A worried mom has warned other parents about a dangerous new social media craze that is leaving children's skin covered in burns. This is known as the 'deodorant challenge', where kids film themselves holding deodorant bottles a few inches above their skin before pressing and holding the aerosol for as long as possible. During an interview with This Morning, 12-year-old Kaitlyn Stanley shared how she has burned her own arm using an aerosol deodorant can because "it looked really cool" and "her friends started to do it". Doctor and TV presenter Dr. Ranj explained the consequences of spraying aerosols on the skin and stressed that the craze can cause "serious damage."
The doctor explained how the deodorant cools down the skin very rapidly so you essentially get frost bite. Once that occurs, it breaks the skin barrier down, so it can predispose you to infection as well as permanently damage the pigment in the skin. Prior to the television appearance, the girl's mom made other parents aware of the craze by sharing an image of her daughter's burns on Facebook.
The "Deodorant Challenge" follows the "Salt and Ice Challenge," which emerged earlier this year and left multiple children with serious burns. Similarly, it is also growing quickly on social media. Parents, please warn your kids about the dangers of this challenge!