The Boiling Water Challenge. It’s a thing maybe you’ve seen on your Facebook or Instagram feed. But let’s rewind for a sec and talk about all the crazy challenges we’ve seen just last year alone. People are still filming themselves eating Tide Pods and dumping hot water on each other for online challenges that make no sense. The latter is especially scary since it can cause significant lifelong injury. Since you wouldn’t even use boiling water in the hottest shower, it should be an indication that it should be nowhere near your skin.
Unfortunately, that memo must have gotten lost. Based on the extremely cold conditions outside, some people felt like it’d be a good idea to play with boiling water. Now, for this challenge, people might not have assumed that the water would hit their skin at all. The challenge is to take it outside on an extremely cold day, throw it up in the air, and watch it turn into vapor.
Now, scientifically, that’s something you should get behind. But, most people who performed this experiment weren’t scientists. Instead, they were people who’d soon earn the title of E.R. patient.
According to the Chicago-Sun Times, eight people were hospitalized after attempting the boiling water challenge — which makes you wonder how many people actually tried it out altogether— during the polar vortex. And it wasn’t just children.
The eight ranged from age three to 53, meaning there’s a ton of grown adults out there who didn’t realize this idea could backfire. As unbelievable as that sounds.
“We strongly warn people to not perform the boiling water challenge,” Loyola burn surgeon Dr. Arthur Sanford said. “There is no safe way to do it.”
Granted, it does look beautiful. But if it backfires, it’ll backfire terribly. Just imagine boiling water flying back at your face if the temperatures aren’t right.
And throwing it directly in the air just seems a bit too spooky. Way too much can go wrong.
It makes you wonder what people go through just for social media likes. It’s cool to see this stuff online, but nobody will ever share the take in which things go horrifically wrong.
According to VeryWellHealth, many boiling water injuries lead to second-degree burns. That means they’ll affect two layers of skin — your epidermis, and your middle layer, called the dermis.
Not only will it leave a nasty scar, but it’ll be incredibly painful. All for a possible photo to add to your feed.
Burns happen by accident all the time, especially when cooking. Sometimes, you’re too in the moment and forget that you’re literally working with a level of heat that can be dangerous to the touch.
Surely anyone who’s been burned by accident can’t believe the Boiling Water Challenge is even a thing. At the very least, it makes more sense than the Hot Water Challenge, which consists of pouring dangerously hot water on a friend. (Because, why would you do that?)
[fm_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5xM8HeUb80"]Kyland Clark was one of the victims of the Hot Water Challenge, and as you can see, his life has changed forever. It was supposed to be a joke, but it left him with severely peeled skin.
Clark was in the hospital for a week with second-degree burns. And, he’s not the only teen who’s landed in the hospital after this senseless challenge went viral.
News of the Boiling Water Challenge victims has made people openly embarrassed about being from the Chicago area.
But honestly, the act can happen anywhere it’s cold enough. And it’s much more common than people may want to believe.
Unfortunately all sorts of healthcare professionals treated this type of mishap during the polar vortex 🤦🏻♀️❄️🤦🏼♂️
— Rachelle (@RachelleTiffany) February 7, 2019
And, parents need to know that their children are watching. So, make sure not to set a bad example.
Last week Kora wanted to help her mom do the boiling water challenge and she burnt her wrists in the process! She's doing fine now but wants to remind everyone to take care and caution when trying out things involving hot water! #BurnAwarenessWeek https://t.co/gVZoBaS9Vj pic.twitter.com/5MXg5IXDbQ
— Shriners Children's Ohio (@ShrinersOhio) February 8, 2019
Next time it’s cold out and you think you want to give the Boiling Water Challenge a try, just remember — it can literally scar you. And there are so many better ways to explore science (and get cool photos.)
And honestly, your picture will look pretty identical to the very lucky people who managed to do the Boiling Water Challenge unscathed. So, why risk it?
