If it can provide relief, Celluma for eczema could help a lot of people. According to the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, eczema affects about 30% of the U.S. population. Most of its victims are children and adolescents. “It is a chronic disease characterized by dry, itchy skin that can weep clear fluid when scratched,” says the Institute’s website. “People with eczema also may be particularly susceptible to bacterial, viral, and fungal skin infections.” It tends to occur in patches. On adults, it is most often found on the elbows or knees.
You may have trouble, as I do, remembering how to spell eczema. Shouldn’t there be an “x” in there somewhere? Fortunately, it also has a different name. Doctors call it atopic dermatitis.
Treating Eczema
There is no cure for atopic dermatitis, and treating it is a matter of finding the best way to relieve your symptoms. Even then, it’s a bit of a gamble. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Atopic dermatitis can be persistent. You may need to try various treatments over months or years to control it. And even if treatment is successful, signs and symptoms may return (flare).”
A doctor will first try to determine whether atopic dermatitis is some other condition. After that, he or she will treat it with moisturizers for the skin and advice on avoiding and preventing outbreaks. The next step might be other skin treatments, such as anti-itching creams. Treatment can also escalate to drugs that fight infection and drugs that control inflammation. In cases that resist conventional treatment, there is a recently approved drug called Dupixent. It is too new to have much of a track record, but it does have a television advertising campaign. It is an injectable biologic. This page documents its risks and side effects.
My Thinking on Celluma for Eczema
I have found references to the use of ultraviolet (UV) light in small doses as treatment for eczema. You need small doses because, as you may know, the side effects of UV light can range from burns to melanoma. It seems strange to me that UV light is considered a treatment for eczema when nobody talks about photobiomodulation (PBM).
But PBM, which has no UV light (and therefore no risks or side effects) reduces inflammation and rejuvenates skin. At Peak Recovery & Health Center, we offer full-body PBM, but we also offer Celluma, which is a targeted PBM technique.
PBM’s Effect on Skin
Researchers have recognized PBM’s ability to improve skin for at least six years. A comprehensive review of photobiomodulation published in Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery describes how light in specific wavelengths can cause skin to rejuvenate. The article cites a number of studies that showed when skin cells absorb photons in those wavelengths, there are two major effects. The first is it stimulates production of a chemical known as ATP, which is the source of a cell’s energy. The second is it increases cell membrane permeability, which increases intercellular interaction.
A study of 136 volunteers published in 2014 — not specifically about eczema — found that PBM “significantly improved skin complexion and skin feeling, profilometrically assessed skin roughness, and ultrasonographically measured collagen density.” These improvements were confirmed by clinical examination of anonymized photographs of the participants.
I have not been able to find any documented evidence that Celluma alleviates eczema. This doesn’t necessarily mean that evidence does not exist. But I do know that Celluma is highly beneficial for other skin conditions, and that the risks of trying it are minimal. If you have patches of eczema and want to give PBM a try, book a Celluma session with Peak.
