This Singaporean invented a rollerball device to relieve eczema itch without hurting the skin
Koh Bei Ning’s rollerball anti-itch device for eczema skin is becoming a reality with her Kickstarter and website launch. (Photo: Koh Bei Ning)
Imagine suffering from eczema and endless itchy skin. And then imagine you create a nifty rollerball device that relieves eczema itch – and it gets picked up by the James Dyson Award for a national innovators contest. Imagine you get so much interest that you crowdfund on Kickstarter to make your rollerball invention a reality. Koh Bei Ning doesn’t need to imagine. This was her dream and it’s becoming a reality.
Koh suffers from atopic dermatitis (its common name is eczema) and as part of her final-year thesis at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Division of Industrial Design (DID), she created a rollerball itch relief device that works as a gentle alternative to scratching. She submitted her design as an entry to the James Dyson Award, an international design innovation competition which highlights design engineers at the start of their careers. Her rollerball device became the Singapore runner-up.
Koh’s invention is a rollerball mechanism with a textured ball that rolls over the skin. It uses repetitive downward pressure on itchy skin to provide relief through the texture, while minimising force on the skin. For sufferers of eczema, this motion reduces tearing of already inflamed and irritated skin and avoids further irritation from fingernails when scratching. Doors opened for her after her invention won accolades, which enabled her to share how her eczema itch relief rollerball, now called Rollo, works. “I have been given many valuable opportunities such as participating in Prototypes for Humanity, an exhibition in Dubai which gathers 100 student innovations,” she said.
Meet the 23-year-old who invented a device to scratch that eczema itch without hurting your skin
When she was teenager, Koh Bei Ning’s eczema kept her up at night and the self-control she had to use to resist scratching left her exhausted and at breaking point. (Photos: The James Dyson Award)
Her bad encounter with two severe eczema flare-ups left such an indelible memory that when the time came for her final-year thesis at the National University of Singapore (NUS), she decided to design a product to solve the itch. Koh Bei Ning, 23, a graduate of Industrial Design at NUS, created a Rollerball Itch Relief device that does not tear the skin of eczema sufferers when they scratch.
When entries for the James Dyson Award were called, Koh submitted her project. Her invention led her to be the national runner-up in the Singapore competition and she was also shortlisted in the award’s International Top 20. The James Dyson Award is an international design innovation award competition that’s open to past and current university students majoring in engineering, product design and industrial design. It encourages designers to create products with simple engineering principles, and judging covers the entry’s technical and commercial viability.
Her invention, the Rollerball Itch Relief, is a palm-sized roller that doesn’t scratch the skin, even if the eczema sufferer feels an unbearable itch. When Koh spoke with dermatologists, she found that no matter how gentle, any texture used in itch-relief devices would cause the skin to be damaged, when rubbed long or hard enough. As an eczema sufferer herself, she found it challenging to resist the urge to scratch. These flare-ups are unbearable and patients often cannot resist, she added. “Many patients scratch until their skin is torn, and get stuck in a vicious itch-scratch cycle.” Made of stainless steel, the rollerball is cool on the skin and soothes angry skin. The mechanism of rolling differs from scratching – where skin is not dragged and instead is rolled over for relief. What’s more, its textured metal ball presses on the skin and interrupts the itch pathways on the skin to help overcome the irritation.
Rollerball Itch Relief
A textured rollerball that provides a similar sensation to scratching.
For patients with eczema, constant scratching to relieve itching can exacerbate their discomfort
The rollerball itch reliever utilises a rolling mechanism providing a similar sensation to scratching due to its textured design, but without the danger of tearing skin. It is made of stainless steel so is cool to the touch, further soothing the inflamed area. Intended as an intervention tool for users experiencing flare-ups.
Rollo: Rolling Itch Away
The pocket-sized rollerball for satisfying itch relief
Rollo is a safer and more hygienic alternative to finger scratching. Designed to be pocket-sized, the plastic rollerball is textured and distributes a downward pressure when rolled over your skin. It provides soothing physical relief, all with less chance of skin tearing.
Scratching feels so good but is so bad for us. Reduce that guilt when you choose this safer itch relief experience. Rollo is a general itch relief tool and can be used on mosquito bites, rashes and even chronic skin conditions like eczema. It is also suitable for use by the elderly and young children with adult supervision.
How is pressing relieving? When textures on the ball repeatedly press into our itchy skin, the pressure interrupts itch pathways to the brain. Like how making an 'X' over our mosquito bites helps to soothe the itch. Without Rollo, it is common for users to accidentally harm themselves while scratching an intense itch. The uninterrupted rolling dampens impact on the skin, so users can go at it harder and faster if they need to. Rollo was designed closely with its users, to ensure it hits the sweet spot of relief and sense of safety. 28 different textures were explored before arriving at The One.
Rollo
Rollo is a pocket-sized rollerball for satisfying itch relief. Textures on the ball press into our skin to interrupt itch pathways to the brain, replacing the shear force and friction from scratching that often causes harm during itch relief.
Rollo started off as an Industrial Design Final Year Thesis project in Singapore back in 2021. We are producing a product for the first time in hopes that people can benefit from it. Check out our socials for behind the scenes and candid updates!
Why Rollo?
- Reduced Dragging on the Skin - With reduced shear force and friction, chances of skin tearing during itch relief is lowered.
- More Hygienic than Fingers - Rollo's ball can be taken out for regular washing. Comes with a cap for you to keep it clean while taking it along with you.
- Tried and Tested - While Rollo is not a medical product, it has been user tested by people with eczema so Rollo is friendlier for a variety of skin-types.
Pruritus: Itchy Skin
Multiple scratch-induced lesions on the back of a patient with severe itch involving the whole body
Itch is the major source of morbidity in patients attending our clinics. Patients with severe and intractable itch are referred by dermatologists to the Itch Clinic. We aim to improve treatment for our patients suffering from severe and chronic itch through a holistic approach. The scope of management of the clinic consists of the following conditions:
- Itch involving the whole body that is not due to an apparent underlying skin problem
- Itch involving a particular area of the body that is not due to an underlying skin problem
- Severe and chronic itch that is not responsive to treatment
The clinic runs weekly on Friday afternoons and takes referrals from dermatologists. It is located at Clinic H on the second floor of the National Skin Centre. Clinical indicator:
- Mean percentage reduction in itch score between the first and final visit to the Itch Clinic
- To assess the severity of symptom in our patients, we ask patients to rate the intensity of itch they felt over the past 1 week on a 10-point numerical scale.
- To monitor the progress of our patients, we determine their itch scores at the first and final visits to the clinic. We subsequently calculate the mean percentage reduction using these 2 values.
Varicose Eczema and Symptoms
Varicose eczema, also known as venous, gravitational or stasis eczema, is a long-term skin condition that affects the lower legs. It's common in people with varicose veins. Varicose eczema tends to be a long-term problem. However, treatments are available to help keep it under control.
Like all types of eczema, the affected skin becomes i) itchy and swollen, ii) dry and flaky, iii) scaly or crusty. On lighter skin it looks red or brown. On darker skin it tends to look dark brown, purple or grey and can be more difficult to see. There may be periods when these symptoms improve and periods when they are more severe. Your legs may become swollen, especially at the end of the day or after long periods of standing. Varicose veins (swollen and enlarged veins) are often visible on the legs.
Other types of eczema:
- atopic eczema (also called atopic dermatitis) – the most common type of eczema
- contact dermatitis – a type of eczema that happens when you come into contact with a particular substance
- discoid eczema – a long-term type of eczema that appears as circular or oval patches on the skin
How to deal with eczema if wearing masks & washing hands make you itch
There's been a rise in patients with eczema problems after the "circuit breaker". You might want to bring your own liquid soap and hand moisturiser, and speak to the doctor for help
If you suffer from eczema, or what many doctors term as “atopic dermatitis”, you’d already steer clear of products that dry your skin as they exacerbate your condition.
But with the current pandemic comes the more frequent use of hand sanitisers and hand washing – and this doesn’t bode well for you.
Mask wearing, another adopted COVID-19 norm, isn’t a pretty development for skin either. “Overall, there is an increase in the number of consultations related to eczema from mask wearing,” said Dr Eileen Tan, who is a dermatologist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital’s Eileen Tan Skin Clinic & Associates.
Eczema and Essential Oils
8 Myths About Eczema That Really Need To Go Away
Eczema may be very common—a recent survey found that more than 10% of adults could be afflicted—but there's still a lot of misinformation about it. Here's the straight scoop about this skin condition and what you need to know to keep it under control.
Myth:
- All eczema is the same - Eczema is an umbrella term for skin that's red, irritated, and itchy.
- It's contagious - People think any skin condition is contagious, especially if it occurs all over
- It's caused by stress - Stress doesn't cause eczema, but it can exacerbate it
- If you have it, your skin will always look awful - Some types are easier to treat than others—atopic dermatitis is a tough one because it's genetic
- Treatment is all about the meds - Topical medications can help heal skin during flares up, but lifestyle modifications are crucial, too
- Eczema is only a skin problem - Eczema can wreak havoc on the lives of people who have it, causing health problems that are more than skin deep
- Ditch gluten and your eczema will clear up - Unless you have celiac disease or a documented gluten sensitivity, there's no reason for your skin disease to be exacerbated by gluten
- You can't go swimming - While some people find that contact with chlorine leads to a flare-up, others say that it actually has a positive effect on their condition
8 Home Cures to Treat Eczema
Coconut Oil
Eczema skin condition affects 5% to 20% of people worldwide and is characterized by an itchy, red rash. Skin eczema occurs when dermatitis becomes chronic flare up, often during the winter period when the humidity is very low.
This skin condition may also return much later in adulthood and is usually difficult to manage. Not controlling eczema effectively can lead to skin sores and cracks that can further lead to infections, in some cases requiring the treatment of antibiotics.
People who have eczema often have to deal with skin irritation and lifelong related problems. If you or a loved one is struggling with eczema, it is essential to consult a skin doctor, or dermatologist.
5 common skin problems
Plagued by any of these common skin problems? Here’s what you can do
Suffer from skin problems, take heart! You are hardly alone.
Here are 5 common skin problems in Singapore and what you can do to heal, as well as prevent, them. Your #LoveYourSkin journey starts here:
- Sensitive Skin (irritant contact dermatitis)
- General Irritation
- Rashes
- Eczema
- Acne
