Abstract
Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a material that generates free radicals through the ionization of air. Despite the application in various medical fields, the efficacy and safety of CAP on post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation due to atopic dermatitis have not been reported. Herein, we report the improvement in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation of atopic dermatitis, after CAP treatment of three sessions weekly, 10 minutes per session. We examined the clinical severity indexes before and after treatment, including the Investigator's Global Assessment, modified Atopic Dermatitis Antecubital Severity, Eczema Area and Severity Index, and pruritus visual analogue scores. Our results indicate that CAP alleviates the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and clinical severity of atopic dermatitis, and effectively improves the atopic skin lesion without severe safety issues. We believe that the previously reported anti-bacterial effects and production of interleukin-6 after CAP treatment are probably responsible for the underlying mechanisms leading to clinical improvement.