The danger of hair straighteners.

Listen to this:

The huge popularity of hair straighteners has contributed to a 50% rise in the number of young children being admitted to hospital suffering from burns, a charity has revealed. Figures released by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) reveal that 125 more children were treated for burns in 2006/7 than 10 years previously, although the overall number of accidents involving under-fives is down

How scary is that!!???

These statistics bring me back to a near death experience I had with the hair straightener. I was in 'Oslo City,' (the local shopping center), minding my own business, when out from the masses a voice called out to me. A pocket size Italian girl from a small shop was asking me if I have naturally curly hair. Instinctively I answered that I did. The second I, rather foolishly, replied, I was shown to a chair in order for her to demonstrate a brand new type of hair straightener.

She began, in an almost evangelical way, to discuss the sheer brilliance that was this wonder product. After 5 mins of non-stop praise for this electrical marvel, I began to wonder if this thing was a product from NASA or something. She asked if she could demonstrate on my hair, and before I had time to think, she was busy combing my hair out of the way for a demonstration to end all demonstrations.

I sat back and tried to relax as she busied herself with my tangled mass of hair. As she directed the hell tongs towards my cranium, I felt a sharp burning sensation on my ear which made me yelp in pain. 'It's okay,' she replied calmly, as if this sort of thing was all part of the show. Not wanting to experience a second degree burn again, I moved my head slightly to the left of her. This time she cleverly missed my ear, and instead headed towards my lower body,this time my shoulder, causing me again to yelp. She avoided direct eye contact from that point on, which was probably a good thing as my eyes had misted over and were tearing up slightly. As a grand finale, she showed me how even after using the straightener, moist air wont make it frizzy again.

I gave her a weary look that suggested I'd been down that road before. She met my look with a smug smile before she sprayed my hair (and partly my face) with some water. 'You see,' she exclaimed triumphantly; 'it works,no?'

I thanked her for playing such a small (pyromaniac) part in my life and went on about my day, my hair growing hugely frizzy from the recent spraying. All in all, a very convincing demonstration.