What to do if a child has dry skin on the body causes

Main characteristics of healthy baby skin

Bathing oil: gentle care for baby's skin
Soft, delicate, velvety - this is how we usually talk about baby's skin. But even if the child is healthy, it does not become so immediately after birth.

Why? Explains Alexander Prokofiev, dermatovenerologist, medical expert at La Roche-Posay: “After the baby is born, his skin needs to adapt to the environment. In newborns, this process has not yet been completed, so their skin is more dry, more susceptible to irritation, redness, and easier to injure. These features disappear with age.”

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Normally, a child’s skin should be pale pink and have good turgor, that is, be soft and elastic to the touch.

Dry spots on baby's skin

Dry spots on children's bodies often appear, and there is nothing unusual or scary about this, because she is very sensitive. But parents should be concerned if they do not go away for a long time. Firstly, the cause of such spots may be physiological, since in young children the fat glands are not yet fully functioning. Secondly, the condition of the skin is influenced by environmental factors (temperature and water hardness, air humidity, food, soap). At first, to soften the affected areas, you can use a product purchased at the pharmacy, for example, Panthenol. But if dry spots on the child’s skin do not disappear, you should consult a doctor, as they can be symptoms of serious diseases such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis.

Skin ailments are usually difficult to deal with, but a correct diagnosis made in time makes the task easier. If there are signs of a particular skin disease at an early age, it is very important to immediately take action and prevent its progression. Without proper treatment in a medical facility, it can become chronic.

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During the first years of a child's life, his parents often face various health problems. Often they do not carry serious danger or other negative consequences. But still, you should not torment an extremely sensitive baby with inconvenience.

One of the most common problems for new parents is often dry skin on the baby. Dr. Komarovsky often associates the reasons with the baby’s lifestyle and improper skin care or omissions in it:

Causes of dry skin in children

The process of peeling off the top layer of skin in adults and children is called desquamation in medicine and can be caused by a huge number of factors. Peeling is often accompanied by itching, which intensifies if the cause is not eliminated. Children reflexively scratch the dermis, sometimes introducing additional infections into the body and provoking the development of complications, which complicates treatment.

In almost every newly born child, parents notice peeling skin after some time. Babies born at 41-42 weeks of pregnancy are especially susceptible to this.

In most cases, this is a purely physiological process associated with a change from an aquatic environment to an air one. In the womb, the child’s body is covered with a thin protective layer, which gradually comes off in small scales, without causing any concern to the child and disappears completely in 7-10 days.

Other causes of peeling skin in a newborn:

• hard water for bathing;
• reaction to breast milk or adapted formula;
• imperfect function of the sebaceous glands.

These reasons are absolutely harmless and disappear on their own as the baby grows.

Some parents may notice that the natural folds become red, inflamed, and the skin begins to peel off. The cause of diaper rash is improper care; sweat accumulates in the folds and causes irritation.

Weather

Children's skin reacts to changes in humidity and temperature. Most often, peeling occurs after the onset of the heating season, as the delicate skin of the whole body reacts to dry, warm air in the room.

During the cold season, children may experience irritation and peeling in open areas (face, hands) from exposure to wind and cold air. The skin becomes rough and cracks.

Very rarely in winter, frostbite of the limb and face is possible. In severe forms, blisters form, the skin peels off in layers, and tissues die.

In the summer, the cause of peeling and peeling of the skin is prolonged exposure to the open sun, burns of varying severity.

The children's nervous system reacts sharply to different situations. Stress can be caused by separation from mom, starting kindergarten or school, or moving to a new place of residence. The child’s body may react to them by causing itching and flaky areas.

Vitamin deficiency is another common cause of peeling skin in children. It occurs due to a lack of vitamin A and E. Vitamin deficiency often occurs in the spring-winter period and after illness. The skin of children throughout the body becomes dry and rough to the touch, and on the palms and fingers it begins to peel off and hangnails appear.

Allergy

An allergic reaction, in the form of itching or the appearance of flaky lesions on the skin of a child, can be caused by: the introduction of a new product into the diet of a baby or a nursing mother, the use of cosmetics or household chemicals (washing powder, softener), the flowering of certain plants, animal hair, diapers or dust.

Some babies can react this way even to their parents' perfume or deodorant. Such reactions mainly appear on the child’s cheeks, fingers, or in places where the skin comes into contact with the irritant. Their intensity can vary from slight redness to the formation of deep cracks.

Clothes or shoes

Very often, the delicate skin of children begins to peel off from wearing clothes and shoes made of synthetic materials. Such tissues disrupt the circulation of oxygen, causing increased sweating. A humid and warm environment is an excellent place for various microorganisms to live, which easily penetrate enlarged pores.

Diseases

The cause of skin problems in a child can be one of the following diseases:

1. Atopic dermatitis.

Causes scaly, slightly raised pink spots all over the body in children under 3 years of age. The cause may be allergies, heredity or weakened immunity.

1. Fungal infections in children.

Skin damage occurs upon contact with adult carriers, animals, and dirty objects due to an imperfect immune system. Fungal infection can occur on any part of the body, but the feet and toes are most often affected. Focal redness, peeling, cracks, and pustules appear on the skin.

1. Dysbacteriosis.

It often develops after serious illnesses treated with antibiotics. In addition to digestive disorders, dysbacteriosis is manifested by peeling and peeling of the skin on the fingers.

1. Helminthiasis (infection with pinworms, roundworms or other parasites).

Intoxication of a child's body with waste products of worms can cause skin itching (sometimes very severe), dry skin and redness in different parts of the body.

1. Hypothyroidism.

Weakened thyroid function. Lack of hormones is expressed by the appearance of excessive dryness and flaking on the elbows and knees. It is important to identify the disease as early as possible in order to prevent developmental abnormalities.

1. Different forms of lichen (pityriasis versicolor, pink).

The fungal disease affects areas of the skin with increased sweating: armpits, chest, abdomen, back, arms. Initially, small, slightly protruding pink spots appear, the surface of which is covered with small scales. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation they lighten and gradually occupy an increasing area.

1. Scarlet fever.

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Bacterial infection caused by activation of streptococci. The disease begins with a rise in temperature, then itching and rashes all over the body, the child’s palms and fingers turn red and begin to peel.

1. Scabies.

A dermatological disease caused by scabies mites penetrating under the skin. The pathology is characterized by itching, the intensity of which intensifies in the evening and during sleep. Small ulcers and red stripes (parasite passages) are observed on the skin of the abdomen, buttocks, arms, and between the fingers. One of the characteristic signs of scabies is the peeling of a thin layer of skin on the hands.

Dry, flaky skin in a child may be a feature of the body or arise as a manifestation of hereditary diseases:

1. Vitiligo.

A genetic disorder caused by a lack of melanin in certain areas of the dermis. White, occasionally flaky spots appear on the child's skin. Most often, the disease is inherited, but it can also occur in a healthy child after severe infectious diseases or stress.

1. Psoriasis.

An incurable dermatological disease that manifests itself as red, constantly itchy spots on the child’s scalp, elbows and knees. The skin becomes rough, covered with cracks and crusts. The disease worsens with weakened immunity or severe stress.

1. Ichthyosis.

A congenital disease that appears after 2 years of age. The child's skin becomes dry and large white scales appear on it. After they fall off, a pattern resembling fish scales forms on the skin.

Sometimes a rash and peeling of the skin can occur after an insect bite or contact with certain types of plants. Sometimes the cause of desquamation is the child’s love of water procedures. Prolonged exposure to water causes the skin on the child’s feet and palms to peel off.

It is almost impossible to independently determine the cause of peeling skin in children. If peeling continues for a long time or occurs periodically, you need a mandatory consultation with a pediatrician or one of the specialized specialists: a dermatologist, an endocrinologist.

The child’s hands are constantly in contact with air and various objects, so peeling is caused by both external factors and pathological changes in the body.

Legs: foot and heels

They experience enormous stress during the day; children are rarely persevering and are on the move almost all the time. Prolonged contact of the foot with various materials, friction on the surface, leads to gradual hardening of the skin in these areas, especially on the heels.

Because the skin on a child's toes is very thin, it is more susceptible to fungal infections than on adults. In childhood, it is still soft, so desquamation causes severe discomfort.

“Children’s skin can become dry under the influence of both external and internal factors,” says Alexander Prokofiev. Let's list the external reasons.

1. 1 Improper care
   Using detergents more than once a week, water is too hard for bathing (it is better to pass it through a filter).
2. 2
   Exposure to the sun without protection

   The baby’s skin is not able to resist the effects of UV rays, so children under one year old can be kept in the open sun for no more than five minutes a day, and even then “under the cover” of special baby creams with high SPF.

3. 3
   Dry indoor air and overheating

   Overheated air is a test for a child’s imperfect thermoregulation system: the skin turns red, becomes hot, and irritation appears. The same thing happens if you wrap your baby up too much.

4. 4
   Exposure to bad weather

   Cold air coming into contact with delicate baby skin can cause redness, dryness and irritation.

• poor nutrition, which is expressed in a lack of vitamins;
• lack of water;
• some diseases, primarily skin and endocrine;
• circulatory disorders;
• helminthic infestation.

Very dry baby skin is a cause for concern. It is more vulnerable, easily injured, and damaged skin is more susceptible to infections, especially in infancy.

• atopic dermatitis;
• ichthyosis (a disorder of keratinization of the skin, which manifests itself in the form of scale formation);
• other diseases, including diabetes.

If dryness is a persistent feature of your child's skin, it makes sense to first consult with your pediatrician and then see a dermatologist for appropriate treatment.

Friction from shoes and clothing can also cause redness and flaking of baby's delicate skin. Sometimes the cause of hypersensitivity is the diseases mentioned above. In any case, choose clothes and shoes for your baby made from natural materials, and use children's hypoallergenic powders for washing. To prevent dry feet in summer, it is better to wear open-toed shoes.

Scales on the head

Why does my baby's scalp get dry? Crusts are dried plates of fat, which is actively produced by the sebaceous glands. By the age of one year they usually disappear. But the situation may get worse due to:

1. baby overheating
2. low-quality shampoo
3. allergic reaction

You can remove crusts using baby oil. They need to lubricate the scalp, put a cap on the child and leave for 15 minutes. Then you should carefully “walk” over the softened scales with a blunt-toothed comb and wash your baby’s hair with shampoo. It will not be possible to remove all the crusts at once, but if you do this procedure once a week, they will soon disappear or be barely noticeable. It is forbidden to scrape off dry scales.

Dryness of the feet, face and other parts of the baby’s body may be the result of errors in care or nutrition. In itself it is not dangerous. But the lack of moisture in the stratum corneum reduces the protective functions of the integument, and they are damaged at the slightest friction with clothing, and microbes easily penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin through the microcracks that appear. Therefore the reasons

Skin problems must be identified and eliminated in a timely manner.

Incorrect care can lead to dry skin in a child. Children's skin is very sensitive, and therefore special care products must be chosen very carefully. For example, in children under one year of age, the protective function is not sufficiently developed. Even frosty air can cause redness and irritation on the skin.

The easiest way to cure atopic dermatitis is if the child is under 3 years old.

Aggressive products are clearly not suitable for children's skin. It is best to purchase natural and hypoallergenic cosmetics from well-known and trusted manufacturers. It is advisable to consult a pediatrician before choosing a moisturizer, because even the most expensive product may contain some ingredients that cause allergies. Creams from manufacturers such as Bubchen and Johnson & Johnson have proven themselves to be excellent and can be applied repeatedly throughout the day. In winter, it is recommended to treat children's skin with cream about an hour before a walk.

Also, for preventive purposes, you should not overuse detergents. Bubble baths, shampoos and soaps can all cause dryness on your baby's skin. It is best to bathe your baby in a bath with the addition of herbal infusions of thyme, string, and nettle. These herbs have general strengthening properties.

It is very important to monitor the water temperature while bathing your child. It should not exceed 37oC.

You should pay attention to the temperature and humidity in the children's room. Dry air can dry out your baby's skin. It is quite possible that you will need to use a special humidifier or hang a damp towel on the radiator in the children's room so that moisture constantly evaporates.

If all of the above preventive measures did not help, and you notice that your child’s skin has redness, rashes and peeling, be sure to contact your pediatrician. By the way, the cause of dryness can be a deficiency of vitamins in a child’s body. In this case, the doctor will prescribe a course of vitamin therapy. Most often, experts advise taking vitamins E and A, as well as more calcium. If the cause of dry skin in a child is some kind of disease, he will be prescribed specialized medications. And in this case, it is not recommended to act on your own - you must fully follow medical advice.

But you can take some additional measures to increase the effectiveness of treatment. After taking special herbal baths, be sure to lubricate the damp skin with special baby oils and creams with vitamin A or rendered animal fat.

In summer, it is recommended to use sunscreen. Pay special attention to the skin in the area behind the ears, which is especially sensitive and often flakes and turns red. When choosing a sunscreen, you should also consult with a competent pediatrician.

In the human body, the skin is one of the most important organs. It performs several functions at once: barrier, excretory, sensitive, thermoregulatory, storage and others. Therefore, parents should carefully monitor the condition of their baby’s skin from early childhood.

Normally, a child’s skin should be clean, smooth, without cracks or inflammation. If there are any changes on it (redness or roughness), parents should immediately pay attention to it. The child’s body signals that something has gone wrong.

If a child has dry skin, it means that the stratum corneum does not contain enough moisture. Its appearance changes - it becomes rough, wrinkled, sometimes even scaly, and loses elasticity. But that's not the worst thing. The danger lies in the fact that microcracks appear in dry skin, through which pathogenic bacteria easily penetrate into deeper layers and become the cause of the development of dermatological diseases.

How to eliminate dry skin

Use moisturizing creams, lotions or body milk made specifically for children's skin. On such products it is always written what age they are intended for.

• The water for bathing the baby should not be hot. The optimal temperature for the bath is 36–37 degrees.
• Bathe your child every day, but use detergents no more than once a week. Choose special delicate formulas for this.
• Moisturize dry areas with baby cream, milk or lotion.

Prevention of dryness and flaking of the skin of the legs, arms and other parts of the body

The baby's health requires constant care from the first minutes of his life. If you take simple preventive measures, it is possible to minimize the appearance of symptoms such as peeling and dry skin in children.

To ensure that your baby always feels comfortable and his skin remains healthy and soft, it is recommended to follow the following rules:

1. wet cleaning of the room where the baby is located should be carried out as often as possible - there is no need to use chemical detergents;
2. if a child is genetically predisposed to allergies, then contact with possible irritants should be minimized;
3. treat exposed skin with baby moisturizer 15-20 minutes before a walk;
4. children who wear disposable diapers need daily air baths - 15-20 minutes several times a day;
5. special hypoallergenic wet wipes can be used for hygiene procedures during the day, replacing washing;
6. It is recommended to use baby soap and shampoo for bathing no more than 1-2 times a week;
7. bedding and baby clothes should be washed only with special children's detergents;
8. you should choose underwear made from natural materials;
9. maintain the temperature in the room (the optimal temperature is 20 degrees Celsius), monitor the humidity level (the recommended figure is 60%);
10. During breastfeeding, the mother must follow an appropriate diet.

Baby skin is tender and velvety only in television advertising. The skin of a real newborn is far from ideal: pimples, spots, and peeling are noticeable on them. Most often, parents are faced with dryness in certain areas: legs, face, head, abdomen. Dry skin in a baby is not considered a pathology, but it can cause serious discomfort. Let's find out the reasons for this phenomenon and ways to prevent it.

Prevention measures

Dry skin brings a lot of anxiety to a child. It itches, itches, flakes - all this causes moodiness and bad mood. What can parents do in this situation? First of all, eliminate any factors that provoke dry skin of the baby.

1. 1 It is not advisable to use soap when bathing and washing your face; it dries out the skin.
2. 2
   Sponges made from rough materials are also harmful. Washing should be as gentle as possible.
3. 3
   Do not wrap your baby while walking to avoid sweating.
4. 4
   Do not self-medicate. If dry skin persists, consult a doctor.

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To avoid dry skin, offer your child something to drink often. Make sure there are enough vitamins in his diet. Moisturize your baby's skin after bathing. In your care, use only hypoallergenic products tested by dermatologists.

The creams should include moisturizing and soothing components: panthenol, niacinamide, oils (shea, olive, wheat germ), zinc oxide, vitamins A, B, E, F, plant extracts (chamomile, calendula, string).

Errors in care and low-quality children's cosmetics

Although cleanliness is the key to health, Dr. Komarovsky advises not to overuse soap and shampoo. You can wash your head once a week, and soap your entire body once every three days. Soap should only be used regularly to remove feces when changing a diaper.

It is customary to bathe a newborn in water with the addition of potassium permanganate, but it dries out the skin. It is enough to simply boil water if the umbilical wound has not yet healed.

For older children, running water is also suitable. It should not be hot - maximum 36 ºС. After bathing, there is no need to rub the baby's covers - they should be thoroughly blotted with a soft towel.

The hardness of tap water and its saturation with chlorine can also cause dryness of the legs, head, and back. The best option is to install filters. If it is not available, it is recommended to fill the bath with hot water in advance - while it cools, some of the chlorine will evaporate. To cleanse the skin when changing a diaper, you can use wet wipes.

If the skin is very dry, then it is worth lubricating it after each bath with water-based creams or emollients - products that well moisturize the stratum corneum.

It is important to buy only high-quality children's cosmetics: without dyes, fragrances, or aggressive chemicals. It is advisable to do this in pharmacies. Such products are relatively expensive, but treating damaged skin will cost even more.

If the legs or tummy are peeling, this is a clear sign that the care products are not suitable for the child. For very sensitive skin, they can be replaced with sterilized olive or sunflower oil.

Rules for care at different times of the year

A child's skin needs protection in both heat and cold.

• In summer
  Remember that you should not be in the sun during the hottest time, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the beach, be sure to wear a T-shirt and a Panama hat on your baby, and use children's sunscreen. When you return from a walk, wash off the SPF cream and apply a moisturizer to your skin.
• in winter

  Exposure to cold and dry indoor air contributes to excessive dryness of the skin. Install a humidifier in your home or regularly cover the radiators with a wet towel. Moisturize your baby's skin after bathing.

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In extreme cold, apply protective cream 30 minutes before going outside. For example, the restoring and healing agent Cicaplast Baume B5 from La Roche-Posay. This balm will save delicate skin from frost and wind.

Skin care

A child has a rash on his body - what is it?

If you follow all hygiene rules and care recommendations, the appearance of skin problems can be completely avoided. Very often it is the wrong actions of parents that provoke the occurrence of peeling. The most common mistakes:

• prolonged bathing or using too hot water;
• rare diaper changes;
• removal of crusts on the head;
• lack of air baths.

If not properly cared for, children's skin becomes dry and vulnerable to infection and bacteria. Bathing helps keep your baby clean and also promotes better blood circulation.

After removing the diaper, it is necessary to clean the skin on the butt and legs each time. You should not use wet wipes often; it is best to wash the baby.

To avoid diaper rash, diapers are changed every 2-3 hours

In hot weather, wash the baby’s face as often as possible using a damp cotton swab. Children's clothing should be clean and made from natural fabrics. At first, it is better to use things whose seams are located on the front side. This will help avoid unnecessary friction.

Treatment with folk remedies

You can soothe your baby’s delicate skin using alternative, grandmotherly methods:

• lotions made from raw potatoes, grated;
• baths with decoctions of chamomile, rose petals, mint, lavender;
• moisturizing with vegetable oil mixed with geranium oil;
• an infusion of honey and Kalanchoe juice (in equal parts), kept in the refrigerator for 7-10 days, is used to treat affected areas;
• Lycopodium pollen powder will speed up the healing of inflamed skin.

Although the effectiveness of folk remedies has been proven for centuries, you should not use them without consulting a pediatrician. Many herbs and foods cause allergies in children and can complicate the course of the disease.

1. 1 Milk for very dry skin Lipikar Lait, La Roche-Posay
   Formula with shea butter, thermal water and niacinamide nourishes the skin and restores its lipid barrier. Suitable for use in infants, children and adults.
2. 2
   Skin cleansing gel Lipikar Gel Lavant, La Roche-Posay

   Contains shea butter and niacinamide and is free of fragrance and parabens. Has skin-soothing properties, suitable for the whole family.

Red spots: skin irritation (dermatitis) and eczema

The cause of this problem in one-year-old babies and older children can also be dermatitis and its more severe form – eczema. In this case, flaky areas of skin may appear on the baby’s forehead, cheeks, above the lip, elbows, knees, feet, and wrists. Detailed characteristics of these types of dermatological diseases are contained in the table.

Treatment with folk remedies

Before starting therapy for a child’s skin, it is necessary to find out the cause of desquamation. Parents should first contact their pediatrician. After examining the skin, studying the child’s medical history, and collecting information about lifestyle and nutrition, the pediatrician will be able to give recommendations or refer you to other specialists.

Some problems (dermatitis, diaper rash, scabies) are easy to identify by external signs, while others (allergies, hypothyroidism, fungal infections) require a thorough examination of blood, stool, and skin swabs.

Depending on the cause that caused the child’s skin to peel, treatment tactics are chosen.

Vitamin deficiency can be eliminated by correcting nutrition and prescribing vitamin complexes. Your child’s diet should include foods containing vitamins A, B and E:

• carrot;
• red fish;
• beef;
• pumpkin;
• liver;
• oatmeal;
• greenery;
• peaches;
• apples;
• eggs;
• nuts.

You should eat only freshly prepared dishes; vegetables and fruits should be seasonal, grown in the child’s place of residence. Such products are the most useful and contain a minimum of chemicals.

Often, you can get rid of desquamation only with the help of medications for internal and external use:

1. Artificial thyroid hormones, iodine preparations to compensate for insufficient thyroid function.
2. Anthelmintic drugs: Pirantel, Nemozol, Vermox.
3. To eliminate excessive dryness and accelerate tissue healing, you can use Bepanten cream, zinc ointment, Depanthenol.
4. A rich baby cream will help eliminate or prevent desquamation due to cold, dry air or wind. Almost every cosmetic company produces such products; they contain plant extracts and natural oils that are safe even for infants. It is recommended to apply them before going outside to protect your skin.
5. If the child remains inflamed after the skin disappears (with eczema or psoriasis), use soothing creams and ointments: Elidel, Topicrem.
6. To treat fungal infections, Clotrimazole, salicylic and zinc ointments are prescribed.
7. At the time of exacerbation of allergies, it is recommended to take antihistamines: Allerzin, Eden, Zyrtec, Claritin and others. Children under one year of age are prescribed drugs in the form of drops; at older ages, tablets can be taken.

Creams are usually applied twice a day to the child’s clean, dry skin.

In some cases, with skin lesions, it is recommended to carry out a course of physiotherapeutic procedures to accelerate the death of the pathogen and prevent relapse of the disease.

It is prohibited to give medications to a child or apply them to the skin before being examined by a doctor. Only a specialist can determine the right dosage and the appropriate remedy.

You can fight peeling and flaky skin in a child using folk remedies:

1. Wipe the affected areas with peach, flaxseed or sterile olive (sunflower) oil.
2. You can soothe irritation and soften the skin with a mixture of warm mashed potatoes (1-3 root vegetables), olive oil (2-5 teaspoons) and full-fat kefir (50-100 ml). Mix all the ingredients and apply a fairly thick layer to the areas of concern for half an hour.
3. A mixture of chicken yolk and olive oil in equal proportions will speed up healing and soften the skin. Apply the resulting mixture to the affected areas and cover with polyethylene half an hour before bathing.

The listed remedies are effective only as auxiliaries and do not replace drug treatment for serious diseases.

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Hygiene

A child's skin, even with slight peeling, is at risk of infection and the spread of the problem to healthy areas, so parents should be more careful than usual about hygiene.

The child should take a shower or bath before bed. It is advisable to use detergents (gel, foam) not every time, but after 2-3 days, so as not to further irritate the skin. Children are shown baths with herbal decoctions: chamomile, oak bark, oats, calendula, sage, linden. Parents should note that some herbs can cause allergies and aggravate the condition.

From grandmothers and women of the old generation you can hear advice to bathe children with a solution of potassium permanganate. This is strictly forbidden; the mineral dries out the skin and increases discomfort.

To soothe the dermis after bathing, the affected areas are treated with milk or medications are applied.

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Situations where children's skin peels off are often associated with weakened immunity. To prevent trouble or its recurrence, you need to follow some recommendations:

• accustom the child to a routine;
• do not go out in the sun during the period of its greatest activity, be sure to use a cream for children with a high degree of ultraviolet protection;
• spend more time in the fresh air;
• buy clothes for children made from natural materials;
• ensure that the child leads a moderately active lifestyle;
• Organize a balanced diet and sufficient fluids daily;
• humidify indoor air in winter;
• ensure a normal psychological environment at home;
• If necessary, try to reduce the study load.

If your baby is susceptible to allergic reactions, it is necessary to exclude provoking foods from the menu and replace aggressive detergents and cosmetics with hypoallergenic ones.

Situations when a child’s skin begins to peel or peel off on any part of the body should not be ignored. Parents should remember that slight redness or a spot may be a sign of a dangerous disease. Treatment of the problem should be carried out only after consultation with a pediatrician.

Preventive measures at home

Water procedures to prevent peeling of a child’s feet

Effective prevention of dermatological diseases on the legs includes a set of measures, each of which individually is not difficult to implement. First of all, you should review your diet to ensure that the skin and body receive all the complex of nutrients necessary for normal development. In order to reduce the protective load on the epidermis, it is recommended to use only natural formulations consisting of soft neutral components as cosmetic and hygiene products. An active lifestyle plays a significant role - active people of any age always have much better skin condition than people who lead a sedentary life.

Baths for caring for the skin of the feet have proven themselves to be quite good. They help maintain the balance of the natural moisture level of the epidermis at home. Foot baths belong to the category of traditional medicine and therefore cannot be considered as a therapeutic technique. But as a preventive measure they have shown their effectiveness. There are many recipes that are called effective. The most famous among them were:

• Herbal baths are herbal baths that allow wound healing, soothing and relaxation of the epidermis. One of the important advantages of herbal baths is that the procedures can be performed daily. As a rule, 20 minutes a day is enough to achieve a healing effect.
• Salt baths are a disinfecting and skin softening procedure. Considering that salt is a fairly serious chemical compound that can corrode the skin, procedures should be carried out no more than once every three days. The maximum recommended bath time is 15 minutes.

If dry skin is not associated with diseases, and the cause of this condition has been identified and eliminated, then it is quite possible to carry out treatment at home. The main thing here is to choose the right care product.

Therapeutic and caring ointments and creams

According to many mothers, the best in the fight against almost any dermatological problems are creams and ointments with dexpanthenol: panthenol, bepanthen. Dexpanthenol ointment contains preservatives and cheaper fatty components. In the composition, for example, “Bepanten” contains almond oil as one of them, and “Bepanten Plus” contains the antiseptic chlorhexidine.

Drug therapy

If parents humidify the air in the room, give plenty of water, feed the baby healthy foods and use moisturizers, but the skin still remains dry, you need to contact your pediatrician. A visit to him is also necessary for the following symptoms:

• rash;
• heat;
• itching;
• deterioration of health;
• too pale skin.

To find out the cause of this condition, the doctor examines the baby, talks with the mother about nutrition and caring for him. If necessary, a blood test is prescribed or skin scrapings are taken. In severe cases, the child is treated by a dermatologist.

To get rid of excessive dryness, medications are used that are selected by the attending physician.

The most commonly used products for external use are:

1. Lotions that contain urea, for example, Excipial M. The concentration of the active substance should not exceed 4%.
2. Panthenol, La-Cri cream or Bepanten ointment - soften and accelerate the healing of cracks and wounds.
3. Soothing ointments with glucocorticosteroids: Beloderm, Fucidin, Elokom, Lokoid. These drugs eliminate inflammation, itching, and swelling.
4. Traumeel-gel. The product soothes inflamed skin.
5. Iricar is a cream to eliminate itching.
6. Aconite, Sulfur - drugs for the treatment of flaky spots on the skin caused by autoimmune diseases.

Internally prescribed:

1. Sorbents - Smecta, Enterosgel. The drugs are prescribed to cleanse the child’s body of toxic substances.
2. Antihistamines (Suprastin, Claritin, Allerzin) are rarely prescribed, since they additionally dry out the baby’s skin and mucous membranes.
3. Means for normalizing digestion - Plantex, Linex, Bifiform.
4. Complexes with vitamins A, PP, E, fish oil.
5. Sedatives: Notta, Kaprizulya, Hare.

The dosage and duration of use of medications is selected for each child individually.

If an abscess begins on the baby’s skin, deep ulcers or pustules form, surgical removal is required.

How to choose the right drug

With the help of a pediatrician, you can choose the appropriate drug. Simply purchasing a cream that contains urea may not solve the problem. You need to select the required concentration of the active substance. A cream containing 5% urea is unlikely to be suitable for a very young child. A large concentration of the substance can even cause pain in the baby. For a child, you need to choose a cream with the lowest concentration of active ingredient.

Cream with urea, if you select the appropriate concentration, does not cause side effects, and the positive effect appears quickly. It is very important to take into account seasonality, as well as the reasons that led to dry skin in the baby. The child may have individual characteristics that need to be taken into account. Therefore, you should be extremely careful when using medications.

The drug “Expial M” has proven itself well; it can be found in pharmacies in the form of lipolotion and hydrolotion. The concentration of urea may vary. This drug is usually prescribed by dermatologists themselves for the treatment of various types of dry skin. This may be a primary treatment or a maintenance treatment.

To cure dry skin in a child, you can use the advice of traditional medicine.

Prohibited actions

If a child has dry or prone to dry and irritated skin, parents need to remember what not to do:

• dress the child in clothes made of synthetics or coarse fabrics;
• bathe him every day with foaming, strong-smelling products;
• turn on the heater or air conditioner in the apartment in winter;
• overheat the child by dressing him in excessively warm clothes;
• leave in a filled diaper for a long time;
• allow long walks in hot weather, sunbathing.

Other Possible Causes

If a child has dry skin, Dr. Komarovsky also names other reasons. In addition, he gives advice on what should be changed in your child’s life so that this problem can be quickly resolved.

So, in addition to external general factors, there may also be more profound causes of excessive dryness and irritation of the baby’s skin:

Improper use of diapers is often the cause of dry skin in a child.

1. Overheat. Your baby doesn't need to wear too much clothing in warm weather, so don't try to protect him from the sun in this way. It is better to prefer being in the shade. Also, do not overheat the water for bathing your child, as over time this will cause the skin to peel off.

2. Household damage. You yourself may not notice how your baby rubs his hand or another part of his body on the carpet, clothes or diaper. These injuries are often mechanical, and when the wounds heal, the skin will be healthy and soft again.

Frequent use of soap causes irritation on children's skin

1. Contact with chemistry. When using different cosmetics both in contact with the child and with his things, especially clothing and hygiene products, make sure that they are harmless to children’s sensitive skin. It is possible that excessive dryness is caused by these products, or it may also be an allergic reaction to them.

2. Soap . Dry skin in a child is often caused by something like soap use, Komarovsky says. Its excessive contact with your baby’s skin may not have disinfecting and cleansing properties at all, but irritate the skin. Watch the composition of soap products and try not to use them too often.

Pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky

How to help your child

When parents notice that their baby’s skin has become dry, the first thing they need to do is eliminate possible provoking factors:

• humidify the air in the room;
• give a drink;
• treat with an emollient.

Further actions depend on the location of the dry area and the extent of the damage.

Self-treatment is possible only if the dryness has occurred recently, does not cause discomfort and is not accompanied by inflammation and high temperature.

Peeling on the butt

Most often, children under one year of age have peeling buttocks. Noticing this, the mother should:

• remove the diaper and forget about it until the skin becomes normal;
• treat the skin with baby cream, oil or Bepanten (powder should not be used);
• change diapers as soon as the baby goes to the toilet;
• “holop” if the temperature allows.

Dry feet and hands

The skin on your feet may become dry due to tight shoes, synthetic liners or socks. This sign may indicate a fungal infection.

To prevent the disease from starting, you need to:

• wash your feet with soap;
• wipe dry;
• lubricate with baby cream and put on cotton socks.

Shoes should be replaced with open ones, and in winter they should be insulated with natural fur; the child should wear cotton tights (socks). If the dryness does not go away, and cracks and inflammation appear, you need to take the child to a dermatologist.

Dry skin on a child’s hands can be softened with special baby creams, but if they do not help, you need to consult a doctor. This symptom is inherent in many diseases; only a doctor can identify them and prescribe treatment.

Face and head

In newborns, you can often observe dry skin on the face, these are remnants of vernix lubrication. The resulting scales cannot be removed; they will disappear on their own in a few days.

Dry skin on the cheeks is often a sign of allergies or chapping. To alleviate the child’s condition, you need to lubricate them with cream before going outside and review their diet.

Dry, flaky skin on the eyelids and near the mouth can signal viral or ophthalmological diseases, in this case you need to visit a pediatrician; self-medication can lead to serious complications.

Almost every baby in the first months of life has a dry seborrheic crust on the head, which is not a pathology, but it cannot be ignored. This film reduces the access of oxygen to the skin, causing hair to grow poorly or fall out. Remove it only in a softened form after bathing or lubricate it with oil.

Roseola rosea

This infectious disease, the causative agents of which belong to the group of human herpes viruses type 6 and 7, is mainly diagnosed in children under 2 years of age. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. The peak incidence occurs in the spring and early summer season.

Infection begins with a sharp rise in body temperature to 39–40 degrees. Hyperthermic syndrome, which persists for 3–5 days, occurs without any additional symptoms.

After the body temperature normalizes within 24 hours, small pinkish rashes appear on the child’s torso. In this case, the baby does not experience pain. He is still active. In most cases, the rash goes away on its own within 4–7 days.

READ IN DETAIL: rashes in the form of red spots on the skin of a child: photos with explanations, causes