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Every year, thousands of children end up burned by an ordinary object found in almost every bathroom.
It is an object that causes tens of thousands of burns in children. 3100 to be exact, over the last ten years. A scourge that could be avoided, provided the object in question was removed. The point on this studybroadcast at the 2023 AAP National Conference and Exhibition.
Many accidents at stake
The object of all the burns? This is the curling iron, this famous accessory that allows us to have good hair once plugged in.
Except that the latter, seemingly harmless on paper, causes harm to the little ones.
In the last ten years alone, curling irons have generated nearly30,839 burns“among the youngest and”1050 emergency room visits“.
Hair curlers and curling irons would thus represent nearly “97.4% of injuries“, according to American researchers.
“Hair styling tools are a timeless part of our daily routine, helping us achieve that perfect look we’re looking for. However, they have a huge potential for danger, and can cause unpleasant accidents when used carelessly.”, assures Dr. Brandon L. Rozanski, lead author of the study.
Too high a temperature
If curling irons are so harmful, it is because they heat up very quickly and very hot.
“Electric hair styling tools can heat up to 232°C in just a few minutes. This creates potential burn situations for both the person using the object and those around them.”, specifies Dr. Brandon L. Rozanski.
Toddlers under the age of 10 are most at risk, accounting for 68% of injuries.
In addition, 65.1% of the injured were little girls and almost three quarters of the burns occurred at home (72.3%).
Fortunately, 98.6% of them did not require hospitalization.
However, preventive work must be carried out among as many people as possible, in order to protect the youngest.
“Clinicians have a unique opportunity to provide targeted anticipatory guidance to educate families about the dangers of daily use of electric hair styling tools, in addition to emphasizing age-appropriate use with and without parental supervision“, concluded Rozanski.