GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Sometimes layering up just doesn't cut it when it's cold outside. We often turn to tech to turn up the temperature and we don't mean the furnace.
Heated gloves, jackets, space heaters, heating pads and heated seats can be a quick warmup, but if not kept in check, could lead to major problems for your skin.
It's meant for comfort from the cold, but prolonged, direct exposure, to a heating source from something as simple as a heating pad can actually cause more harm than good.
It's unofficially called "toasted skin syndrome."
Medical Director at Priority Health, Charletta Dennis, says you may first notice discoloration, which can vary depending on the person's skin tones but it may appear red or brown.
"Sometimes you put them on second nature and not realize that you're causing damage," Dennis explained. "It causes damage to the skin's superficial blood vessels, and this leads to a net-like pattern of discoloration on the skin."
She suggests you stop using the heating source immediately if you notice this on your skin.
If it doesn't improve after a few days, you'll want to get it checked out before it becomes something worse.
She said, "Sometimes it can turn into serious problems like a merkel cell or basal cell or even a squamous cell carcinoma, which are different types of cancers."
As serious as all this is, there's a simple way to avoid it all: intermittent use or avoiding contact all together.
She suggested, "You can put something in between you, your skin and that heat source to prevent this from happening."
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