MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A popular feature many of us have in our cars could be leaving us permanently scarred.
Doctors say heated seats can lead to a skin condition called Toasted Skin Syndrome.
It’s not actually a burn, but a rash caused by prolonged exposure to a warm temperature. Safety experts say heated seats average 105 degrees.
People who use their heated seats for long trips without turning them off can develop this. The heat isn’t hot enough to burn the skin, so most people don’t even know there’s a problem.
Dr. Caleb Crestwell, a dermatology specialists, says computers and heating pads can also cause the syndrome.
“We’ll seeing it now are in the lower back (and on the bottom) from people using seat warmers in their cars; we’ll see it on the lap area … from people setting lap tops on their laps,” he said.
Doctors say people who get the rash most often can also end up with a permanent tint in their skin.
