Hot laptops cause toasted thighs, say researchers

Hardcore laptop users have something new to worry about: a medical condition known as erythema ab igne or, more colloquially, "toasted-skin syndrome." As CNN reports, up to now, this type of skin condition was most often seen in those who worked long hours in front of open fires or coal stoves. Doctors have also seen it in individuals who used hot pads or electric blankets extensively or who sat too close to other heat sources, such as radiators. Now, doctors are also seeing it in people who, despite the apparent discomfort, perch a too-hot laptop on their thighs for extended periods of time.



Not a toasty treat
While toasting sandwiches can make them tastier, doing the same to your thighs is not so good, doctors say. Toasted skin syndrome manifests itself as brown, mottled skin. Researchers at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland, who document the condition in a 12-year-old boy in a case report published in the medical journal Pediatrics, say that the discoloration can take months or perhaps years to disappear, though it fades more quickly in children. Usually, researchers say, there are no additional symptoms, but a few sufferers have also reported some tingling or itchiness.
However, some experts say that in rare instances there could be more serious side effects. For example, Eastern Virginia Medical School's Kimberly Salkey tells ABC's Good Morning America that there have been some reports of skin cancer within the affected areas, but she adds "that's far from the rule." Though the Swiss researchers don't raise that possibility in their report, they do say that the mechanism through which heat causes the skin changes seen in toasted skin syndrome is not well understood.
Keeping your cool
Any laptop user knows that they can get hot. Swiss researchers give a number of 111 degrees Fahrenheit, though Good Morning America measured temperatures of 117 degrees in its test and quotes Salkey as saying some can get as hot as 125 degrees. That's hot enough that a single layer of clothing is not enough to prevent toasted skin syndrome, but there are some things you can do.
Dr. Andreas W. Arnold, the lead author of the Swiss report, tells CNN that simply adding a pillow between your lap and your laptop can do the trick. However, England's The Register, a technology website, says that doing so can cause heat to build up in the laptop's case, eventually frying the system.
Instead, the site says that "The most straightforward way to avoid turning your thighs into pork rinds is a passive cooler," and names the Xpad Slim and Lapwork's Laptop Desk series as good examples. If you don't mind the fan noise, USB-powered coolers such as the Antec Notebook Cooler 200 might be a good choice for extremely heavy users, such as hardcore gamers, The Register adds.
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