'Toasted Skin Syndrome' With Laptops

'Toasted skin syndrome' is a condition, researchers warn, would affect the skin if a laptop rests too long on the lap.

A medical report has found that placing the devices next to skin for long periods of time can lead to "toasted skin syndrome," an unusual-looking mottled skin condition caused by long-term heat exposure.

About Skin
Skin types can range from oily to dry, extreme dryness accompanied by rashes and itching can often denote the presence of a skin problem or skin disorder.

In one case, a 12-year-old boy developed a sponge-patterned skin discoloration on his left thigh after playing computer games a few hours every day for several months.

"He recognised that the laptop got hot on the left side; however, regardless of that, he did not change its position," the Telegraph quoted Swiss researchers as saying in the study.

Another case involved a Virginia law student who sought treatment for the mottled discoloration on her leg.

Skin disease/ Dermatology - Disorder - Problems - Cancer - Pigmentation - Diseases - Infographics
Skin diseases also known as dermatologic disorders are many in number and so are their causes. The common skin diseases or skin disorders are usually related to the epidermal layer of skin.

Dr Kimberley Salkey, who treated the young woman, couldn't work out the source of the problem until she learned the student spent about six hours a day working with her computer propped on her lap.

The temperature underneath registered 125F (52C).

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Skin cancer is an abnormal growth of skin cells. It can develop due to a continuous exposure to sun over the years.

The case, from 2007, is one of 10 laptop-related cases reported in medical journals in the past six years.

The condition also can be caused by overuse of heating pads and other heat sources that usually aren't hot enough to cause burns.

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using laptops on lap could cause injuries. London/A survey in Britain has shown that people who use their laptops on the floor, in bed or on their laps are likely to develop injuries in their neck, shoulders and wrists.

While it is usually harmless, it can cause permanent skin darkening.

In very rare cases, it can cause damage leading to skin cancers, said the Swiss researchers, Drs. Andreas Arnold and Peter Itin from University Hospital Basel.

They do not cite any skin cancer cases linked to laptop use, but suggest, to be safe, placing a carrying case or other heat shield under the laptop if you have to hold it in your lap.

The study has been published in the journal Pediatrics.

Source-ANI