Hydrogen Water Wet Wraps Improve Eczema in Children
- Authors
- Lai-San Wong, Ho-Chang Kuo
- Journal
- Journal of Pediatric Health Care
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.pedhc.2025.07.005
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Taiwan
- Health Condition
- Atopic Dermatitis
- Body System
- Integumentary
TL;DR
Hydrogen water dressings helped reduce redness and dryness in children with eczema better than regular water.
Key Finding
Hydrogen water wet-wrap dressing significantly reduced redness, dryness, and total symptom severity in children with atopic dermatitis, while regular water showed no significant improvement.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen water—water infused with hydrogen gas bubbles—could help children with atopic dermatitis (a chronic itchy, inflamed skin condition). Twenty children received wet-wrap therapy (gauze soaked in liquid applied to skin) using either hydrogen water or regular water. Hydrogen water significantly reduced redness, dryness, and overall symptom severity, while regular water did not show these improvements.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests hydrogen water may help reduce atopic dermatitis symptoms when applied topically as a wet-wrap treatment. However, the study did not report sample size details or treatment duration, and it's unclear how long benefits lasted or how this compares to standard dermatitis treatments. More research with larger groups and longer follow-up is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
Abstract
Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition in which reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to its pathogenesis. Hydrogen water (HW), with potent antioxidant properties, may counteract ROS and improve AD symptoms. This study assessed the clinical efficacy of nano-HW wet-wrap dressing in AD. Method: Twenty AD patients received wet-wrap therapy using sterile gauze soaked in nano-bubble HW. In eight patients, a split-body design was used: one limb with nano-HW, the other with pure water. Results: HW wet-wrap significantly reduced erythema (0.5 ± 0.69, p = .01), dryness (0.7 ± 0.57, p = .002), and total score (1.55 ± 1.64, p < .0001), while pure water showed no significant changes. HW-treated limbs improved more than pure water-treated limbs. Discussion: HW wet-wrap therapy is a safe, effective adjunct for pediatric AD, improving erythema, dryness, and hydration while limiting systemic side effects.