Hypnosis in Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis: A Clinical Study

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifactorial disease that may have a psychosomatic component. In this study, the authors aimed to measure the effect of hypnosis on AD in a clinical setting. Patients with AD who never had systemic treatment were offered hypnosis sessions. Twenty-seven patients with AD and a mean age of 34.5 years participated in a mean of six hypnosis sessions (range 2 to 16). AD severity can be assessed with the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI). EASI score was calculated during the first and last hypnosis sessions for 21 patients. Eczema improved or resolved in 26 of the 27 patients. Mean EASI score for the 21 patients evaluated was 12 at the first session and 2.8 at the last session. Hypnosis may be useful in AD and may overcome the need for systemic treatments for some patients.