People with eczema can bathe either daily or weekly, without any impact to their symptoms, finds a study in the British Journal of Dermatology.
The “Eczema Bathing Study” compared daily bathing—having a bath or shower six or more times a week—with weekly bathing—having a bath or shower one or two times a week—among 438 with eczema. All participants were randomized to help ensure that the two groups were as similar as possible. Those taking part continued using their usual treatments during the study and recorded their eczema symptoms each week for four weeks.
Overall, the results showed there was no difference in eczema symptoms between the two groups.
“The findings of our study are great news for people living with eczema. It means they can choose a frequency of bathing that suits them,” says Lucy Bradshaw, Lead Author and Senior Medical Statistician at Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Nottingham in Nottingham, UK, in a news release. “It was fantastic to work so closely with people living with eczema to co‑design this study. Together, we’re starting to answer questions about living with eczema that haven’t had enough attention in research until now.”
The “Eczema Bathing Study” is the first study completed as part of a wider five-year project that started in 2022—the Rapid Eczema Trials research project—that aims to answer key questions on how to manage eczema. The Rapid Eczema Trials citizen science project has built an Eczema Citizen Science Community who are working together to design and run a series of online research studies. People are being encouraged to join the community from across the UK. The next study is looking at how long to use steroid creams to treat flare-ups to help keep control of eczema.
The Rapid Eczema Trials research project is led by researchers at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and is being delivered in collaboration with another four UK Universities (Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham City, Imperial) and the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit.
Matthew Ridd, GP, Co-applicant and Professor of Primary Health Care, at the University of Bristol, adds: “How often to have a bath or shower is such a simple but important issue that people with eczema often ask healthcare professionals for advice on. The Rapid Eczema Trials project has provided everyone with the best, evidence-based answer to this practical question.”
Professor Marian Knight, Scientific Director for NIHR Infrastructure and Director of NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research, says, “This study shows the value of the NIHR’s approach to putting patients and the public at the heart of everything we do. By working with people who live with eczema, the research team has been able to answer a question that has affected people’s quality of life for years. The research shows that how often you bathe does not make a difference to symptoms, giving people the freedom to make the choice that is best for them. This is exactly what our research funding is about, giving people the answers they need to better understand and manage their own health.”
