According to the UK’s Telegraph, mobile phones are responsible for yet another one of the great terrors of the 21st century: dermatitis. Apparently, “skin specialists” have discovered that certain metals used in cellphones are causing some users to suffer inflamed, reddened, dry, blistered, and cracked skin. Sounds awesome, right?

It seems that about a third of heavy talkers are sensitive to nickel — a substance commonly found in gadgets — which can become irritating after repeated exposure. Says Brown University’s Dr. Lionel Bercovitch, “Given the widespread use of cellphones, the presence of metal in the exterior casing of these phones and the high prevalence of nickel sensitization in the population, it is not surprising that cellphones can cause allergic contact dermatitis.”

There’s probably little you can do to out-and-out escape the problem, so we suggest full face mask whenever a call needs to be made — also, for dinner parties.

Check out the full article over at UK Telegraphs blog.