Seat warmers can cause toasted skin rash and scarring!
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota - February 24, 2012 - A popular feature many of us have in our cars could be leaving us permanently scarred.
Doctors say heated seats can lead to a skin condition called Toasted Skin Syndrome.
It’s not actually a burn, but a rash caused by prolonged exposure to a warm temperature. Safety experts say heated seats average 105 degrees.
People who use their heated seats for long trips without turning them off can develop this. The heat isn’t hot enough to burn the skin, so most people don’t even know there’s a problem.
Dr. Caleb Crestwell, a dermatology specialist, says computers and heating pads can also cause the syndrome.
“We’ll see it in the lower back (and on the bottom) from people using seat warmers in their cars; we’ll see it on the lap area … from people setting lap tops on their laps,” said Crestwell.
Doctors say people who get the rash most often can also end up with a permanent tint in their skin.
