Frequency of bathing in the management of atopic dermatitis: to bathe or not to bathe?

Bathing in Atopic Dermatitis in Pediatric Age: Why, How and When

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. The treatment plays an important role in influencing the patients' quality of life. The basic management consists of appropriate skin cleansing, including bathing and eventually using bathing additives. Recommendations regarding frequency and duration of bathing, water temperature and usefulness of bathing additives are widely different, often leading to confusion among patients. This review aims to give insights into the best bathing practices and the use of bathing additives in atopic dermatitis in children. Several bathing additives, including bleach baths, commercial baby cleansers, bath baby oils and bath salt, appear to be promising adjunctive therapies for atopic dermatitis due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-pruritus and skin barrier repair properties through different mechanisms of action. However, their efficacy and safety are not fully understood in some cases. The usefulness of other bath additives, such as acidic and more natural substances (green tea extracts, pine tar, sodium bicarbonate), is still under investigation. Further studies are needed to determine their optimal use to achieve clinical benefit safely.

European guideline (EuroGuiDerm) on atopic eczema - part II: non-systemic treatments and treatment recommendations for special AE patient populations

The evidence- and consensus-based guideline on atopic eczema was developed in accordance with the EuroGuiDerm Guideline and Consensus Statement Development Manual. Four consensus conferences were held between December 2020 and July 2021. Twenty-nine experts (including clinicians and patient representatives) from 12 European countries participated. This second part of the guideline includes recommendations and detailed information on basic therapy with emollients and moisturizers, topical anti-inflammatory treatment, antimicrobial and antipruritic treatment and UV phototherapy. Furthermore, this part of the guideline covers techniques for avoiding provocation factors, as well as dietary interventions, immunotherapy, complementary medicine and educational interventions for patients with atopic eczema and deals with occupational and psychodermatological aspects of the disease. It also contains guidance on treatment for paediatric and adolescent patients and pregnant or breastfeeding women, as well as considerations for patients who want to have a child. A chapter on the patient perspective is also provided. The first part of the guideline, published separately, contains recommendations and guidance on systemic treatment with conventional immunosuppressive drugs, biologics and janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, as well as information on the scope and purpose of the guideline, and a section on guideline methodology.

National Saudi Consensus Statement on the Management of Atopic Dermatitis (2021)

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with an increasing prevalence regionally and globally. It is characterized by intense itching and recurrent eczematous lesions. With the increase in the availability of treatment options for healthcare practitioner and patients, new challenges arise for treatment selection and approach. The current consensus statement has been developed to provide up-to-date evidence and evidence-based recommendations to guide dermatologists and healthcare professionals managing patients with AD in Saudi Arabia. By an initiative from the Ministry of Health (MOH), a multidisciplinary work group of 11 experts was convened to review and discuss aspects of AD management. Four consensus meetings were held on January 14, February 4, February 25, and March 18 of 2021. All consensus content was voted on by the work group, including diagnostic criteria, AD severity assessment, comorbidities, and therapeutic options for AD. Special consideration for the pediatric population, as well as women during pregnancy and lactation, was also discussed. The present consensus document will be updated as needed to incorporate new data or therapeutic agents.

Skin hydration and transepidermal water loss after bathing compared between immersion and showering

BACKGROUND

Various methods of bathing may affect skin properties differently.

AIMS

To compare the effects of immersion and showering on skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

METHOD

This experimental study included healthy volunteers whose forearms were immersed and showered for 3 minutes. Skin hydration and TEWL were assessed serially before and after immersion and showering of volunteer forearms.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight healthy volunteers (49 females, 29 males) were enrolled with an age range of 12-55 years (mean 31.41 ± 10.33). Both methods significantly increased skin hydration and TEWL (P < .001). The capacitance value significantly increased immediately after bathing, and then rapidly decreased within 3 minutes. It returned to baseline by 10 minutes after bathing. There was no statistically significant difference of capacitance between the two methods at any measurement (P > .05). TEWL at every measurement after bathing was significantly increased compared to baseline for both bathing methods (P < .001). The highest TEWL was observed immediately after bathing, but then significantly decreased compared to the previous measurement (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Immersion and showering similarly demonstrated significant increase in skin hydration and TEWL. The increment of capacitance after bathing returned to baseline level within 10 minutes.

Does daily bathing or showering worsen atopic dermatitis severity? A systematic review and meta-analysis

The optimal frequency of water bathing/showering in atopic dermatitis (AD) is unknown. We sought to determine the efficacy of different bathing/showering frequencies at improving AD severity. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed of studies evaluating the clinical efficacy of bathing/showering regimen in AD. MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, LILACS, Cochrane, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Taiwan electronic periodical services and CiNii were searched. Two authors independently performed title/abstract and full-text review and data extraction. All 13 included studies were prospective and demonstrated numerically reduced AD severity in patients treated with a water bathing/showering regimen in ≥ 1 time-point compared with baseline. In random-effects regression models, baths/showers ≥ 7 vs. < 7 times per week were not associated with significant differences of Cohen's D scores for eczema area and severity index (n = 5 studies; least-square means: 1.34 vs. 0.90; P = 0.45; I² = 91.8), Scoring AD (n = 5 studies; 0.73 vs. 0.41; P = 0.13; I² = 97.4) or body surface area (n = 4 studies; 0.45 vs. 0.28; P = 0.17; I² = 93.4). Similar results were observed in sensitivity analyses by study design, quality, use of emollients, and use of topical corticosteroids. No publication bias was detected by Egger regression (P ≥ 0.26) or Begg rank (P ≥ 0.19) tests. Three studies were included in the qualitative analysis, which found that bathing/showering ≥ 7 resulted in significant improvement of Investigator Global Assessments, extent of skin lesions and itch caused by AD. In conclusion, the optimal frequency of water bathing/showering in AD remains unclear. Daily showers/baths were not associated with worse severity, and should be permitted in AD. Larger scale, well-designed RCT are still needed to determine the optimal bathing parameters.

Frequent Versus Infrequent Bathing in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Studies evaluating bathing frequency in pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) are limited. Parents of children with AD often receive conflicting information, leading to frustration and confusion.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate efficacy of twice-daily soaking baths, followed by immediate application of an occlusive moisturizer (ie, soak-and-seal [SS]), versus twice-weekly SS baths, in the acute management of pediatric AD.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized, single-blind, crossover-controlled trial comparing frequent versus infrequent SS baths, in children 6 months to 11 years of age with moderate-to-severe AD. Children were randomized 1:1 into 2 groups: group 1 underwent twice-weekly SS baths, for 10 minutes or less, over 2 weeks ("dry method" [DM]) followed by twice-daily SS baths, for 15 to 20 minutes, over 2 weeks ("wet method" [WM]). Group 2 did the inverse. Patients received the same moisturizer, cleanser, and low-potency topical corticosteroid (TCS). Primary outcome was AD severity evaluated using the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. Caregiver assessment of AD severity (Atopic Dermatitis Quickscore [ADQ]), quality of life, Staphylococcal aureus colonization, skin hydration, moisturizer, and TCS usage were assessed.

RESULTS

Of the 63 children screened, 42 fulfilled inclusion criteria and were randomized. Forty (95%) completed the study. WM decreased SCORAD by 21.2 compared with DM (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.9-27.6; P < .0001). Secondary analysis showed a greater than 30% SCORAD improvement for WM versus DM (McNemar's χ² = 8.83, df = 1, P = .0030). SCORAD correlated with ADQ (r = 0.66), and ADQ also showed significant improvement with WM decreasing ADQ by 5.8 (95% CI, 1.8-9.7). No other secondary endpoints showed significance.

CONCLUSIONS

As an acute treatment intervention, WM is superior to DM at improving disease severity in moderate-to-severe pediatric AD.

Bathing and Associated Treatments in Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common complaints presenting to dermatologists, and patients typically inquire as to appropriate bathing recommendations. Although many dermatologists, allergists, and primary-care practitioners provide explicit bathing instructions, recommendations regarding frequency of bathing, duration of bathing, and timing related to emollient and medication application relative to bathing vary widely. Conflicting and vague guidelines stem from knowledge related to the disparate effects of water on skin, as well as a dearth of studies, especially randomized controlled trials, evaluating the effects of water and bathing on the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis. We critically review the literature related to bathing and associated atopic dermatitis treatments, such as wet wraps, bleach baths, bath additives, and balneotherapy. We aim to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the impact of water and related therapies on atopic dermatitis as well as recommendations based upon the published data.

The Association Between Bathing Habits and Severity of Atopic Dermatitis in Children

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease that frequently affects children. The current recommendations on management using lifestyle modification are highly variable, leading to confusion and uncertainty among patients.

AIM

To determine current bathing behaviors and the subsequent impact on disease severity.

METHODS

This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted at an urban pediatric emergency department. Parents were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning the patient's bathing habits. The results were correlated with the atopic dermatitis severity determined by the SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) tool.

RESULTS

No difference between variables was found to be significant for bathing frequency, time spent bathing, or use of moisturizers. Multivariate analysis showed that atopic dermatitis severity increased with age greater than 2 years (P = .0004) and with greater bathing duration (P = .001).

CONCLUSION

Atopic dermatitis severity may be associated with a longer duration of bathing. The frequency of bathing does not appear to affect atopic dermatitis severity.

Bathing Frequency Recommendations for Children with Atopic Dermatitis: Results of Three Observational Pilot Surveys

The results from three online surveys of dermatologists, allergists and immunologists, and primary care physicians (PCPs) regarding routine bathing frequency recommendations for children with atopic dermatitis (AD) are presented. The results suggest that PCPs approach bathing frequency differently than specialists, with PCPs recommending daily bathing less than 50% of the time and specialists recommending daily bathing more than 50% of the time. Because there is lack of consensus, studies are needed to evaluate whether bathing frequency makes a clinical difference in the treatment of pediatric AD.