Laptops Toasting Users’ Skin

Laptop computers are compact enough to be operated while resting on a user’s lap, but it turns out that doing so for long periods can result in a condition known as “toasted skin syndrome.” Erythema ab igne, as it is officially known, is an abnormal reddening of the skin commonly seen in people that are exposed to a concentrated heat source, such as bakers, silversmiths, and even elderly people who use hot water bottles to keep warm. Now, however, the condition is appearing in children and adults who skin is repeatedly exposed to the hot undersides of laptops for extended periods of time.