People of any age may have problems with dry skin, but because of the sensitivity of newborn’s skin this is much more likely to happen to babies. Kids may suffer from dry skin during the winter, because of cold and dry air outside and also because of indoor heating. However, some babies may develop dry skin at any time of the year, including summertime, due to salt water, chlorinated water in the pool or because of air conditioning in the house.
Medical Conditions and Dry Skin
Sometimes, dry skin may be a sign of certain skin problems. Eczema or atopic dermatitis may cause dryness of the skin, but it is also characterized by itchiness and red patches on the skin. Try to resolve this problem with some regular and persistent moisturizing, but if the condition does not improve or even worsens, visit your doctor and ask for advice. Ichthyosis is another skin problem characterized by dryness of the skin in babies and also some scaling and redness. These kids usually have thicker skin on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet, so this genetic problem is something that has to be treated by a dermatologist.
If you notice any of these symptoms or perhaps swelling or yellow skin discharge (indicating skin infection) take your child to the doctor, so that he or she can get proper medical care.
Help Your Child with Dry Skin
Proper hydration is the way to go with dry skin. Make sure your child drinks a lot of water, to compensate evaporation from the skin and moisturize his or her skin often. Choose moisturizers with thicker structure and opt for thicker creams and ointments if the lotion is not enough to hydrate the skin. Some babies might need skin moisturizers twice a day, during the day and after bathing.
Bath time should last about 10 minutes, not a half of an hour, if the child has dry skin. Use warm water instead of hot and a cleanser without perfume or soap, because regular soaps might be too harsh on gentle baby skin. If your child likes to play, let him, but make sure he or she does not play in soapy water - it will make the skin even drier. Use the moisturized right after the kid steps out of the tub, on the wet skin.
Humidifiers in the home may also be a great idea. Protect your child’s skin from salty or chlorinated water. Shower your baby after playing or swimming in the pool or ocean and apply moisturizer. Protect your kid’s skin from cold weather in winter and sunburns in summer.
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