What Is The Deodorant Challenge?
Most people would scoff at the idea of injuring themselves to follow a trend, but apparently pain is no obstacle for teenagers willing to participate in the latest dangerous challenge to sweep school hallways and the internet.
British high schoolers are spraying aerosol deodorant on each other's skin in an attempt to see who can withstand the pain the longest. Unfortunately, this bizarre activity is leaving them with terrible, weeping wounds. One UK mom recently posted photos of her 15-year-old daughter's damaged arm, covered in second-degree burns, and said her daughter would likely need a skin graft after participating in the deodorant challenge, even after three weeks of healing.
"For any parents who have children, please, please sit them down and show them these pictures," Jamie Prescott wrote in her post. "These are the damaging results of something known as 'The Deodorant Challenge.'" Since May 4, the photos have been shared over 4,000 times.
Prescott's daughter, Ellie, said her injuries are "really painful" and that yellow liquid keeps leaking out of the wound, Fox News reported. "It's a hole in my arm and there's all this yellow stuff coming out," the teenager said. "My friend did it a year ago and has a scar, but said it wasn't as painful as mine. When I show people my injury they lift up their sleeves and show that they've all had it done too."
The deodorant challenge isn't new, but the trend seems to persist with a younger age group. Every so often, stories like Ellie's gain traction and serve as a reminder to parents, who may want to ensure their own children don't participate in such senseless, harmful behavior.
Aerosol sprays are not designed to have extended contact with the skin, and if used improperly, they can leave your skin permanently damaged, says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
"Aerosol cans contain a gas known as propellants that helps express the contents out of a can when the top is pressed. Those propellants can have a cooling effect and directly irritate the skin," Dr. Zeichner told Prevention.com. "Improper use of aerosol deodorants or other aerosol-based skin products can lead to chemical skin burns. Mild burns include redness and inflammation, and with more severe burns, the skin may blister, ulcerate, and potentially have permanent scarring."
"When used properly, these products are safe to use," he added.
The deodorant challenge has already outlived other, less harmful trends like the mannequin challenge, but let's hope the next viral activity creative teenagers come up with doesn't involve injuring themselves.
(h/t Fox News)
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