A woman whose 'skin fell off' after her hot water bottle burst over her legs and intimate area has issued a warning to others.
Yazmin Hardy was on the first day of her period when she reached for her trusty hot water bottle on Tuesday, July 16, hoping to soothe her cramps. Little did she know that the bottle was actually out of date.
Unfortunately, Yazmin, 27, found out in the worst way possible when, approximately one minute after snuggling back up on the sofa, the product split open. Boiling liquid poured all over Yazmin's legs, lower tummy and hands, and she rushed to strip off and jump into a freezing shower for 30 minutes. Horrifyingly, this wasn't enough to calm the agonising burns she'd sustained.
READ MORE: Spoonful of 'superfood' 10 mins before dinner stops overeating and boosts energy
Recruitment consultant Yazmin recalled: "The hot water bottle for me is one of the only things that helps relieve the pain. On the first day of my period, I will always fill my hot water bottle up as it helps to soothe the pain a little bit.
"I boiled the kettle and then filled it to the top like I normally do. I put the rubber bottle in a cover and then sat on the sofa for two minutes before the whole thing poured over me.
"At first I thought it was my fault because I hadn't screwed the lid on properly but when I got home from the hospital, I had another look and there was a tiny split in the seam of the rubber bottle."
She continued: "I took all my clothes off and jumped straight in a cold shower for 30 minutes. The burns were mainly on my thigh and the top of my vagina and then on my other inner thigh.
"The pressure from the shower was causing the skin to just fall off my leg and when I got out of the shower I had no skin there and it was bright red and more skin came off. For days on end my leg kept burning. A week later it was still burning hot."
Yazmin, who is from Norfolk but now lives in Ancoats, Manchester, went to Manchester's Wythenshawe hospital, where her dead skin was removed and her wounds wrapped. Terrifying photographs show Yazmin lying on a hospital bed awaiting treatment, her burnt skin blistered and red raw. After initial treatment, Yazmin then had to return to the hospital every day for a fortnight to have her legs rebandaged.
It's now been two months since the accident and, although Yazmin's skin is healing well, it's believed she may have lifelong scarring. Going forward, Yazmin has said she'll never use a hot water bottle again, and now wants to raise awareness about the expiry dates found inside them.
After being gifted the warming bottle for Christmas present a few years ago, Yazmin only discovered the product's expiry date was 2022 after her painful incident. According to Yazmin: "They [doctors] are unable to say whether it will scar or not because everyone is different but you can still definitely see marks. If I had a shower it still goes bright red.
"When I go on holiday I now have to make sure my skin [in these areas] isn't exposed to sunlight or I've got my block factor 50 on. My hot water bottle was out of date but at the time I didn't know about the dates in them.
"[Since my accident], I've found out loads of rules about hot water bottles. You're not actually meant to fill it up all from the kettle. You're meant to do half boiling hot water and the rest cold water."
She added: "You're also not meant to fill it all the way up to the top because of the pressure and also check the dates on them. I will never use a hot water bottle again as it's just scary.
"I think if you burn yourself the most important thing to do is jump in a cold shower straight away. If the ambulance comes and you haven't done this, they will actually shove you in a cold shower before taking you to hospital to stop the burns getting worse."
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
READ MORE: Cat Deeley wore this high street brand again on This Morning and her top is still in stock
