It makes sense to me that the burn itself still feels warm/painful, but why is it that when touching/being near the burn with a non burned area such as your hand the burned skin stills feels warmer than it should?
In: Biology
Increased blood flow. Your body has dilated all the capillaries (tiny blood vessels) for maximum blood flow to the damaged area. Burns damage a lot more cells than cuts, since they affect a whole area. Your body needs to bring in a bunch of white blood cells to fight infection, building materials for repairs, and to carry away the remains of millions of dead and damaged cells. Flushing the area with blood flow is how all this gets done. All that extra blood near the surface makes the area feel warm.
It’s the same reason a flushed red face after drinking feels warm. Open capillaries and high surface blood flow.
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