A Be Part of Research supported study that looked into how often people with eczema should have a bath or shower has published its findings. The results finally answer a question often asked by people with the skin condition.
People taking part in the study were randomly put into 2 groups:
- daily bathing – having a bath or shower 6 or more times a week
- weekly bathing – having a bath or shower 1 or 2 times a week
The researchers used our new matching service to find people to take part in the study. There were almost 1,800 people with eczema on the registry at the time that the research was done. The researchers were able to send an email invitation to them about the Eczema Bathing Study. 63 of the 438 people with eczema who took part in the study found out about it through Be Part of Research.
Each week the people in the study answered questionnaires about their eczema symptoms, treatments, and bathing habits. They didn’t change their usual eczema treatments, such as moisturising after bathing, whilst taking part in the study.
The study has now shared its results, which found that it made no difference to eczema symptoms if people bathed weekly or daily.
Of those bathing daily, 53% showed an improvement in their eczema after 4 weeks. For those bathing weekly, 57% showed an improvement.
Eleanor Harrison is Clinical Trial Manager at the University of Nottingham and member of the Rapid Eczema Trials team. She said: “People with eczema often ask whether frequency of bathing makes a difference to their skin. Until now, the answer to this question was unknown. This means that people have been given different advice about what is best, which can be confusing and frustrating.
“Being able to answer this question is great news for people living with eczema. The study results mean that they can do whatever suits them. Wondering about how often to have a shower or bath is now one less thing for people with eczema to worry about.”
For the full study results, visit the Rapid Eczema Trials website.
The Rapid Eczema Trials project is now running a second trial that answers another common question for people with eczema. This new study is looking at how long to use steroid creams for when you have an eczema flare-up. For further details and to sign-up to take part, visit the Rapid Eczema Trials website.
How you can get involved with research
Sign up to Be Part of Research to be contacted about a range of health and care research. Or check out our full list of studies to see if one is right for you.
And if taking part in a study doesn’t feel right at the moment there are other ways to get involved in research.
