Nowadays, we work just about anywhere.. in our homes. From our home office, to the living room couch, to even our bed sometimes. More and more people are working from home and thus use their portable laptops any kind of way. But actually putting them on your lap could do some damage.
The prolonged placement of laptop on the thighs results in the thermal build of around 44 degrees of heat to which the skin responds by developing persistent redness and pigmentation. This has been reported in medical literature between 2004 to date.
Some Harmful effects
The skin develops a patch which is mottled [caused by local hemostasis stagnation of blood] and later becomes reticulated erythema [patchy striped erythema] leaving behind pigmentation, saysCosmeto-dermatologist Dr Swati Srivastava.
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He also warns that repeated skin exposure can waste tissues, typically due to the degeneration of cells. If there is a persistent soreness that does not heal, a skin biopsy should be performed to rule out the possibility of skin cancer.
The heat emitted from the portable computers has been cited to have a similar effect on men as taking hot baths. News sources advise young boys and men of child rearing age to abstain from or closely monitor the amount of time they spend with a laptop sitting on the lap.
Putting a laptop on your lap is not only bad for your skin, but its also bad for your computer because it can partially or completely inhibit the exhaust fan, which can lead to overheating.
Women are not exempt from the negative effects of putting a computer on the lap. Other articles talk about a condition known as
toasted leg syndrome. Toasted legs syndrome is an and usual looking skin condition where the skin on the legs look molted and discolored. The skin turns an unattractive brown color. According to researchers at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland, a laptop computer causes dermatosis, which is a permanent skin tan. Although rare, in some cases sitting a laptop on your lap for long periods of time can cause skin cancer.
Treatment & Remedies
First of all, identification of the root cause, i.e., the source of the heat, needs to be identified. If it is excess duration of laptop usage, it should be cut down. Also, direct contact of the laptop and the skin should be avoided by placing a barrier in between. Many online retailers have laptop coolers available. The skin change, if detected early and is mild in nature, can settle on its own without treatment. For persistent redness, anti-inflammatory creams can be used.
For pigmentary changes, addition of topical tretinoin [a drug related to retinol or vitamin A] cream may be mandatory. In some cases, one may require laser therapy.