Sufferers of the inflammatory skin condition eczema are plagued by itchiness.  It is often the single most irritating aspect of the condition and the symptom that causes them the most grief.

Many different aspects of the environment aggravate the itchiness but one of the major problems is the fabric we put against our skin.  Many fabrics are course or scratchy and increase skin irritation which in turn increases itching.

A textile manufacturer in Japan has developed a new fiber that they claim will reduce the itchiness and irritation.  In a clinical study where 100 eczema sufferers wore underwear made of the fiber overnight, 80 of them reported decreased itchiness the next morning.

What makes this fiber so special?

The Osaka based textile maker Daiwabo Neu Co. drew on research conducted by Shinshu University and other institutions.  The end result was a fiber dyed with iron phthalocyanine which is an organic chemical that destroys the protein that accelerates itchiness by decomposing allergens such as dust mites and house dust.

This sounds like a huge breakthrough for the everyday lives of eczema sufferers and in deed any one with sensitive, easily irritated skin.  Unfortunately the report did not indicate how long it would be before the fiber makes it onto the market where we can all benefit from it.