Did you know that “the number of hair straightener burns in children has doubled in recent years and they now account for nearly one in ten burns”?
Reaching temperatures above 220°C, you could actually cook eggs and bacon on hair straighteners! They can then take up to 40 minutes to cool down once you’ve finished using them. Imagine what would happen if a toddler reached out to grab them or even if you grabbed the wrong end by accident.
A child’s skin is much thinner than an adults and can cause severe burns if touched.
Here are some safety tips on how to use your hair straighteners whilst keeping you and your child safe:
Keep hair straighteners out of reach of children
Hair straighteners stay hot for a long while after use, so put them in a heat proof pouch when you’ve finished using them
Don’t put hair straighteners near to your skin, face, neck or scalp.
In the event you or a child receives a serious burn, seek medical attention immediately. If the hot plates comes into contact with the skin but it is not serious, run the affected area under cold water.
Store them on a high shelf and out of sight.
Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of Child Accident Prevention Trust says:
“Parents don’t know that hair straighteners can get as hot as their iron. Toddlers are into everything but don’t know that heat hurts. Add in the chaos of getting everyone ready and out of the house, and it’s no surprise these horrible burns are on the increase."
Take the advice of Wiring Works and Child Accident Prevention Trust and stop hair straightener burns today!
