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Dylan suffers from eczema.  It was so bad he had to wear special suits 24 hours a day and his skin was raw because he was constantly scratching.

Dylan's eczema cleared

Then researchers from Portsmouth University installed a water softener at his home.

Within weeks Dylan's eczema had improved and eventually it completely vanished.

Now the researchers want more families to take part in a larger trial.

Professor Taraneh Dean from Portsmouth University explains:

"It could be because hard water has a higher level of chemical salts, calcium and magnesium salts themselves could be a direct irritant on the skin.

Or it could be that when you have hard water you use a lot of detergent in washing clothes and bathing.  The detergent left on the clothes could act as an irritant."

More families needed

It's too early to say if Dylan's experience will be typical - and if softer water does indeed help eczema patients. More families are needed to complete the trial.

More information can be found on the Softened Water Eczema Trial website.