--- title: "Cursed Phone Case Imitates Human Skin" description: "Not only does the phone case look like human skin to an uncanny degree, it also gets sunburned like it, too." date: "2025-07-13" modified: "2025-07-13" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/cursed-phone-case-imitates-human-skin" categories: - "Computing" - "Devices" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "skin" - "skincare" - "smartphones" - "the digest" --- # Cursed Phone Case Imitates Human Skin ![Not only does the phone case look like human skin to an uncanny degree, it also gets sunburned like it, too.]() *\Image: Marc Teyssier / O2 \* ## Skin Deep If for some reason you wanted your smartphone experience to be as off-putting as possible, you should check out [this phone case]() that imitates human skin to a supremely unnerving degree. Not only does it look and feel like an epidermus, but it gets sunburned like one too. Morbid as this sounds, the "Skincase" is actually intended to help you. The idea is that seeing the faux skin wilt from spending too much time outdoors will remind you to protect yourself against the Sun's damaging ultraviolet radiation. "Our phones are objects we don't expect to change and to react in a humane way," said Marc Teyssier, who designed the device in collaboration with the British Skin Foundation and telecom company O2, in a [statement](). "By creating a tangible, visceral reaction to UV exposure," Teyssier added, "the Skincase not only raises awareness of Sun safety towards but highlights how Sun protection is an undeniable priority." ## Crack a Bottle It's a rare example, as gimmicky as it is, of possibly putting our chronic smartphone addictions to good use. We are experiencing what could be [one of the hottest years]() on record, after all. Regularly applying sunscreen vastly reduces your chances of developing skin cancer, a condition that roughly one in five Americans will experience at least once before hitting 70 years of age. It also helps keep your skin looking young and healthy. Slathering sunscreen, you'd think, would be a no-brainer. But surveys have suggested that an alarming proportion of Americans are [behind the curve]() on this issue, if they aren't buying into straight-up sunscreen myths. A National Health Interview Survey in 2020 [found]() that just 12.3 percent of adult men and 29 percent of adult women applied sunscreen when outside on a sunny day for at least an hour. No less damning, a more recent American Academy of Dermatology [survey]() found that 27 percent of respondents only applied sunscreen when others made them. For the Gen-Z crowd, this number jumped to 37 percent. And speaking of: another [survey]() from the Orlando Health Cancer Institute found that 14 percent of adults under the age of 25 believed, inexplicably, that applying sunscreen every day is more harmful than direct Sun exposure. Hmm, on second thought, maybe the Skincase isn't such a ridiculous idea after all. Teyssier, the designer, has apparently been beating this drum for years now. In 2019, he [created]() an even more Cronenbergian phone case with squishy folds of imitation skin that responded to hand gestures, including being pinched and tickled. We can only imagine what helpful horrors he will dream up with next. **More on weird gadgets:** *[We Talked to the Inventors of the "Tamagotchi" Vape That Dies If You Stop Puffing]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()