Plastic surgeons have called for added safety warnings on deodorant cans after a viral TikTok challenge has led to youngsters inflicting cold burns on their skin.
The wounds are caused by very low temperatures – and is better-known as frostbite. A 15-second burst of aerosol deodorant held just two inches away has been shown to reduce skin temperature by more than 60C – enough to cause the extreme burns.
Almost 70 people – some as young as ten – have found themselves in the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle upon Tyne with such injuries. Some required plastic surgery to repair their damaged skin.
The surge has been blamed on a social media craze where young ones film themselves spraying deodorant on to their skin at close range for as long as bearable.
The stunt leaves a red, circular mark on the skin that children then share on TikTok.
A ten-year-old girl from the UK last year needed plastic surgery after she turned her skin ice cold with a deodorant can after seeing others do the same online. Surgeons later warned it could take up to two years for her injuries to completely heal.
British medics claim self-inflicted cold burn injuries were seen once every two months on average. About two-thirds were female and more than half were aged between ten and 30, according to results set to be presented at the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons’ (BAPRAS) annual meeting later this month.
Research leader and plastic surgery registrar Connor Barker says: “The influence of social media on young people can’t be underestimated.”
Twenty years ago, he adds, cold burns were almost unheard of.
Mr Barker says that deodorant cans should now carry a warning that explains spraying them close to the skin can lead to life-changing injuries.
“They have warnings for flammability and inhalation of solvent but no recognition of this particular harm,” he adds.
Researchers also called for cold burn patients arriving at A&E to be quizzed on the causes of the wounds to identify those who may need psychological support.
Consultant plastic surgeon and BAPRAS president Mani Ragbir says: “This is an alarming, preventable issue affecting kids. It demands immediate attention.”