DermaSilk for Eczema and other Skin Conditions

Why DermaSilk for Eczema and other skin conditions?

DermaSilk Therapeutic Clothing is used in the treatment of various forms of dermatitis, eczema and allergic skin conditions that affect different areas of the body across all age groups.

DermaSilk Therapeutic Clothing is made of a special, knitted medical grade silk which has been stripped of its outer coating and bonded with Microbe Shield technology. It is far superior to cotton because it retains up to 30 % of its own weight in moisture without feeling damp.

DermaSilk is special in that it maintains a stable moisture balance on the skin whether its worn on warm or cold days. All the garments in the DermaSilk range are capable of absorbing moisture without causing irritation to the skin. Used as part of the normal treatment programme, DermaSilk helps reduce the terrible 'itch-scratch cycle' and because its special knitted construction allows the free movement of air through the fabric, this allows the skin to breathe more easily and promotes faster healing.

DermaSilk is not like any other silk garments that you can buy and other clothing made from standard shiny silk has not been shown in controlled clinical trials to perform in the same way as DemaSilk. Many claims are made by other manufacturers but only DermaSilk is clinically proven!

This is confirmed by Koller and his colleagues in a clinical paper which states that - "Normal" silk fabrics used for clothes are not recommended for dressing of subjects with eczema (atopic dermatitis), as these fabrics reduce transpiration and therefore may cause worsening of disease activity.

If it doesn't say DermaSilk on the garment then it won't do what DermaSilk does on the skin!

Antimicrobially Protected

DermaSilk is coated with a patented antimicrobial shield, called AEM 5772/5, which has been used in hospitals for over 30 years and has proven ability to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth on fabrics such as operating theatre gowns. It acts by puncturing and electrocuting bacteria and fungi, causing their instant death. There is no chemical released from the silk to poison the cells and no chemicals or nano-particles are released onto the skin. No other antimicrobial is capable of protecting silk in this way. 

No Antibacterial Resistance

The possibility of bacterial resistance developing is virtually zero because the shield acts by physically damaging the microbe cell walls rather than killing them by chemical toxins such as triclosan or silver. More importantly, there is no migration of the agent from the silk to the skin so no risk of a build up of any toxic compounds on the delicate skin of the wearer.

DermaSilk does not contain silver molecules of any sort, nor any nano-particle material.

The antimicrobial is colourless and odourless and because the DermaSilk range of garments has been designed for frequent washing, it is still highly effective even after 50 washes.

DermaSilk has been shown in published clinical trials to be superior to cotton in controlling itching and scratching and its effectiveness has even been compared favourably with a topical steroid cream.

The Diseases

Thanks to the innovative combination of fibroin and the antimicrobial properties DermaSilk® is ideal for use in presence of:

  • ECZEMA/ATOPIC DERMATITIS
  • CONTACT DERMATITIS
  • GYNAECOLOGICAL INFECTIONS
  • ACNE
  • MYCOSES
  • HYPERHIDROSIS

Silk Vs Cotton

Silk fibre is a protein which resembles human hair in both its physical and chemical structure. Silk is used as a non irritant thread in surgical procedures and can be applied directly onto damaged skin. It is well suited therefore for use on skin irritated by atopic conditions.

Silk has some extraordinary properties. It is capable of rapidly reaching body temperature and then maintaining it at a constant level. Such a characteristic is important because it helps to reduce excessive sweating which is often common in infants, children and  even adults affected by eczema.  This can protect the skin from a loss of moisture which otherwise can aggravate skin dryness.

Cotton is a vegetable fibre and does not have any temperature regulating capability. It can only absorb up to 10 % of its own weight and once the sweat starts to cool down, the skin temperature also goes down forcing the body to react to raise the body temperature. This generates more sweating and further moisture loss.

Cotton threads are composed of millions of very short fibres spun together. Each fibre absorbs moisture and this causes the fibres to twist and contract. This movement can irritate and scratch the already sensitised skin. This can then contribute to the debilitating ' itch - scratch ' cycle.

Dermasilk Review:

The Good

  • Dermasilk garments are comfortable.
  • Easy to use. Wear as often as possible. Wash at least once every 24 hours (more often, if there’s bleeding, oozing, and weeping).
  • Easy to wash. I use a coconut-based laundry detergent, then squeeze out the water by rolling the Dermasilk garment in a towel. The garment can be worn even while wet.
  • It works! The severity of my son’s eczema was reduced by a full 44% (based on POEM scores) by Day 14 compared to Day 1. He still wakes up itching at night, but much less so now than before he started using Dermasilk..

The Bad

  • Expensive. These Dermasilk pants cost CA$77. With taxes and shipping costs, they would total closer to $100. So you’ll have to make an initial investment. If your child has eczema all over his or her body, you’ll need the shirt as well, which means an even bigger investment. However, the Dermasilk garments can pay for themselves over time, because your child may need fewer ointments or eczema medications. Plus, anything that helps DS and me sleep better is worth its weight in gold!
  • Can be outgrown. Children will outgrow their Dermasilk garments, which means you’ll need to buy new ones.
  • This is not a cure for eczema. We don’t know yet how to cure eczema. My first daughter outgrew hers. Hopefully, DS will outgrow his eczema too. Until then, we have Dermasilk garments and other non-steroidal treatments to help ease their discomfort.