October 22, 2024, 9:57 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Hot water bottles, electric blankets, and grain pillows are more popular than ever in fall and winter. But their intense warmth can change the appearance of your skin. What’s behind toasted skin syndrome?
Is there anything more comforting than snuggling up with a hot water bottle on chilly days? Hot water bottles, grain-filled heat packs, and electric blankets are especially favored by those looking to conserve heating in their homes. However, this cozy warmth can come with a downside: heat-related skin damage. Two dermatologists shed light on the condition known as toasted skin syndrome.
Overview
Regular, deep heat is the problem
Of course, warmth can be very beneficial: a cherry stone cushion for a tummy ache, a hot water bottle for period pains a,nd a heat plaster for a sore back. Or simply fall asleep nice and warm with a hot water bottle.
At temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees, short skin contact cannot cause burns, explained Friederike Wagner from the Dermatologikum Hamburg in a dpa report from 2022. However, skin problems can still occur with “regular, deep heat.” The skin then becomes discolored, creating a red-brownish net.
Experts call this brown pigmentation “erythema ab igne,” which means “redness caused by fire” in ancient Greek. The phenomenon is also known as Buschke heat melanosis, referring to the German dermatologist Abraham Buschke. The name toasted skin syndrome, which translates as “toasted skin,” is somewhat more descriptive.
The blood vessels are damaged
Regardless of its name, the phenomenon is identifiable solely through the skin’s visual changes, as explained by Friederike Wagner, a specialist in dermatology and allergology. There has been little research into toasted skin syndrome to date.
However, it is assumed that the intense heat causes damage to the blood vessels. The heat initially causes them to dilate, as Munich dermatologist Esther Wißmüller explains. This causes the skin to redden.
If the blood vessels are then damaged, red blood cells are released. Their breakdown products – known in medicine as hemosiderin – are deposited in the skin. According to Wißmüller, this leads to discoloration of the skin, known as hyperpigmentation.
Toasted skin syndrome can become chronic
“If the heat is applied regularly over a longer period of time, the skin change becomes chronic. This means that the erythema ab igne is permanent and no longer goes away,” says Friederike Wagner. Nevertheless, the discoloration is not painful and usually does not cause any other symptoms. If the skin itches or burns, it can be treated with an ointment or cream.
However, “There are no specific treatment options available,” states Friederike Wagner. Nevertheless, it is better to see a dermatologist if you discover a red-brownish net on your skin. There are also diseases with a similar appearance that are not benign.
Possible triggers of toasted skin syndrome
Toasted skin syndrome can be avoided quite easily by not exposing yourself to intense heat so often. But how much is too much? This question is not so easy to answer. According to dermatologist Wagner, a few evenings with a hot water bottle are unlikely to lead to chronic heat melanosis.
However, there is not yet enough knowledge about the role genetic predisposition plays. Or after how many hours of heat a discoloration develops. People who frequently fall asleep with a hot water bottle or often have a heat plaster on their back should, therefore, check their skin regularly.
Heat melanosis can be triggered by any kind of deep and prolonged heat, says Wagner. A hot water bottle, electric blanket, heated seats in the car – and, of course, a hot laptop on your lap. Even if we usually find their heat pleasant, the skin should not be exposed to it too often.
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Not a contemporary phenomenon
Toasted skin syndrome is not just a modern-day phenomenon that can occur in the context of excessive use of hot water bottles. Heat melanosis was particularly common among blacksmiths, train drivers, and people who worked around ovens or open fires in the past, says Wagner. In her practice, dermatologist Esther Wißmüller encounters toasted skin syndrome “from time to time.” She suspects that the phenomenon is certainly more common.
While it may be tempting to cozy up on the sofa with an electric blanket or in bed with a hot water bottle, dermatologist Wagner advises against making it a nightly habit. Particularly with small children, who cannot communicate when they are too warm, you should be very careful at temperatures above 40 degrees.
*Material from dpa included