The child has very dry skin - what should I do?

In the human body, the skin performs many functions, therefore it is one of the most important organs. Exactly how she looks can tell a lot about a child’s health. Therefore, parents should monitor the condition of the skin of their baby from early childhood. His skin should be clean and smooth, without cracks, spots and redness. If it becomes rough, wrinkled and loses elasticity, it means that some kind of malfunction occurred in the body. However, do not panic, most often this problem is quickly and easily solved. The main thing is that you do not need to self-medicate and use medications without consulting a specialist. Consider one of the options: if the child has very dry skin - what should I do?

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Causes of Dry Skin

First, consider the possible causes of dry skin of your baby.

Allergy

Very often, dry skin occurs in the first three years of life in the autumn-winter period or in early spring. When the first signs of rashes appear on the body or face, it is important to determine whether any personal care products cause skin irritation. Next, it is necessary to exclude shampoos, gels or detergents for which the child may be allergic.

Important! It is worth choosing only hypoallergenic products for hygiene and washing, without a strong odor and dyes. You should also pay attention to what your baby eats. Very often chocolate and citrus fruits provoke allergies.

Climate Change

Sudden changes in temperature can also be the reason that the child has very dry skin. Severe frost or wind often causes irritation, redness on the face and hands. Excess sunlight is also harmful.

Important! Before going out, you need to lubricate the exposed parts of the body with a special cream, depending on the season.

Bathing in hot water

Hot water dries the skin, so we bathe the baby in warm water. The optimum temperature for bathing the child is 37 degrees.

Dermatological diseases

Allergic diathesis, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema and even worms can cause the appearance of dry flaky spots. Therefore, it is very important to immediately contact a specialist who will select the right treatment.

Illiterate skin care

For example, the use of potassium permanganate when bathing, as well as cosmetics that are not suitable for small children.

Diaper rash

Young children who spend a lot of time in the diaper may have red, flaky skin.

Too dry air in the nursery

Humidity should be between 55 and 70%. It is especially important to monitor humidity in the winter when the heating system is working.

Important! Air dried by heating can affect the baby's health by peeling skin or disturbing sleep. At such a time, it is recommended to install humidifiers or at least containers with water.

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First aid

The child has dry skin - what should I do? For mom, the appearance of dry spots on the skin of the baby is an occasion to beware and take the following measures:

• First, evaluate the condition of the child yourself, are there any obvious reasons for the occurrence of such spots.
• Eliminate all possible allergens, this applies to personal hygiene products and food.
• Remove soft toys from the nursery, check all things for synthetics.
• Use baby special products to treat dry skin, such as a baby moisturizer or Bepanten.
• Bathe your baby in water without abundant detergent foam. More effective in such cases are herbal baths made of chamomile flowers and a string.
• It is very important that the baby drank as much as possible.
• Provide him with proper nutrition. Water-based fruits and vegetables are very useful for dry skin: grapes, melon, tomatoes, cucumbers, as well as foods high in vitamins A, B, C and E. These include: apricots, pumpkin, strawberries, carrots, blueberries, lettuce as well as dairy products.

Important! Of course, you need to focus on the age of the baby, plus you need to consider the possibility of allergic reactions to a particular product.

• Wash all baby clothes with laundry soap and rinse thoroughly. Soap can be grated and put into a washing machine like a regular powder.

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What absolutely can not be done:

• Apply, on the advice of a friend or neighbor, an ointment or cream based on hormonal preparations. They give a quick effect, but the cause itself is not treated and can harm your baby.
• Give medicines for allergies and other diseases without consulting a doctor.
• Scratch crusts, if any. You can get an infection and complicate matters even more.

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Why is it important to see a doctor?

Sometimes dry skin can indicate the onset of the development of a disease. For example:

• Rough skin on a child’s arms or legs may be a sign of diathesis.
• Another serious disease that is accompanied by dry skin is diabetes. The skin with this disease becomes thin and dry.
• If dryness appears in the area of ​​the knees and elbows, this can be caused by a malfunction of the thyroid gland. The disease is called hypothyroidism, it causes metabolic disorders and causes dry skin.

There are other diseases that provoke a change in the skin, so if redness or irritation occurs, parents need to see a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis and start treatment on time.

Important! It is usually difficult to fight skin ailments, therefore it is very important to take immediate measures and prevent the progression of the disease. Without proper treatment, it can become chronic.

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We select the drug

One of the substances that well remove dry skin is urea. The creams that make up it have a great moisturizing effect. Choosing such a cream is best in the company of a pediatrician. The cream, which contains 5% urea, is unlikely to suit a small child, and simply buying a cream is unlikely to completely solve the problem. The pediatrician will select the right remedy taking into account the individual characteristics of the baby.

Important! Well recommended drug “Excipial M”, which can be found in the pharmacy in the form of lipolotion and hydro lotion.

To cure dry skin, you can also use the advice of traditional medicine, but again, they should be used only with the consent of the attending physician:

• Make an infusion of chamomile with rose petals. Brew them in equal proportions and add to the baby bath. Such baths need to be done every other day.
• Oils are good: flaxseed, peach, almond or wheat germ oil.

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Prevention of dryness and peeling of the skin in the baby

Everyone knows that it is better to prevent the disease than to be treated long and expensive. Therefore, you need to think about preventive measures, than after asking yourself what to do if the child has dry red skin on his hands or feet.

So what do preventive measures include?

• Every day you need to do wet cleaning.
• Remove all dust collectors from the nursery, including the canopy above the bed.
• Limit all contacts of the baby with the pet, if any.
• Monitor the humidity level in the room, regularly ventilate it.
• Bathe the baby at a water temperature of 37 degrees without soap. You can use decoctions of herbs on the recommendation of a doctor.
• Use baby cream before a walk and after water procedures.
• Remove all synthetics from the wardrobe of the child.
• Choose a baby detergent or use laundry soap. Rinse the laundry thoroughly.
• Do not dry the air with air conditioning or heating appliances.
• Change the diapers of the child on time and wash more often.
• Arrange air baths.
• Do not wrap the child strongly at home or outdoors.

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We hope you clarified the situation regarding the causes of dryness of your child’s skin, and together with the pediatrician by quick directed actions solved the problem. And when applying practical tips regarding the prevention of dry skin in practice, you probably no longer have to deal with a similar phenomenon.