Electronic hair styling products, such as curling irons, are a common cause of burn injuries, according to research presented at the 2023 AAP National Conference & Exhibition at the Walter E Washington Convention Centre in the US.

The authors of the abstract, “Burn Injuries in Children from Hair Styling Tools Presenting to United States Emergency Departments, 2013-2022: Beauty is More Than Skin Deep”, looked at data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database on emergency department visits involving hair styling equipment for patients aged 24 and younger.

Between 2013 and 2022, there are expected to be 30,839 burn injuries from hair styling equipment and 1,050 emergency room visits, according to the study. Curling irons and hair curlers were responsible for 97.4% of reported burn injuries.

“Hair styling tools are a timeless piece of our everyday routine, helping to create the picture-perfect look. Yet they have the greatest propensity to create a not-so-picture-perfect accident when not handled with care,” said CPT Brandon L. Rozanski, MD, lead author and pediatric resident at Tripler Army Medical Center.

“Electric hair styling tools can reach temperatures as high as 450 degrees Fahrenheitt in a matter of minutes, creating potential situations of unintentional burn injury for both the device user and surrounding bystanders.”

Of those hospital emergency department encounters studied, 68% of the injured subjects were age 10 or younger and 65.1% were female. Almost three-quarters of these injuries occurred within the home, and 98.6% did not require hospital stays or require any other escalation of care.

“This study demonstrated that children have the greatest propensity to present to the emergency department with burn injuries sustained from hair styling tools,” CPT Rozanski said. “Using this information, clinicians have a unique opportunity to provide targeted anticipatory guidance to educate families on the hazard surrounding everyday use of electric hair styling tools in addition to stressing age-appropriate use with and without parental supervision.”