Safety in the home...

Beauty Burns

Hair straighteners, and other electrical beauty products, are seen by many as an essential. But they can be very dangerous, particularly to children.  

Straighteners can reach temperatures of over 220°C and then take up to forty minutes to cool down after use. They can cause severe burns if they touch the skin, with children particularly vulnerable as their skin can be 15 times thinner than adults.

The number of hair straightener burns among children has doubled in recent years and they now account for nearly one in ten burns. The majority of these incidents are when toddlers touch, grab or tread on the hot hair straightener plates. Nearly half of all adults have also received a burn from a heated hair appliance.

Please watch and share this video produced by the Electrical Safety Council which highlights the dangers of leaving your straighteners unattended near toddlers.