Hot water bottles, grain pillows and electric blankets are in demand in winter. But be careful: their intense heat can change the skin. What you should know about toasted skin syndrome.
Heat can be very beneficial: a cherry stone pillow for stomach ache, a hot water bottle for period pain and a heat patch for back pain. Or just fall asleep warm with a hot water bottle. If you do this every now and then, it’s usually not a problem.
Toasted Skin Syndrome: Regular, deep heat is problematic
At temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees, brief skin contact usually does not cause burns.
But regular, deep heat can cause skin problems. Then the skin changes color, creating a red-brownish network.
Experts call this pigmentation “erythema ab igne,” a neologism from ancient Greek and Latin that translates as “redness caused by fire.” The phenomenon is also known under the name Buschke heat melanosis, after the German dermatologist Abraham Buschke. The name toasted skin syndrome is a little more descriptive: “toasted skin”.
Too much heat: blood vessels are damaged
The toasted skin phenomenon can only be determined through the optical changes in the skin, explained Friederike Wagner, specialist in dermatology and allergology, to the DPA in 2022. To date, however, there have only been a few studies on this.
The intense heat is believed to cause damage to the blood vessels. These initially expand due to the heat. This causes the skin to become red.
If the blood vessels are damaged, red blood cells leak out. Their breakdown products – called hemosiderin in medicine – are deposited in the skin. This causes discoloration of the skin, a so-called hyperpigmentation.
Toasted skin syndrome can become chronic
“If heat is applied regularly over a longer period of time, the skin change becomes chronic. This means that the erythema ab igne is permanent and will not go away,” says Friederike Wagner.
After all, the discoloration is not painful and usually does not cause any other symptoms. If the skin itches or burns, you can treat it with an ointment or cream.
There are no special treatment options. Nevertheless, it is better to see a dermatologist if you notice a red-brownish network on your skin. There are also diseases with a similar appearance that are not benign.
Hot water bottles etc.: It depends on the dose
Toasted skin syndrome can be avoided quite easily: by not exposing yourself to intense heat too often. But how much is too much?
A few evenings with a hot water bottle is unlikely to lead to chronic heat melanosis. However, there is not yet enough knowledge about what role genetic predisposition plays. Or after how many hours of heat discoloration occurs.
Especially people who often fall asleep with a hot water bottle or who often have a heat patch on their back should check their skin regularly.
Heat melanosis can basically be triggered by any kind of deep and long-lasting heat: a hot water bottle, electric blanket, heated seats in the car, but also a hot laptop on your lap. Even if we usually find the heat pleasant, the skin should not be exposed to it too often.
So as tempting as it may be to snuggle up in bed with a hot water bottle, it’s better not to do that every night. You should be very careful at temperatures above 40 degrees, especially with small children who cannot communicate when they are getting too warm.
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