Scientists have learned that lacking a certain omega-6 fatty acid causes severe dermatitis. In a recent experiment investigators found that mice who don't have the gene that helps produce arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, develop severe dermatitis that causes ulcers and severe itching. The itching went away when arachidonic acid was added to their diet.
While it may sound like taking an omega-6 fatty acid will cure itching in people who have severe dermatitis, we can't make that leap yet. There are many other factors that we don't understand about how omega-6 fatty acids function. This just lets us know we need to learn more about this process.
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