‘Salt and ice challenge’ resurfaces, leaving teens with severe burns

Warning: Some of the images in the video may be disturbing. 

TAMPA, Fla. (CNN) – A teen recovering from severe burns is warning his peers of a viral trend that made a resurgence in popularity. 

The so-called “salt and ice challenge” involves putting table salt on exposed skin and placing an ice cube on the salt, which causes a burning sensation similar to frostbite. Teens are challenged to hold both the salt and ice in place as long as they can tolerate the pain. 

“For me, I didn’t really know what it was,” said 15-year-old Tristen Tinnes, who tried it with a group of friends earlier this week. “I just want to say, like, it’s not smart— obviously.”

Tinnes said the challenge left him and another friend with second and third-degree burns on their forearms. The two may need skin grafts to repair the damage, CNN reported. 

“We’ve talked a lot about it in three days. These challenges are there, I feel, to make children fail. Then the world tells them degrades them,” said Tinnes’ mother, Fanny Hartwig. “My son is a lot smarter than what he did.”

“It’s a chemistry experiment on your own skin,” said Dr. Thomas Granchi, the director of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Burn Treatment Center. “I certainly admire their curiosity. But, there are chemistry labs to study chemistry. Don’t turn your body into a chemistry lab.”