Over the years we have had many questions asked about DermaSilk and we've tried to list the most frequently asked questions in the list below. in order to see the answers either click on the relavent question to link to the answer or scroll down the page. if you have any further questions please either ring us on 01462 346100 during office hours or email chesca@esperehealth.co.uk and we will do our best to answer them for you.
| Why
should I use silk instead of cotton underclothes? |
Whilst
both fabrics are natural products, silk has the
advantage over cotton as it is a protein fibre
of animal origin rather than a vegetable fibre
and has the ability to mimic human hair. The
long strands of silk provide a smooth, friction
free garment which will not irritate the skin,
even on the most active toddler. In addition,
DermaSilk is capable of maintaining a stable
body temperature in whatever climate and absorbing
up to 1/3 rd of its weight in moisture before
it begins to feel damp. These are important features
for children with eczema as cotton garments can
feel cold when they get damp and encourage the child to sweat more and lose further moisture to keep warm. |
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| Why
should I not use ordinary silk underclothes
instead of DermaSilk? |
Conventional
silk underclothes are made of tightly woven threads
which do not allow for the free passage of air
through their weave – rather like the material used in parachutes. DermaSilk uses a specially designed
knitted construction with plenty of ventilation
capacity. You can breathe through 48 layers of
DermaSilk without too much effort. This is very
important for eczema patients who need to maintain
a stable temperature and moisture levels close
to their skin. |
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| Why
has the sericin been removed from the silk? |
Medical
grade silk, used as stitches in surgical operations,
is made of pure fibroin, the central core of
the silk thread. This is because the outer sericin
coating of conventional silk has been shown in
the past to be linked to some allergic reactions.
There has only ever been one report of a single
allergic reaction to Fibroin silk in the whole
world. DermaSilk therefore uses pure fibroin
silk for this reason. |
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| Are
any dyes used in the manufacture of DermaSilk? |
DermaSilk
is manufactured using pure un-dyed silk. It is
only available in its natural light cream colour. We made this decision as some dyes can generate allergic reactions in sensitive skin and this is the last thing you need with an eczema child! |
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| Why
do I have to wear the clothing all the time? |
The
benefits of DermaSilk are most pronounced with
continual use as its activity depends upon close
contact with the skin. DermaSilk can be worn
for shorter periods of time or removed for those
occasions where it would not be appropriate. |
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| Why
is the fabric so fine? If it were made thicker
then surely it would be stronger? |
It
is the fine knit of DermaSilk which gives it
the ability to allow the skin to breath and act
as a “second skin”. Thicker knits would only be bulkier and interfere with the lifestyle of the
patient. DermaSilk is discrete and allows wearers
to escape from their condition and wear normal
fashionable clothes over the DermaSilk. |
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| I
am used to loose fitting clothing. Will there
be any discomfort from wearing close fitting
garments? |
Loose
fitting cotton clothing can be
very bulky and difficult to hide under outer
clothing. DermaSilk, by contrast, is designed
to act as a second skin. The smooth nature of
silk means that the wearer will be unaware that
they are wearing DermaSilk and the ability to
wear today’s fashionable clothes over DermaSilk means that the rest of the world will be
unaware too. |
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| Do
I have to wear any special clothes on top
of DermaSilk? |
No.
DermaSilk clothes are designed to be worn discretely
under any form of outer clothing. Just pick the
style that suits your needs. |
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| Are
the seams going to irritate the skin? |
No.
Special attention has been paid to the design
of the garments. For infants the seams are on
the outside of the garment and the clothing for
children and adults use very small seams with
over-locked stitching to prevent any raw edges
coming into contact with the skin. In addition, the thread used in the manufacture has no lubricating oil on its surface. whilst this makes the manufacture of DermaSilk a little slower it is worth it as mineral oil allergies have also been described in medical journals. |
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| What
would I use the undersocks for? |
DermaSilk
undersocks perform a number of functions. Firstly
they help to keep the feet fresh and free of
odour since the Microbe Shield is capable of
killing the bacteria responsible for foot odour.
They are also effective against the fungi responsible
for Athletes’ foot and so they help relieve the itching associated with that condition. |
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What
is the Microbe Shield?
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The
Microbe Shield is a specially designed antimicrobial
substance which protects the garments from contamination
from a number of common bacterial and fungal
microbes. It is non-toxic to humans, is permanently
bonded to the silk fabric and does not wear out
over time. |
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| Will
the Microbe Shield irritate sensitive skin? |
The
Microbe Shield has undergone extensive sensitivity
tests and has been used in hospitals for nearly
30 years. Furthermore DermaSilk garments have
been available in many parts of Europe for nearly a decade and no reports of any adverse
reactions have been recorded. |
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| Does
the Microbe Shield leave the DermaSilk? |
The
Microbe Shield is permanently bonded to the silk
by a patented process. It has been shown not
to leave the silk – even after over 50 washes. Other antimicrobial coatings are designed to leave the
fabric and kill organisms on the skin, but DermaSilk
retains its killing power throughout the life
of the garment. |
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| Can
I use all my medical creams with DermaSilk? |
DermaSilk
is designed to complement
the majority of dermatological
treatments. However as DermaSilk works best when
in direct contact with clean skin, we advise
that all medical creams and ointments are fully
absorbed into the skin before putting on the
DermaSilk. |
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| Is
DermaSilk suitable as a replacement for Wet
Wrapping? |
No.
Wet Wrapping is a specialised technique used
by people with specific needs for extensive emollient
therapy. In this type of treatment patients have
large amounts of emollient applied to the skin
and then covered with a damp dressing. As the
DermaSilk would not be in direct contact with
the skin its positive effects would be blocked
by such large amounts of emollient. DermaSilk can be used as conventional underwear once
the eczema flare-up has subsided and the Wet
Wrapping discontinued.
Many
nurses are now finding that the use of DermaSilk
prior to moving on to Wet Wrapping actually
reduces the need to move to more severe and
time consuming treatments such as this.
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| How
often should I wash DermaSilk? |
DermaSilk
can be washed as often as necessary. With some
forms of weeping eczema it may be necessary to
wash it more than once a day to remove any discharge. |
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| Why
should I not wash DermaSilk loose in the washing
machine? |
Silk
is by nature a delicate fabric and washing by
hand will help prolong the useful life of the
garment. The major concern is that the shearing
effect caused by the silk tangling with other
clothes might rip the seams. However, if you
do wish to use a washing machine please put the
DermaSilk in a net laundry bag to help prevent
the shearing and wash on a delicate (silk) cycle in the machine.. |
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| Why
should I not use a fabric conditioner? |
Fabric
softeners add chemicals to the fabric of any
garment and can block the gaps between the individual fibres which help to regulate temperature. Silk will stay soft for many washes
without the need for a fabric softener which
could irritate the skin. |
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| What
is the reason for using a bicarbonate of
soda soak every 10 washes? |
In
many areas there are minerals in the water which
can remain on the silk fibres after washing and
rinsing. The bicarbonate of soda soak, every
10 washes removes the hard water residues from
the silk and prolongs the life of the garment
and helps to maintain its softness.
An overnight
Bicarbonate soak in water at 60 degrees C can also be used to remove
stubborn stains from the garments.
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| How
long should a garment last? |
This
is very much dependent upon the type of garment
worn, the nature of the wearer and whether the
garment is worn alone or under other clothing.
It is generally expected that the garments used
for infants are more likely to be out-grown rather
than worn out. We have heard of some families passing the garments down to younger siblings once they have been outgrown. |
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| How
long will the Microbe Shield last? |
Microbe
Shield will retain its effectiveness throughout
the life of the garment. |
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| Has
DermaSilk been tested medically? |
DermaSilk
has undergone a series of clinical trials in
a number of different medical conditions and
has been shown to offer a positive benefit to
the wearer compared with those patients who were
not selected to wear it. These results have been
presented at medical meetings around Europe and
several have now been published in medical journals.
It is this clinical information which has given
the UK authorities confidence in approving DermaSilk
for prescription. |
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| My
child doesn't like to wear cotton undergarments
because they look unfashionable. Is DermaSilk
different? |
DermaSilk
garments have been designed to be discrete. They
are a neutral colour, so they match with most
clothing and are made of a fine knit which can
be “hidden” under even the most skin tight clothing. With no bulky seams, coloured stripes
or loose fitting underclothes, even the most
fashion conscious child or teenager should get on with
DermaSilk. One of the major problems told to us by families is how they manage to get their children to take them off as they are so comfortable! |
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| What
age range does DermaSilk cover? |
Eczema
and dermatitis can affect any age group. DermaSilk
garments are therefore available in varying sizes
and designs to suit infants from birth with Atopic
eczema right up to the elderly who may experience
the discomfort of Varicose or Asteatotic eczema. |
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| I
have hand eczema caused by contact dermatitis.
Can DermaSilk help? |
It
is thought that upwards of 5% of the UK population
may suffer from some form of latex allergy
and many others suffer from contact dermatitis
associated with chemicals such as cleaning
detergents and hair preparations. DermaSilk
is almost unique in that it has a range of
fingered gloves, especially designed to be
used in hand eczema. These gloves can be worn
alone or under protective rubber, latex, nitrile
or household gloves when the hand could come
into contact with skin irritants. The gloves
are available in child and adult sizes and
are available on a doctor's prescription in
the UK..
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| DermaSilk
seems expensive, is it good value for money? |
Whilst
the initial cost may seem expensive, you should
remember that the garment is made of pure medical
grade silk with an added anti-microbial permantently
bonded into the fabric and this is what makes
DermaSilk durable, long lasting and so clinically
effective. The durability of DermaSilk means
that they often outlast many of the cheaper alternatives. |
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