Contact dermatitis from Do It Yourself slime*
Dear Editor, Do It Yourself slime (DIY slime) is a current fad among kids and teenagers. Making this homemade goop is as much fun as playing with it, and various tutorials available on YouTube feature instructions for concocting the slime with different textures and appearances. We report the case of an 11 year old female patient. After a year playing with DIY slime, she presented erythema, vesicles, and exulcerations on the dorsal aspect of six fingers. The patient was diagnosed with contact dermatitis and instructed to stop handling the product. She was treated with moisturizing cream and mometasone cream, with significant improvement within 25 days (Figure 1) Homemade or DIY slime is similar to industrialized products (Geleka(r) Amoeba(r) and is handmade by children by mixing several substances. Basically, it is made with white school glue, water, and borax. The glue contains polyvinyl acetate, an incomplete plastic. Borax (sodium borate) acts as an "activator" which combines with glue molecules in water to form weak bonds. The molecules then move together but do not harden, becoming an elastic polymer1. Boric acid 3% can be substituted for borax or another activator such as detergent or baking soda. The basic recipe can be enhanced by adding other compounds to obtain different textures and color 944 Letters
Anais brasileiros de dermatologia