Dramatic fall in symptoms of atopic dermatitis in children after wearing DermaSilk Clothing

Feb. 2, 2012 - PRLog -- DermaSilk recently conducted a telephone survey on clients who had purchased body suits or leggings for children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years, who suffered from moderate to severe eczema. Of the 100 families polled, 87 stated that DermaSilk had had a positive effect on their overall quality of life within one month of changing to the therapeutic garments with over 2/3rds reporting a significant reduction in sleep disturbance. (or 2/3 reporting a dramatic improvement in sleep pattern)

One of the most distressing side effects of atopic dermatitis is the unbearable itch. The survey showed that before using the product 67 families reported that their child suffered the highest severity of itch and only 8 families report no itch.  However after DermaSilk, severe itch was reduced from 67 to just 1 with 93 reporting zero or minor itching.

Sufferers of Atopic dermatitis may also have severely dry skin which can crack, so they have to continually apply emollients to keep their skin supple.  The survey showed that before changing to DermaSilk, 88 children suffered from severe or moderately dry skin which dropped to only 6 following the use of DermaSilk.   The number of families reporting no dry skin or mildly dry skin increased from 12 to 94 following the use of DermaSilk.

But it is not just the physical misery of atopic dermatitis which affects the children and their families.  Sleep disturbance, caused by constant itching is a very common problem.  The survey showed that prior to DermaSilk usage 50% of families classified their level of broken sleep as severe and a further 16 as moderate moderately disturbed.  Following the change, 91 families reported that their sleep disturbance was either minimal or not at all and only 4 families still reported severe sleep disturbance.  

The main reason for this impressive reduction in sleep disturbance is the reduction in itching, dry skin and erythema (skin redness), but the softness and temperature controlling aspects of the garments also played a major part.

DermaSilk’s medical director Dr Rupert Mason explained why the specialist garments were so effective in the management of atopic dermatitis.  He said “This new survey clearly demonstrates that something as simple as wearing the right clothing can make a tremendous difference to eczema patients.  All of our therapeutic clothing is made of a special knitted medical grade silk which allows the air to move freely through the fabric, so the skin can breathe more easily which reduces the terrible ‘itch-scratch‘ cycle. Also children love the soothing silky feel of the fabric and because it retains up to 30% of its own weight in moisture it helps control both body temperature and humidity.  This means the child sleeps well so the whole family can enjoy a much improved quality of life.”

Dermasilk garments are approved as a Class 1 Medical Device for NHS prescription, and can be purchased on line from www.dermasilk.co.uk.
Copies of the survey are available by e-mailing info@dermasilk.co.uk


More about Espère Healthcare
Established in 2006, Espère Healthcare Ltd was set up to create and develop a totally new market in medical treatment - biofunctional textiles. A wide range of garments has been developed that are manufactured from new materials specifically designed to produce therapeutic rather than just protective effects, either on their own or in conjunction with currently used conventional medication.

DermaSilk Therapeutic Clothing is manufactured from specially knitted medical grade fibroin. This is derived from silk which has been stripped of its outer coating to make it hypoallergenic, and is used widely for medical sutures. This fabric is specially bonded with AEM 5772/5, a patented antimicrobial shield which has been used in hospitals for over 30 years and has proven ability to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth on fabrics such as operating theatre gowns. It acts by electrostatically attracting and physically puncturing bacteria and fungi. There is no chemical released from the silk to poison the cells and no chemicals or nano-particles are released onto the skin.

DermaSilk Therapeutic Clothing has been approved as a Class 1 medical device for use by the medical profession on NHS prescription since 2007.  DermaSilk garments are used in the treatment and management of eczema by consultant dermatologists, GPs and nurses. Further indications have been added to the DermaSilk prescription portfolio to cover other conditions such as gravitational eczema in the elderly and epidermolysis bullosa, a severe and debilitating skin condition. Further research for the therapeutic use of DermaSilk in other conditions has shown very promising results.

DermaSilkIntimo is the newest product in the range. The inclusion of 4% elastane compliments the inherent stretch properties of the silk and has led to a new range of seamless designs. The latest clinical trials have shown the efficacy of these garments in relieving symptoms in women suffering from lichen sclerosus and candida infections.

Espère are also driving the development of these fabrics into new areas, and trials are in progress for the use of DermaSilk in lymphoedema, trench foot and end of life care. Other fabric technologies are also currently being investigated.

DermaTherapy® is a registered trademark of Precision Fabrics Group Inc.

DermaSilk was recently featured on NHS TV   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTbg3TQnfPQ



For more information about DermaSilk’s range of therapeutic clothing, visit www.DermaSilk.co.uk.

Contact details
For media information contact Colin Caldicott, Ultimedia PR
Tel: 01767 601470  e-mail: colin@ultimediapr.co.uk

For technical information contact Chris Steeples, joint managing director Espère Healthcare
Tel 01234 834614     email: chris@esperehealth.co.uk

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Espère Healthcare Ltd market - biofunctional textiles. DermaSilk Therapeutic clothing, DermaSilk Intimo Clothing & Dermatherapy Bedding