New Exciting Technology to Combat Eczema and skin conditions!

Nov. 1, 2012 - PRLog -- New scientific clothing for eczema sufferers. Eczema Clothing! http://uk.skintoskin.eu

Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a growing problem with more than 1 in 5 children in the UK and Ireland suffering from the disease. If we look at the figures world wide the trend is about the same. Eczema can affect the new born through to mid teens with many going on to suffer from the complaint into adulthood. Although our knowledge of the disease is growing a cure is not something we can expect in the foreseeable future if at all. The triggers for eczema are many fold, diet, environment, pollution, chemicals, the list seems endless. What triggers the disease in one person may have no effect in another, this makes a curative treatment extremely difficult to put in place.
The symptoms can be highly debilitating, the skin can become very inflamed and irritated. This causes the sufferer great discomfort and anxiety leading to scratching. In most cases an itch-scratch cycles develops leading to further aggravation of the skin and open wounds. Open wounds attract bacterial infection most commonly staphylococcus aureus which is present all around us. Bacterial infections take the eczema condition to a higher level, the skin cannot function and the bacteria take a firm hold. At this level the commonly used treatments are invasive and usually mean hospitalization; corticosteroids are one such product used. Side effects can lead to psychological problems and bullying of sufferers is known to occur.

The cost to our NHS is vast and with the growing occurrence of the disease it is set to grow.
We have all heard the adage “prevention is better than cure” eczema is no different; Many sufferers learn to control their eczema to a certain extent using moisturisers and a plethora of other preparations and potions. These applications are only good if the patient maintains a strict routine and ensures they cover the skin adequately. With the busy lifestyles in today’s world this is time consuming and laborious. Clothing is also important, many man made fabrics or chemical solutions used in the manufacture of fabrics dyes for example are actually eczema triggers. Natural fibres like cotton or silk are the preferred fabrics giving less irritation and potential triggers.

In 2005 staff at the University of Minho Portugal began to develop a train of thought. Knowing clothing was important allied to the fact placing preventative measures on the skin is highly beneficial the seed of Bio-functional clothing was born.
A project was launched in collaboration with EU member states to explore alternate methods and natural substances, using knowledge and expertise from many sources in an effort to develop the world first truly Bio-functional fabric and clothing.
The funding for the project came from the Portuguese government via ON.2 North Portugal Regional Operational Programme 2007/2013. This is a financial instrument which supports regional development in the north of Portugal. It forms part of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2007/2013 and the new cycle of the European Union government structural funding for research and development.

From this advanced development work an exciting and highly effective range of clothing came about under the brand name skintoskin®
skintoskin® incorporates three and only three natural ingredients. Cotton, seaweed extract and silver ions.
Why these three?
Cotton was chosen as the basis for skintoskin® as it is generally regarded as being one of the most tolerable fabrics when placed next to eczematous skin. Cotton is readily available; it is durable, renewable, natural and widely accepted. Cotton is also suited due to its structure to modern manufacturing techniques.
Seaweed or seaweed extract is already widely used in health organisations like our own NHS. The natural anti-inflammatory effects are well documented. Dressings and creams containing seaweed extract have given excellent results when used on burns victims for example giving good irritation relief and assisting in the healing process. The seaweed extract used in skintoskin® is derived from Aschophyluum Nodosum seaweed a widely used natural medical product. The seaweed extract is rich in mineral salts, amino acids and vitamins A, C, B12, E, PP, K.
One issue preventative measures have not been able to address without the use of invasive medical intervention is the control of bacteria. skintoskin® takes a giant leap forward at this point with the addition to the fabric of silver ions.
We know bacteria are becoming more resistant and the anti-biotic drugs used to control them are coming under greater duress. There is also the very real threat of MRSA although thought to be confined to medical institutions there is now positive evidence this lethal strain of the staphylococcus aureus bacteria is in our livestock, food chain and environment.
Silver is a well known natural anti-biotic. Even the ancient Greeks knew that if you placed silver coins in a barrel of drinking water it would stay drinkable for much longer. Silver is fast acting and highly effective against Gram + and Gram – bacteria, as well as for several fungal infections, especially those of the Candida strain, responsible for the so called fold dermatitis or inthertrigo. Silver is again used widely in specialist medical dressings where the need for high sterility and resistance to infections is paramount.
So in conclusion skintoskin® is a cotton based range of garments that are soft but durable and comfortable to wear. The garments give a high level of irritation and itching relief due to the seaweed content. This itch relief breaks the itch scratch cycle and allows the skin the time it needs to heal. Due to the highly effective silver ions the risk from bacterial infection is greatly reduced this has never been seen before in a preventative measure. Invivo studies have shown bacteria levels in eczema sufferers are greatly reduced and the risk of new external source infection is also greatly reduced as the garment presents an effective anti-microbial barrier. Probably most important is that the effect is permanent for the natural life of the garment and it is delivered by our every day and night wear clothing, regardless of what our lives entail. Applying your preventative measures is as simple as getting dressed. Skintoskin® is not a complete answer; we know eczema presents different problems to different people and the need for different methods of coping with the condition. What skintoskin® does give is an extremely effective new tool which can be used by all eczema sufferers in conjunction with recognised treatments if needed to greatly reduce the misery skin conditions can cause. In general using skintoskin® alone reduces the symptoms of atopic dermatitis to a manageable level in 8 days, clinically proven. In some cases the eczema becomes undetectable. This easy to apply prevention will help keep many sufferers eczema under control. It will save visits to consultants and clinics, it will reduce footfall in GPs surveys and save our NHS money at a time when funding is a real issue. Most importantly skintoskin® will raise the standard of life for a large percentage of our young population.
In 2010 skintoskin® was presented to the NHS task force and innovation team. In July this year skintoskin® became available on the NHS supply chain.
Innovation does not have to be something completely new, but it must be something substantially improved. Seeing what everyone sees, reading what everyone reads, hearing what everyone hears!
Innovation means doing what no-one had imagined!