Exposure to sunlight alleviates symptoms of eczema by helping to release a compound in the skin that moisturises inflammation, according to a recent study the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Researchers found that exposing a small patch of skin on healthy volunteers to UV light triggered the release of nitric oxide into the blood stream.
These findings will pave the way for future research into new therapies that could mimic the effects of sunlight while minimising the damaging side effects of the sun’s rays.
UV light therapy is currently used for people with severe eczema and while this can improve the condition, it can have damaging side effects, including ageing, burning and increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Further lab studies showed that this chemical activated regulatory T cells that were directly linked with disease improvement.