If your dermatologist asks you to prepare a “bleach bath” for you or your child, don’t think it’s crazy, because there is scientific support for this approach.
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic and recurrent itchy skin disease. It is often seen in childhood and is caused by a deficiency and dysfunction of the skin barrier.
In this disease, in which many factors such as genetics, environmental conditions and the immune system play a role, bacterial colonization increases compared to healthy people due to the deterioration of the skin barrier.
In areas of atopic dermatitis where the bacteria S.aureus is most commonly found, this bacteria can easily cause skin infections and exacerbation of the disease.
Although antibiotic treatments can be responsive, prolonged use of these drugs also raises concerns about the development of drug resistance.
Bleach bath (bleach bath or diluted sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)) is an easily accessible, inexpensive and effective treatment method that can be used to reduce the number of bacteria living on the skin surface without causing antibiotic resistance. Studies have shown that the number of bacteria and biofilm layers are reduced without causing water loss or pH change on the skin surface.
How to Prepare Bleach Bath?
- Do not use concentrated bleach: The product to be used in a bleach bath should be a classic 5-6% concentration of bleach.
- Prepare scaled cups: Baths prepared at higher concentrations than recommended may cause irritation, while low concentrations may not have the desired effect
- Measure the amount of bleach you will use before adding it to the tub: For a full bathtub, 100-115cc of bleach (about half a cup) should be used. For a half-full tub, a quarter cup can be used. For bathtubs to be prepared for babies, it is sufficient to add 1 teaspoon per 4 liters.
- Use lukewarm water: Using boiling or hot water will increase skin dryness, which can worsen atopic dermatitis.
- Never pour bleach directly onto the skin: When preparing the tub, put bleach and water together and make sure that the bleach is evenly distributed in the tub.
- Do not stay in the bathtub for too long: Your time in the tub can be between 5-10 minutes, but agree on this time with your dermatologist.
- Dry gently after bath: After getting out of the bath, dry gently, without rubbing the skin. Using moisturizers while the skin is slightly damp will increase the moisture retention. If your doctor has prescribed a medication, you can first apply the medication to the skin and then apply the moisturizer. It would be appropriate to decide on the frequency of application together with your physician.
