Whathappens if you get tased in the head

An ampere, or amp, is the unit used to measure current. A small current -- 200 microamps –- applied directly to the heart can cause a fatal rhythm called ventricular fibrillation.

However, TASER currents don’t reach the heart. Humans have protective mechanisms: The skin, which provides high resistance to electricity, and soft tissue, which surrounds muscles and organs like the heart, also reduce the current.

A taser is a battery-powered, handheld device which delivers a short, low-energy electrical pulse. Two electrode wires are attached to the gun's electrical circuit. Pulling the trigger breaks open a compressed gas cartridge inside the gun and flings the electrodes into contact with a body and a charge flows into the muscles.

Blue light therapy has been shown to improve acne and help prevent breakouts before they happen. It is also a highly effective treatment for destroying skin cancer cells in tandem with photosensitizing drugs, explains board-certified dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD. Pretty cool, amiright? Let's break down how these two skin conditions can benefit from blue light:

TASERS, also called "electrical control devices," have been used by law enforcement since the mid-1970s, with the intention to help subdue resistant suspects without physical contact or the use of firearms.

In the case of skin cancer treatment, dermatologists use a process called photodynamic therapy (PDT). Photosynthesizing drugs are applied to the affected face and/or scalp, and blue light is added—the light essentially works to "activate" the drugs, and a chemical reaction is created, killing the cancer-causing cells.

For people without heart isssue, the electrical discharges of the TASER device are too short to affect the heart muscle or cause abnormal heart rhythms. Even for those with heart conditions, the proper use of the device does not appear to cause issues. One of the first study of TASERs on humans, published by the Academy of Emergency Medicine in 2006, looked at their effect on individuals with a known heart disease or diabetes. The study participants were shot in the back with a TASER and researchers measured blood markers of heart damage and did a test called an EKG, or electrocardiogram. They did not find any negative effects.

Complications related to the brain or nervous system are rare, but do occur, including loss of consciousness, seizures, abnormal brain activity and confusion. This is more likely to occur if a subject is shot at a close distance or directly to the head, which is not usually the case since those are not the recommended targets. The probability of causing a seizure is very low.

The current -- either direct, DC, or alternating, AC -- is the rate at which electrons going down a wire travel per second. Alternating current is what is typically used in wall sockets and it's more dangerous, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, causing more extreme muscle contraction.

Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers beauty, fashion, travel, and lifestyle. Wanna know how to get the best brows of your life? Gotchu. What about how to find the best fashion deals of the season, the softest sheets on the market, or exactly how to use retinol without irritating your skin? Check, check, and check. Before joining Cosmopolitan, Siena was a writer at Bustle and several other media outlets. As her 2024 goal, she has vowed to find the best (extra) dirty martini NYC has to offer—and yes, that means ~attempting~ to try every cute cocktail spot in the city (hit her up with some recs, pls). Follow Siena on Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at that magazine life.

While the use of blue light devices at home is an incredibly great acne treatment, Dr. Marmur notes that different types of acne may need to be treated in conjunction with topicals, oral medication, and other methods. She says one treatment is also unlikely to suffice, noting that you will need several treatments per breakout, as well as consistent use to see long-term benefits in the appearance of your acne. And if it wasn't obvious, you'll 100% need to go to a board-certified dermatologist about any pre-cancer concerns to determine what the best course of action is and to see if photodynamic therapy is the right treatment for you.

However, the benefits don't stop there. In fact, dermatologists love blue light therapy for psoriasis, eczema, and other chronic skin conditions, explains Dr. Hogan.

Though you'll get better results from an in-office treatment at the dermatologist where you can also receive treatment for more serious concerns like pre-cancerous cells, blue light therapy at home is a super great tool for acne. According to the National Library of Medicine, "blue light therapy is clinically shown to control acne without harsh chemicals or prescriptions and improves the skin’s appearance." 'Nuff said.

Of course, police officers and medical personal should assess subjects subdued by a TASER for injuries. Existing medical or psychiatric conditions and the use of alcohol or drugs in the suspect may lead to behavior or reactions after the use of the TASER that need medical evaluation.

TASERs cause muscle contractions, but do not appear to trigger the release of the muscle enzyme associated with muscle cell damage -- creatine kinase. If levels of that enzyme are high, it causes a condition called rhabdomyolysis, which can lead to kidney failure. Current research has shown that the muscle contractions induced by the TASER cause a small increase in CK, but do not appear to pose a direct risk for rhabdomylosis, according to a review of research by Forensic Science International.

The taser delivers 19 short pulses per second over 5 seconds, with an average current of 2 milliamps, according to TASER manufacturer Axon. It creates an electric field, which stimulates nerve cells called alpha motor neurons to send an electrical impulse. The impulse travels to muscles and causes short, sustained muscle contractions.

Dr. Marmur stresses the fact that when choosing your at-home LED therapy device, it's important to make sure "that your options are FDA-cleared or approved and backed by science." FWIW, legit devices that are FDA-approved can be pretty steep in price, but it's a one-time investment, and real people, including myself, have seen serious benefits.

This is where it gets a little complicated, but know this: Medical blue light therapy is different from both UV light and the blue light emitted by electronic devices. Let's get into the ~science~:

DrivestunTASER

Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum, which is what the human eye can see, explains Dr. Hogan. The visible light spectrum ranges from wavelengths of ~400 to 700 nm, and UV light has shorter wavelengths of between 100 to 400 nm. At these shorter wavelengths, ultraviolet radiation occurs—this is where harmful UVA and UVB rays are present resulting in premature aging, sunburn, and increased risk of skin cancer.

For example, a current applied to the arm will be reduced to .001 percent of the original signal by the time it reaches the heart. TASERs have a 2 milliamp current and it takes at least 1,000 milliamps -- 1 amp -- to injure muscles, nerves and the heart. Higher amps, starting at 10,000 milliamps or 10 amps, cause the heart to stop and produce severe burns, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Controlled use of blue light at specific wavelengths works by targeting different types of cells to treat a range of skincare problems. "Blue light acts on different cellular targets in the skin to induce therapeutic benefits, including the improvement of acne, chronic inflammatory skin conditions, sun damage, and wound healing," says Dr. Hogan.

Acne treatment with blue light works by targeting and destroying Cutibacterium acnes bacteria. This type of bacteria lives on our skin, and when it gets trapped under our hair follicles and pores, it can cause inflammation and irritation that may lead to breakouts. "With consistent use, blue light therapy will clear your breakouts and mitigate your acne," says Dr. Marmur. FYI, she says at-home treatments combining blue light with topical formulations containing photosomes—i.e., light-activated skincare—will improve the benefits.

On the other hand, medical blue light therapy and blue light emitted from electronic devices fall within the same wavelength, but, but! blue light therapy is controlled and used at higher intensities to target specific skin conditions. Electronic blue light is much less intense, and though it may cause eye issues and sleep disruption, it's just an inadvertent result of screen use. Got it? Okay, cool.

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On skin, the most common affects are superficial burns or small puncture wounds, caused by the metal probes that deliver the current not being immediately pulled off after a person has been tased. Scrapes are often seen across the skin surface because the person shocked by the TASER my convulse uncontrollably.

Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan who writes beauty and has four years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle news. She’s an expert at researching and writing beauty stories, like the top retinol body lotions and the best eyeliners. She’s an authority in all skincare categories, and she regularly tests and analyzes skincare products and devices on herself for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top dermatologists to assess new formulas, ingredients, and brands.

drive-stun vs taser

Serious injuries represent less than one percent of injuries from TASERs, as noted in a 2009 study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine that looked at more than 1,200 uses of conducted electrical weapons by law enforcement officers against criminal suspects.

A lesser-known fact is that blue light can increase hyperpigmentation, particularly among individuals with darker skin tones, says Dr. Hogan. "Patients with melasma may want to use blue light settings in LED masks with caution." While there are slim risks associated with blue light devices, we need more controlled, random studies to establish clear guidelines for doctors and also to provide standards for companies creating at-home devices. This leads us to...

The general public often sees red light therapy as the crème de la crème of light therapy (aka phototherapy). While more research is needed on its efficacy, it has shown promise in anti-aging benefits. I will engage with a sesh of red light on occasion, but as someone who struggles with acne, I'm Team Blue Light Therapy. Blue light is quite literally a killer of acne, and a lesser-known fact is that it's also an effective treatment against precursors to skin cancer—and it's got dermatologists and studies to back it up. Consider this your crash course on all things blue light therapy, including the best skincare devices and tools that the dermatologists think are worth your money. Let's get after it, shall we?

The taser has two modes: the first, pulse mode, causes neuromuscular incapacitation as the neural signals that control muscles become uncoordinated, and muscles contract at random. The second mode, drive-stun, uses pain to get compliance.

The widespread use of ECDs, with more than a 1,070 estimated worldwide uses per day, as reported by TASER manufacturer Axon, has led many to wonder: What happens to the human body after being tased?