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Dangerous trend: deodorant abuse as a test of courage
A quick spray under the arms is enough. Anything else can lead to serious skin injuries. photo
© Christin Klose/dpa
The so-called deodorant challenge is making waves on social networks. Young people in particular are experimenting with deodorant in videos. An authority is now urgently warning against this.
Spray deodorant spray onto an area of skin up to the absolute pain threshold or even inhale it: To protect yourself from such dangerous, sometimes life-threatening The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) warns of tests of courage.
The background: A so-called deodorant challenge is currently circulating on social media, in which young people in particular take photos and videos of themselves, as the institute reports.
“Deaths of young people in Germany are now being linked in the media to the “deodorant challenge.” Imitation is not recommended, regardless of age. The actions are extremely dangerous to health and could be life-threatening.
Massive skin damage possible
If you spray deodorant onto an area of skin for a long time, in extreme cases the temperature could drop to as low as -30 degrees within a few seconds, it was said. In addition to pain, there is a risk of massive skin damage and the affected skin area could die.
“Cold burns are a special case of frostbite and show similar symptoms to “classic” burns. If a very cold substance comes into contact with the skin, the water in the affected skin cells freezes. Ice crystals form, which cause the proteins in it to freeze The experts explain that the area denatures, i.e. changes its structure and can no longer carry out its function.
“Pain receptors in the skin then no longer function, which means that pain signals can no longer be transmitted to the brain, so spraying continues even though there could already be massive skin damage.”
In a second variant of the test of courage, aerosols from deodorant spray are inhaled. According to the BfR, this can “immediately lead to loss of consciousness, heart failure and respiratory paralysis”. Severe cases could be fatal or lead to permanent brain damage.