Eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and other skin conditions are non-contagious and inflammatory skin diseases which tend to follow a course of flare-ups and periods of remission.  it can leave your skin hot, itchy, painful and reduce your self-esteem and confidence levels. Generally symptoms can appear at any age but most likely in the early stages of adulthood or later in life.  These conditions can also lead to sleep deprivation due to the painful itchy skin. Currently treatments often involve the use of topical and oral steroids, UV rays and emollient creams, which can produce unwanted side effects and, in some cases, prove ineffective (Klimenko et al., 2008). Currently there is no known cure for these skin diseases, however cryotherapy has been shown to be a promising new treatment to help reduce painful itchy rashes and reduce symptoms.

Eczema is an autoimmune condition where the skin becomes itchy, red and inflamed. It is this inflammation which causes the symptoms of eczema. Cryotherapy has been shown to reduce eczema related symptoms by supressing the inflammation. For some people this could be an alternative or an adjunct treatment to the pharmaceutical steroids and other anti-inflammatory, which can give the individual unpleasant side effects.

A study by Kilmenko et al (2008) enrolled 18 healthy adults with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis into a study to investigate whether cryotherapy reduce the signs and symptoms of the condition. After 11 sessions there were significant reductions in signs and symptoms in 16 of the 18 individuals, with their symptoms scores reducing from 38.7 to 31.1 (a 19.6% improvement). The patients also reported of improvements to their quality of life which were reported by using the dermatology life quality index. Significant improvements were also apparent in their sleep quality.

Another study by Shamsadini et al (2005) investigated the effects of cryotherapy on psoriasis. There were 63 patients in the trial, who received cryotherapy every other day for 2 weeks. At the end of the study 19 of the subjects saw a moderate resolution to their condition, and 4 patients reported a complete resolution of their psoriasis. The conclusion made was that these findings suggest that cryotherapy is a safe treatment to use for psoriasis and for some people may lead to significant improvements in their condition. It is unclear as to whether a longer trial of cryotherapy would have led to improvements in the subjects who were not responsive to the treatment.

Cryotherapy works by boosting the immune system, increasing antioxidant capacity and therefore improving the body’s ability to heal itself. This can lead to reductions in symptoms of these painful skin conditions. Individuals with these skin conditions often complain of their skin feeling hot and extreme discomfort. When exposed to the cold temperatures in cryotherapy this can feel soothing on their skin.

At Cryojuvenate we have seen some very positive results, hear Janet’s story below:

Janet came to Cryojuvenate because of her scalp psoriasis that she had been suffering from for years.  This is a skin condition which is very itchy and can look as though there is a raised scab on the skin.  Janice had been suffering from it at the back of her neck and top of ears & on her head.  She was embarrassed about how it looked as though she had dandruff.  She disliked using creams on it, especially when they didn’t clear it and had to think about what she was wearing all the time to make sure it was covered up.  

Before Taking Regular Locaised Cryotherapy Treatments

As a result of taking regular treatments of localised cryotherapy, her psoriasis has cleared up!  “It feels so much better,” she tells me and the scabs have disappeared, allowing her to wear what she wants without feeling self-conscious!

After Treatment Pictures

If you would like to discover more about how Cryotherapy can help you, please call or message us.

Best Wishes

Ruth

References

Klimenko, T., Ahvenainen, S. and Karvonen, S.L. (2008). Whole-body cryotherapy in atopic dermatitis. Archives of dermatology, 144(6), pp.806-808. Shamsadini, S., Varesvazirian, M. and Shamsadini, A. (2005). Cryotherapy as a treatment for psoriasis. Dermatology online journal, 11(2).