:
Modulating inflammation so the wound moves out of the inflammatory phase and into rebuilding on a productive timeline
Encouraging angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients into the healing bed
Supporting granulation tissue formation with organized collagen deposition rather than dense, disordered scar tissue
Promoting migration of keratinocytes across the wound surface to close it
Preserving and supporting surviving structures such as hair follicles, which serve as reservoirs of regenerative cells within the wound bed
Improving the quality of remodeling, which affects final pliability, color, and texture
The result is a wound environment tilted toward genuine skin regeneration and tissue regeneration rather than simple closure. For burn patients, that difference shows up in how the skin looks, how it moves, and how comfortable it feels months later.
Platelet-rich plasma and exosome therapies are frequently used alongside stem cell therapy for the same purpose, concentrating growth factors directly at the site of wound repair. Our team walks through which combination fits your injury during your evaluation. You can read more about our philosophy of care on our About Us page.
Cell Sources Used at Axis Stem Cell Institute
Axis Stem Cell Institute uses two sources of mesenchymal stem cells for burns and skin injuries to promote wound healing.
Adipose derived stem cells: Adipose tissue, or body fat, is a dense reservoir of mesenchymal stem cells and is collected through a minimally invasive procedure using a small amount of your own fat, typically from the abdomen or flank. Adipose derived stem cells are attractive for burn wound healing because the yield per volume of tissue is high, the harvest is straightforward, and the cells arrive with strong angiogenic and anti-inflammatory signaling activity. Because the cells come from your own body, compatibility is not a concern. Learn more about stem cells derived from adipose tissue.
Bone marrow stem cells: Bone marrow has the longest clinical track record of any mesenchymal stem cell source. Cells are aspirated from the iliac crest of the pelvis, concentrated, and returned to the treatment site. Bone marrow derived cells bring a distinct signaling profile and are often selected when the injury involves deeper structures beneath the skin.
Which source we recommend depends on the depth and location of your injury, your overall health, and your goals for recovery. That decision is made with you, not for you, and the reasoning behind it is one of the things our patients tell us sets us apart. Our why choose us page covers the standards we hold ourselves to.
Exosomes: Axis Stem Cell Institute also offers exosome therapy as part of our regenerative approach to burn care. Exosomes are tiny signaling vesicles that carry growth factors and genetic material between cells, and they help regulate inflammation throughout the healing process so tissue can rebuild in a more organized way. They also stimulate fibroblast and keratinocyte migration, the two cell types responsible for rebuilding the dermis and closing the surface of the skin. Depending on the size and depth of the burn, exosomes can be delivered by injection or applied through scaffolds placed directly on the wound bed, giving our team flexibility in how treatment is targeted.
Learn More About How Stem Cells Can Help
Skin burns and injuries can be traumatic, painful, and require a long and careful recovery. This can take a toll on your lifestyle, your health, and your wellbeing, and it can feel like your only options are waiting for your body to heal. Stem cells gathered from fatty tissue or bone marrow help jumpstart your body’s regenerative processes, restoring tissues and cells affected by burns or injuries.
Bryn Renda, PA-C, leads regenerative medicine at Axis and personally evaluates burn and skin injury cases at both of our locations. The rest of our clinical staff is introduced on our Meet Our Team page.
Skin Burns & Injuries FAQs
Are burn marks permanent?
Can stem cells grow new skin?
Can stem cells remove scar tissue?
How are stem cells used in skin grafts?
Schedule a Consultation
At Axis Stem Cell Institute, we understand that burns and injuries can greatly affect your lifestyle, preventing you from living your best life. Sometimes, the scars that are left behind aren’t just physical, either. We advocate for comprehensive, compassionate care to guide you through the recovery process with the best in stem cell therapies and scientific advancements so you can get back to your healthy lifestyle. It can feel like there are few options besides waiting when it comes to recovery from a burn or injury, so we’ll discuss your best options with stem cell and platelet-rich plasma options to restore your body.
Stem cells are a new and effective option in regenerative medicine. Your first step in a regenerative therapeutic plan is speaking with our stem cell experts. To schedule a consultation at our Seattle or St. Petersburg office, call 206.823.0960 or fill out our online form.
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Bryn Renda, PA-C is the founder and provider at Axis Stem Cell Institute and a nationally board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy. A retired professional athlete, she began her career helping athletes regain pain-free mobility and function, and now works with patients pursuing whole-body wellness through a naturalistic, holistic approach. She holds national and international certifications in the extraction and application of stem cell therapies, including certification from the International Society for Stem Cell Application, and has practiced in the field for more than five years. She earned her Master of Clinical Medical Sciences and Physician Assistant degree at Barry University and holds active licenses in Washington and Florida.