Leprosy: wax therapy

This shows a leprosy patient in India receiving wax treatment by dipping her arm in a wax bath. The warm wax helps to relieve stiffening and swelling of the joints and maintains hydration of the skin. Wax therapy is useful for improving the skin condition prior to tendon transfer surgery. For routine care of dehydrated skin it is more practical to apply oil to the skin after soaking in water.