A burning issue

The investigation was a response to consumer and medical reports which demonstrate a dramatic increase in such burns among children. These have doubled in the last five years and now account for almost 1 in 10 burns received by children.

Hair straighteners can reach up to 235°C – staying at that temperature for anything up to 15 minutes after they have been switched off - and take up to 40 minutes to completely cool down. Given this, it is not surprising that they can cause burns so severe that surgery is required. The risk to children is particularly significant since their skin can be up to 15 times thinner than that of adults.

The best way to store heated electrical appliances such as straighteners is by using a heat-proof pouch. So the ESC also undertook some ‘mystery shopping’ at leading high street and online retailers, to discover if they encouraged people to buy a pouch when purchasing straighteners.

Disturbingly, none of the 15 sampled outlets suggested shoppers buy this safety product. In fact, most did not even sell heat-proof pouches.

While most hair straightener manufacturers include basic safety information with their products, only a third provided heat-proof mats or pouches. Additional testing by the ESC found that these items had huge variations in quality and effectiveness, with some mats and pouches even melting on contact with heat.
But it is not just manufacturers who need to do more to protect children from hair straightener burns. ESC research also found that almost two-thirds of parents with young children fail to use a heat-proof pouch to store their straighteners after use. And over a third of parents admit to leaving the straighteners to cool down on the floor, or hanging off furniture – where children can easily grab or touch them. But adults need to be careful too, as half of those surveyed by the ESC had received a burn from a heated hair appliance.

As part of its campaign to reduce such burns – which is backed by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) - the ESC has created a hard-hitting video illustrating the dangers. A number of free heat-proof pouches are also being offered by the ESC, to ensure people store straighteners safely and help keep their children – and themselves - safe.

“The increase in significant burns among young children is an increasing concern”, explains Phil Buckle, Director General of the ESC. “While retailers and manufacturers must do more to protect their customers, parents also have a part to play in this safety campaign. It can take just seconds for a child to grab or tread on hot hair straightener plates but the damage can last a lifetime.”