Forget sunburns. The latest in skin ailments comes not from the sun, but rather, from your computer.
It’s called laptop burn. The syndrome from which this is borne – technically called Toasted Skin Syndrome, to be exact – is caused by the heat that emanates from your laptop.
Many a laptop user will prop the device atop his or her lap (hence the “lap” in laptop) – where temperatures can reach up to 125 degrees Fahrenheit!
In fact, chronic or prolonged laptop-on-lap usage can, evidently, increase a user’s chance for skin cancer on the affected area. Yikes!
The solution? Invest in a laptop case or a portable laptop desk.
How do you use your laptop? Do you protect your legs by using a laptop desk?
daisy / 571 posts
i have a desk by my bed, I learned that lesson already.
sunflower / 294 posts
woooah, that makes me rethink how i’m going to use my laptop from now on. i always have it on my lap, and my legs get pretty hot, but i never really took any notice to it.
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I usually take it off once I feel it heating up. But I think this will make me take more notice to how much I put it on my lap.
orchid / 133 posts
Solution; use laptop less.. or remove it when it starts to burn. Lol. Seriously, how long would you have to be on for it to get that hot?
lily / 5148 posts
That’s why you buy a little cooling pad for your laptop and put it underneath. Simple as that..or keep it on your desk. Though I have a huge desktop as opposed to a laptop..
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oooops. I usually put my laptop on my stomach when I have tummy aches, it acts as a heating pad and usually works haha
sunflower / 284 posts
I wonder if we would also see trends in decreased male fertility due to laptop usage?
My laptop sits on the table and pretty much works as a much smaller desktop (I have it plugged into a monitor/keyboard/mouse).
rose / 812 posts
@whitecig@xanga - aha that would do wonders when on your monthly cycle.
orchid / 178 posts
Oh. I tend to put it on my lap when I’m cold because.. it’s.. warm.. and.. stuff. But right now it’s on my desk!! …Because it’s charging, but whatever.
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@UnconventionalButterfly@xanga - hahahah exactly my implication
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@just_the_average_jane@xanga - I think I read that somewhere that it could decrease male fertility.
when its winter, I dont mind it on my lap. my macbook doesnt reach as sizzling hot as my dell. i got myself a gel laptop cooler, amazing product.
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i use a laptop fan powered by my laptop all i have to do is plug into one of my usb drives…
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i got a red mark on my skin from this from 9th grade, it hasn’t gone away since.
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Aaah, I totally do this. If it’s not on my lap (but ontop of my blanket which covers my leg), then it’s on my stomach. I would say I learned my lesson after reading this but I know I won’t stop doing it, sigh…
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I actually bought a laptop fan from five below from when I was in online school, It worked!
daffodil / 1525 posts
It’s like always on my lap :/ gets super hot on the left side, I think I should really move away from doing this. I’ve started putting it on top of a binder though, but like SUPletstake__sruveys, there’s like a slight reddish/purple mark on my upper left leg from it that doesn’t really go away… :S
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…. *takes the laptop off the lap*
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Yep, I have a pretty big burn on my right leg from my computer… I started using it differently because of that to protect my skin, but after months, it hasn’t gone away or become lighter. Definitely watch out if you feel the laptop’s getting hot against your skin.
tulip / 15 posts
yea i’ve felt that b4..ouch
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I just noticed that i have that… not only from my dad’s laptop, but my imac is front of the couch and my wacom tablet sits on a large Tupperware storage box.. and my knees wrest on my this/knees all day… dark as hell right there O_O
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i got a laptop fan, cools down the laptop
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have it a stand next to my bed too because i dont want it to overheat on fabrics or my legs
however…its gotten cold and ive been using my electric blanket. i wonder if it has the same effect?