Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
A dangerous teenage experiment leads medical researchers to issue a warning about deodorant and the potential for frostbite.
Hi, I'm Dr. Cindy Haines, host of HealthDay TV.
In a new article from the journal Pediatrics, doctors discuss the case of a 14-year-old girl who came in with a painful injury on the back of her hand. She had decided to spray a can of deodorant close to her hand for about 15 seconds, just to see if she if she could tolerate it. Her friend didn't believe that this could cause an injury, so she tried it too. Both wound up with frostbite that caused discolored spots on their skin.
The researchers sprayed deodorant against a thermometer from less than two inches away for 15 seconds. The temperature dropped from about 72 degrees to below zero. They also found examples in the medical literature of other people suffering frostbite injuries after spraying themselves with aerosol sprays at a close distance for a length of time.
Using these products improperly may cause injury, the researchers warn, and it's wise to follow any directions on the packaging for how to use them correctly.
