The Education Department has written to all head teachers after the so-called Aerosol Challenge, which first became popular in 2014, re-emerged on popular social media app TikTok.
The challenge has been rebranded as the #100LayersOfLynx and requires participants to spray themselves in the same spot 100 times with a can of Lynx or other spray deodorant.
TikTok, which is aimed at over-13s, allows users to create and share short videos with their friends.
The gas from a typical deodorant spray can reduce skin temperature dramatically and cause forms of frostbite.
A government spokeswoman said the trend mainly affected adolescent children but some primary-school-aged pupils had been known to have followed it.
She said in a statement: ‘The Department of Children, Young People, Education and Skills regularly alerts head teachers as e-safety issues arise for our children and young people.’ Parents and teachers are also being asked to make themselves aware of the so-called #FireSprayChallenge, originally a 2016 craze, in which children are encouraged to spray aerosols into cigarette lighters/fire to create patterns or words.’
The children’s actions are filmed and then put online.
In one warning sent by a primary-school head teacher to parents, the teacher said: ‘We cannot reinforce enough how important it is that you are aware that these apps are not just videos of people singing along to their favourite pop songs but also include very dangerous challenges which encourage others to try, video themselves and post.’
