Woman issues stark warning after her 'skin peeled off' when a hot water bottle burst over her legs and groin
Warning: This article contains graphic images which some readers may find distressing.
A woman has issued a warning after a hot water bottle burst over her legs and groin area.
Savannah Baker, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was using her six-year-old water bottle to remedy her period cramps in October as painkillers weren't doing the trick.
She filled the water bottle halfway with boiling water, before putting the product down her trousers on her bare skin.
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When the Brit went to pick her cat's bowl up off the floor, she says the product exploded, with scalding hot water going on her lower stomach, groin, and both of her legs.
The 27-year-old then rushed into the shower and used cold water to try and ease the pain, which she rated '11/10', for around half an hour before calling 111.
A first responder made their way to Savannah's home, wrapping her peeling leg in cling film to stop any infection.
She was swiftly taken to hospital so her legs could be 'lanced' to remove any dead skin, with snaps revealing horrific second-degree burns around the areas in question.
The loans and mortgage administrator now believes the bottle was out-of-date and that she shouldn't have put boiling water in it in the first place.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time an incident like this has happened, with many not aware of the risks that come with using an expired hot water bottle, though it should be highlighted as winter approaches.
According to the NHS, the lifespan of the product is usually around two years, as anything beyond this increases the risk of damage.
Savannah recalled putting the hot water bottle on her skin as she 'was doing stuff in the kitchen with my partner and I needed my hands'.
She said she filled the bottle up with hot kettle water, pushed the air out and closed it.
Savannah went on: "I probably had it in there for about three or four minutes and I went to bend down to pick up my cat bowl and the minute I bent over, the left bottom corner of the water bottle exploded.
"The seam split open and the boiling water went all over my tummy down to the top of my groin, my right leg thigh and my left leg from the top all the way down to the bottom of my knee."
Remembering it as a 'pain I had never experienced in my life', Savannah said that her 'whole leg was a blister' as it had to be popped and scraped before being bandaged at the hospital.
In a second examination 48 hours later, they removed more dead skin, suggesting that she may need a skin graft.
However, since the healing process is going well, Savannah no longer needs surgery.
She has had her bandages removed, though she must now moisturise her burns four times a day for a year to recover.
"There is potential to be left scarred for life, we just now need to wait to see how it heals," Savannah added.
In a video on TikTok, she admitted that she 'didn't even know' that hot water bottles had a lifespan, urging viewers: "Everyone needs to read the warning labels and [know] you're meant to put warm tap water in them."
Joshua Nair