The belief that use of strong soaps will make eczema worse is affirmed by scientists writing in the current issue of Trends in Immunology.

Researchers from University College London’s Institute of Child Health say an over-emphasis on hygiene is causing more and more people to display skin conditions such as eczema.

Strong soaps can strip away the protective outer layer of skin, which can be damaged even by a strip of adhesive being pulled off.

When this layer goes, allergy-causing particles can penetrate the skin.

These are then absorbed by Langerhans cells in the epidermis. The Langerhans cells can migrate to the local lymph nodes, and bring on an allergic response. Professor John Harper, one of the University College London team, said normal hygiene would not cause a skin reaction. But if people washed their hands excessively, or used harsh soaps too rigorously, the Langerhans effect could follow.

"Good standards of hygiene are clearly important to prevent spreading of unpleasant diseases," Prof Harper said. But he added that the process his colleagues had identified could help develop treatments which would act to preserve the protective outer layer of the skin.

Eczema is a common skin complaint in the Irish population. There are a number of types of eczema, including atopic, which is thought to be hereditary, and contact dermatitis. Around one in five Irish babies will suffer from eczema at some time in their childhood.

You can visit irishhealth.com’s Eczema clinic at…

http://www.irishhealth.com/clin/eczema/index.html