Comparison of the topical effect of Aloe vera and violet with hydroxyzine on dry skin of hemodialysis patients (A crossover interventional trial)

Dry skin is one of the most common skin complications associated with chronic renal failure in hemodialysis patients. Aloe vera gel and Violet oil can be effective in improving the symptoms of dryness through special mechanisms. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the topical effect of Aloe vera and Violet with hydroxyzine on dry skin of hemodialysis patients.

In this randomized crossover interventional trial, 36 people were selected according to the inclusion criteria and available sampling method. Following that, they were divided into three groups (12 cases per group) of A, B, and C by simple random sampling. The study consisted of three two-week intervention periods and two wash-out periods for one week. By performing a random allocation, all three groups received one of the interventions, including Aloe vera gel, Violet oil, or hydroxyzine tablets in each period. Data were collected using the VAS tool before and after the interventions by the co-researcher. The obtained data were then analyzed in SPSS software (version 16). Furthermore, SAS software (version 9.2) was also used to analyze crossover effects including period and carry-over effects. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results showed that in the first and third periods, in all three treatments, the mean score of dryness intensity had a statistically significant decrease before and after the intervention (P<0.05); however, this reduction in the second period was not significant in none of the treatments (P>0.05). In addition, the effect of all three treatments showed no statistical significance on the severity of dryness in patients after the intervention (P>0.05).

All three treatments can improve the symptoms of skin dryness as equipotent in hemodialysis patients. However, further research is needed to confirm the results of this study.