Toasted Skin Syndrome:  Here’s A New One

Every now and again, the study of health and the human body throws me a curve ball and I just have to stop and say, “hunh.”  This is one such time.  Toasted Skin Syndrome.

When I heard of it, I immediately thought of “Toasted Almond”, which was my favorite ice cream flavor at the Penn State Creamery (best ice cream in the world, IMHO), but no, it’s got nothing to do with ice cream and everything to do with laptops.

Laptops?

Yes, laptops.  In the good old days, you only saw toasted skin syndrome with blacksmiths or other people that worked near high heat.  Exposure to high temperatures for a sustained period of time can cause a discoloration of the skin that can be permenant and even contribute to the risk for skin cancer.

While there aren’t a lot of blacksmiths around any longer, we do have another heat source that stays in close proximity to a lot of people:  laptops.  Specifically, people who actually keep their laptops on their laps for hours every day.

Sure, it’s not as hot as motlen metal, but laptops can get up to around 125 degrees on the underside, and over time, this can cause the mottled skin darkening that has so descriptively been termed “Toasted Skin Syndome”.  So now there’s people running around with swirly darkened skin on their thighs because they REALLY had to get those TPS reports done.

So yes, it’s weird, but all the same, you don’t want it, so don’t bake your thighs with your laptops, people.  By the way, for you gentlemen, keeping your laptop on your lap can increase the temperature of the scrotum, which is a pretty good way to lower your sperm count.  *sudden sound of thousands of laptops being kicked to the floor*

Keep your laptop on the desk and stay healthy!

Source article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39490660/ns/health-more_health_news/