Gamers, Watch Out for “Toasted Skin Syndrome”

Yet another new ailment threatens gamers, this one specifically targeting those who might use laptops to play games for hours a day.

“Toasted skin syndrome” is the layman’s term for erythema ab igne, described as a “reticular, pigmented, sometimes telangiectatic dermatosis” and it originates from prolonged exposure to a heat or an infrared source.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and reported on by AP, Swiss researchers discussed the condition appearing in a 12-year old boy who played computer games for a “few hours every day for several months.”

The “laptop-induced dermatosis” was described as “generally harmless but can cause permanent skin darkening,” although researchers cautioned that “in very rare cases, it can cause damage leading to skin cancers.”

The AP story also warned that men who position a portable computer on their lap for long periods of time could also risk “elevated scrotum temperatures,” which if prolonged, could decrease sperm production.

Researchers suggested placing some kind of heat shield under a laptop for any long bouts with a laptop.


Image from AP