What happens when heating and toasting become deformed and fried?
Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Mark Strom has taken to TikTok to warn people about a little-known but particularly nasty side effect of heat exposure that can be caused by heaters and hot water bottles.
It can be itchy and painful — and in some cases, permanent.
TikTok user Faith Harrell (@faith_harrell) first set off alarm bells on the app when she showed off the skin on her stomach, which was covered in a dark, irregular pattern.
“Your friendly reminder not to overuse the stomach heat on the highest setting,” she wrote, garnering 3.9 million views and thousands of concerned comments.
Some chimed in with their own horror stories, naming the issue: “I had burnt skin syndrome all through high school because I was addicted to my heater,” said one woman.
Responding to Faith’s warning, Dr. Strom explained how dry skin syndrome occurs.
“Many don’t realize that you actually have to be very careful about chronic heat exposure to your skin,” he said. “Even heat exposure that doesn’t cause immediate pain or burning, because long-term heat exposure can lead to permanent redness and scarring.”
This condition is called erythema ab igne, also known as “EAI”, “burnt skin syndrome” or “fire spots”.
“It causes permanent web-like patterns of brown, purple or red,” Strom explained. “Some of the biggest culprits in causing this are heating pads, like those used to treat things like endometriosis pain.”
Erythema ab igne—Latin for “redness from fire”—was once common among bakers, cooks, and industrial workers who were chronically exposed to heat for long periods, as well as people who sat in front of a stove in their homes or near an open environment. fire to warm.
The condition became less widespread as central heating became ubiquitous.
Strom noted that in addition to heating pads, modern sources of sunburn include space heaters, electric blankets and laptops.
The classic EAI symptom is a rash that forms in a “lace-like” pattern; it may start as pink and eventually turn red, purple, or brown. EAI can itch, burn or tingle and can be difficult to distinguish from rashes caused by skin cancer.
“If you start to notice discoloration on your skin, you want to stop heat exposure as soon as possible, hopefully before the discoloration becomes permanent,” Strom said.
To protect the skin from EAI, experts recommend using a lap table, setting the heat or electric blanket to the lowest possible setting, and limiting use.
Middle-aged women, especially those who are overweight, are disproportionately affected by EAI. Treatment usually involves staying away from the heat source. The rash tends to go away on its own. In rare cases, it can cause scarring and increase the risk of skin cancer.
Retinoid cream, derived from vitamin A, can help relieve symptoms, although it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
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