Reduce Eczema & Other Skin Issues With Cryotherapy

Eczema is the name for a group of conditions that cause the skin to become red, itchy and inflamed. Eczema is considered to be an autoimmune condition because it occurs due to an overactive immune response to an environmental trigger. Inflammation results and causes the symptoms of eczema.

30 million Americans have some form of eczema but it’s not contagious.  People who develop eczema do so because of a combination of genes and environmental triggers. When an irritant or an allergen “turns on” the immune system, inflammation develops and causes skin cells to behave aberrantly causing an eczema flare-up. All symptoms of eczema are the result of excess inflammation.

CoeurCryo Cryotherapy uses cryotherapy (extremely cold, dry temperatures) to reduce eczema-related symptoms. Depending on the type and severity of symptoms, we use a combination of whole body and local cryotherapy to treat eczema. Because eczema is an autoimmune disorder, the underlying cause of  the excessive, out of control inflammation is unknown; cryotherapy can effectively and safely suppress inflammation so that symptoms are significantly relieved.

Eczema is often treated pharmaceutically with steroids and other anti-inflammatories. Whole body and local cryotherapy are all natural alternatives to drug options. Whole body cryotherapy can suppress inflammation throughout the body, internally and externally. By suppressing inflammation globally in the body, the symptoms of eczema can diminish significantly. Local cryotherapy can be used in conjunction with whole body or on it’s own to relieve external eczema symptoms.

There are eight different types of eczema and it is possible to have more than one type at a time.:

All types of eczema cause itching and redness, but some may also cause your skin to blister, “weep,” or peel. Eczema symptoms can be suppressed by reducing inflammation throughout the body and specifically in the skin.

  1. Atopic Dermatitis: This is the most common type of eczema which can be severe and long-lasting. Atopic dermatitis is chronic and inflammatory. AD is an autoimmune condition because it is caused by an immune system overreaction and usually begins in childhood, often in the first six months of the life. AD might improve at times or it may get worse (called a “flare up”).AD is part of what’s called the atopic triad, which includes two other allergic conditions (asthma and hay fever, which is also known as allergic rhinitis). Researchers believe that people who come from families with a history of AD, asthma and/ or hay fever are more likely to develop atopic dermatitis themselves. Common symptoms of AD:
  1. Contact dermatitis is another type of eczema; it happens when the skin touches irritating substances or allergens. The immune system over-responds with excessive inflammation, causing the skin to burn, itch and become red. There are two kinds of contact dermatitis: irritant and allergic. Contact dermatitis usually appears on the hands, or parts of the body that touched the irritant/allergen. The most common irritants include:

Symptoms of contact dermatitis include:

  1. Dyshidrotic eczema is a condition that produces small, itchy blisters on the edges of the fingers, toes, palms, and soles of the feet. Stress, allergies, moist hands, and feet, or exposure to nickel (in metal-plated jewelry), cobalt or chromium salts may be “triggers” of dyshidrotic eczema. This type of eczema is twice as common in women as it is in men. Symptoms of dyshidrotic eczema include:
  1. Hand eczema (also known as hand dermatitis) is very common — up to 10% of the population has this type of eczema. It is also an autoimmune response to an environmental trigger such as allergens or irritating substances. Suppressing the inflammation caused by an over active immune system will suppress dyshidrotic eczema symptoms.Some symptoms of hand eczema:
  1. Lichen simplex chronicus is an itchy skin disease that is similar to atopic dermatitis. People with lichen simplex chronicus tend to get thick, scaly patches on their skin as a result of too much rubbing and scratching of the area.Some symptoms of lichen simplex chronicus:
  1. Nummular eczema, also known as discoid eczema and nummular dermatitis, is a common type of eczema that can occur at any age. It looks very different than usual eczema and can be much more difficult to treat. People with nummular eczema develop coin-shaped spots on their skin, which may be very itchy. It is thought to be “triggered” by things like insect bites, reactions to skin inflammation, or dry skin in the winter. Some symptoms of nummular eczema include:
  1. Seborrheic dermatitis

Considered a chronic form of eczema, seborrheic dermatitis appears on the body where there are a lot of oil-producing (sebaceous) glands like the upper back, nose, and scalp.

The exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis is unknown, although genes and hormones play a role. Microorganisms such as yeast, that live on the skin naturally can also contribute to seborrheic dermatitis. Unlike many other forms of eczema, seborrheic dermatitis is not the result of an allergy.

People of any age can develop seborrheic dermatitis including infants (known as “cradle cap”). It is slightly more common in men than women.

People with certain diseases that affect the immune system, such as HIV or AIDS, and the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s disease, are believed to be at an increased risk of developing seborrheic dermatitis.

Seborrheic dermatitis often appears on the scalp, where symptoms may range from dry flakes (dandruff) to yellow, greasy scales with reddened skin. Patients can also develop seborrheic dermatitis on other oily areas of their body, such as the face, upper chest, and back.

Common symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis include:

  1. Stasis Dermatitis is skin inflammation that develops in people with poor circulation. It most often occurs in the lower legs because that’s where blood typically collects. When blood collects or pools in the veins in the lower legs, the pressure on the veins increases. The increased pressure damages capillaries, allowing proteins to leak into tissues. This leakage leads to a buildup of blood cells, fluid, and proteins, which causes your legs to swell. This swelling is called peripheral edema. Skin inflammation occurs as an autoimmune response to the build-up of blood cells, fluid, and proteins in tissues. Relieving this inflammation topically and internally will relieve symptoms of stasis dermatitis.

Symptoms of stasis dermatitis include:

CoeurCryo Cryotherapy treats eczema with a combination of whole body and local cryotherapy. Cold exposure globally and/or locally to areas of eczema reduces the inflammation that is causing eczema symptoms. We also use infrared sauna in combination with cryotherapy to accelerate eczema symptom reduction. Infrared sauna therapy improves blood circulation, detoxifies the skin and reduces skin inflammation. All of these benefits contribute to eczema relief!

Call us to discuss eczema and any other health concern! 208-449-7671.

CoeurCryo has a medical advisor on staff who oversees our treatment protocols for safety and effectiveness.

New Research: Acne Is Caused By Inflammation

Acne isn’t fun. The skin condition affects roughly 80 percent of adolescents and can persist well into adulthood. The psychological and social impacts of acne are especially serious because it affects adolescents at a crucial period when they are developing their personalities. Peer acceptance is very important for this age group and research shows that there are strong links between physical appearance and peer status. Acne can affect:

  1. Self-esteem and body image—acne sufferers may have low self-esteem and may avoid eye contact or grow their hair long to cover their acne.
  2. Social withdrawal/relationship building—acne sufferers find it hard to form new relationships, especially with the opposite sex, due to a lack of self-confidence.
  3. Education/work—acne sufferers may refuse to go to school or work, leading to poor academic or work performance.

Historically, curing acne hasn’t been easy. Pharmaceutical treatments such as Accutane and antibiotics can be effective in reducing symptoms, but do have serious side effects and should only be used in severe cases.

Dermatologists have long believed that bacterial infection is the cause of acne; the latest research indicates, however, that bacteria may cause acne symptoms, but does not trigger the skin disorder. Based on the latest research, the most effective treatments are now targeting systemic inflammation and oxidative stress as the cause of acne.

The role of inflammation in acne

The latest research shows that inflammation plays both a primary and secondary role in the acne process.

We’re all familiar with inflammation in the later (secondary) stages of acne: pimples are red, swollen, and painful because they are rife with localized inflammation. Where does this localized inflammation come from? It is the immune system’s normal response to infection: in the case of acne, there is bacterial overgrowth in the skin pores and the immune system activates inflammation to fight off the infection. The immune system sends white blood cells to fight the infection—the accumulation of these cells causes swelling = inflammation. Infection in the skin thus produces the symptoms of acne: painful, red, swollen pimples.

acne graphic

The process to the left describes inflammation’s secondary role in the development of acne. Scientists are now focusing on the primary role of inflammation in the acne process: they now believe that inflammation triggers the entire process. That is, inflammation is the cause of acne!

New research shows that the entire acne process starts when systemic inflammation (inflammation at the cellular level) causes normal levels of sebum in hair follicles to “oxidize”. This means that inflammation damages the sebum and causes the oxygen content of the sebum to lower. Notably, inflammation isn’t the only cause of oxidation in sebum—stress, environmental toxins, and other “free radicals” can also trigger oxidation. Regardless of the source of the oxidation, the bacteria known to cause acne (p.acnes) thrive in a low-oxygen environment and start multiplying like crazy. Once the bacteria colonizes the hair follicle, infection develops and secondary inflammation develops—leading to red, round, inflamed pimples on the skin’s surface. The sequence of events goes like this: inflammation triggers oxidation that triggers a bacterial infection that then triggers a second localized inflammatory response!

What causes systemic inflammation:

Systemic inflammation can be caused by stress, poor diet (food intolerances and gastrointestinal problems), environmental factors, and underlying health disorders like auto-immune dysfunction.

If inflammation is the source of acne, how can we treat and prevent it? There are two effective ways:

  1. Lower systemic inflammation: by lowering inflammation throughout the body, it is possible to reduce sebum oxidation in skin pores/hair follicles. Reducing this oxidation ensures a less hospitable environment for the p.acnes bacteria and a lower risk for infection. In the absence of infection, there will be no secondary inflammatory response from the immune system and painful, red, swollen pimples will not develop!
  2. Increase anti-oxidants: research has shown that acne sufferers are under greater oxidative stress compared to people with healthy skin. Oxidative stress can be caused by inflammation and other factors. Oxidative stress in the skin can be reduced by increasing anti-oxidants systemically and locally on the skin. Anti-oxidants can be consumed orally (through supplements and food sources) and can also be applied topically to the skin.

What is the role of cryotherapy in the treatment of acne?

Research has shown that people with acne have higher levels of inflammatory chemicals in their blood; they also have significantly lower levels of several antioxidant nutrients compared to people with healthy skin.

Cryotherapy can effectively address both of these problems!

CoeurCryo Cryotherapy offers two cryotherapy treatments that can treat and prevent acne.

  1. Whole body cryotherapy is the brief application of very cold air to the body (from the neck down). Whole body cryotherapy is extremely anti-inflammatory—cold exposure causes vasoconstriction in all blood vessels which evacuates inflammatory markers. Once evacuated, inflammation is detoxified through the lymphatic system. Whole body cryotherapy also triggers the release of blood-borne anti-inflammatory biochemicals; these cytokines travel throughout the body, including areas that are NOT directly exposed to the cold, reducing cellular inflammation. Whole body cryotherapy is an excellent tool for reducing systemic inflammation. Whole body cryotherapy has also been shown to increase antioxidant levels in the body. By increasing anti-oxidants, oxidative stress is reduced in the skin and sebum is much less likely to be oxidized; bacterial infection in the skin pores is also less likely to occur.
  2.  CoeurCryo Cryotherapy also uses local cryotherapy to treat acne.  Local cryotherapy applies very cold air directly to acne-affected skin. The cold air causes immediate local vasoconstriction, shrinking inflamed pimples and reducing redness. Local cryotherapy (when applied to the face is called CryoFacial) reduces mild scaring, redness, swelling, and pain related to acne. There is a visible cosmetic improvement to the skin when local cryotherapy is applied.

Managing inflammation and correcting antioxidant depletion often brings much-needed relief to acne patients. Preventing local inflammation in the skin and lowering systemic inflammation in the body are the keys to clear skin. CoeurCryo Cryotherapy offers medically formulated cryotherapy treatment programs for acne. Our medical staff has designed our acne treatment program to be the most effective, efficient, and safe protocol available. We offer student discounts and a comprehensive, non-pharmaceutical approach to solving the problem of acne.

Call us at 208-449-7671.

Sources:

Does the plasma level of vitamins A and E affect acne condition?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16681594

OXIDANT/ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN OBESE ADOLESCENT FEMALES WITH ACNE VULGARIS
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2800868/

The role of the antioxidative defense system in papulopustular acne.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11349462https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11349462

Tissue and blood superoxide dismutase activities and malondialdehyde levels in different clinical severities of acne vulgaris.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18684157

Oxidative stress in patients with acne vulgaris.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1533901/?tool=pubmed

Superoxide dismutase and myeloperoxidase activities in polymorphonuclear leukocytes in acne vulgaris.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16001098

Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity in acne vulgaris and the effect of selenium and vitamin E treatment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6203294

Clinical implications of lipid peroxidation in acne vulgaris: old wine in new bottles.
https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/21143923/full_citation/Clinical_implications_of_lipid_peroxidation_in_acne_vulgaris:_old_wine_in_new_bottles_

Sebaceous gland lipids
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2835893/?tool=pubmed