Children and sensitive skin Q&A
gurgle.com member Q:
I have recently discovered what looks like a verruca on my 2 year old sons foot. I am a little concerned as we haven't taken him swimming in a while and he doesn't go out without shoes on so I'm not sure how he has got this? My son is very lively and I can't imagine him being still for a second for me to put on any ointment or cream- please help, what can I do?
Dr Mayou A:
To establish if it is a verruca, look carefully at the suspected legion. If it is a verruca, there will be a break in the fingerprint lines across the area. Also verrucas hurt if you squeeze laterally on them. Verrucas always resolve spontaneously so there is no absolute need to treat it. At this stage he would not cooperate with the painful liquid nitrogen treatment and you say he would not sit still to apply an ointment on a regular basis. Verrucas as a virus heal when the body’s immune system mounts a response, but you could try the old wives remedy of sticking Duct Tape straight onto the skin, if he will cooperate.
gurgle.com member Q:
My 3 year old daughter has a scab on the inside of her nose from chicken pox. She has unfortunately started picking at the scab at night resulting in her waking up with her sheets covered in blood etc. Do you have any advice on how I get this to heal when she does this every night (I'm assuming in her sleep?)
Dr Mayou A:
If the scab has persisted for several weeks after the chicken pox has resolved elsewhere, it might be associated with a low grade infection of the skin. In which case, a topical anti-biotic such as nasal Bactroban from your GP would be worth trying.
gurgle.com member Q:
Both my children and my husband suffer from eczema on the backs of their legs and arms. Is there any food you would suggest cutting out of their diets before it gets worse, especially with my son (24months), who seems to scratch and scratch all day long. I don't know what to think about putting steroid cream on him as he's so young? Would you recommend a Hydrocortisone? Many thanks, Natalie
Dr Mayou A:
Food allergy is fairly uncommon and is unlikely to be affecting your husband without him already knowing that he was allergic to a particular food. In children, it is those under 24 months who may be affected but in the first instance it is worth seeing if he responds to moisturisers such as E45 Junior Moisturising Lotion and 1% Hydrocortisone Cream. I can reassure you that he is not too young for this but if he does not respond, I would suggest seeing your GP to help with the eczema and to discuss exclusion of certain foods from his diet.
gurgle.com member Q:
My 5 year old daughter has funny spots on the bottom of her back that keep appearing and re-appearing every few days. They are red and a bit bumpy, like a rash but more spread. It doesn't seem to bother her but I am a bit concerned that everytime I think they are gone, they reappear a few days later? I'm wondering whether it might be chicken pox? Can you please tell me what the chicken pox rash looks like? Thanks
Dr Mayou A:
The rash your daughter develops is extremely unlikely to be chicken pox, which has a vesicular rash that appears in crops over several days in a once off episode. This rash is more likely to be in the eczema spectrum. In the first instance, see if it responds to a moisturiser such as E45 Junior Moisturising Lotion and 1% Hydrocortisone Cream. If the problem persists, see your GP.
gurgle.com member Q:
My daughter complains every evening that she has itchy skin. She is 4 and a half years old and says that her skin feels tight and itchy. I have tried putting her in a bath with no soap and also used E45 type soap perfume free and nothing seems to be making any difference. In the mornings she is fine and doesn't complain about it at all? Please can you give me any kind if advice on what this may be? Thankyou in advance, Jo McVeigh.
Dr Mayou A:
In addition to your current skincare regime, I would suggest adding an oil to your daughter's bath, such as E45 Junior Foaming Bath Milk, which contains coconut oil to moisturise the skin and is fragrance-free. Follow this by smoothing on a moisturiser every morning and night. Dry skin is itchy and moisturising is the first step in addressing this problem.
gurgle.com member Q:
My son has had a little baby eczema since he was born, it used to be on his face, arms, chest and backs of his legs. He is 9 months old now and it seems so have gone apart from very bad patches on his arms. He has been prescribed Oilatum bath and lotion by our doctor which we use all the time, it did help improve the rest of the eczema on his body but the patches on his arms are still really bad and don't seem to improve no matter what we do. The doctor said he will probably grow out of it which is encouraging but we want to know if there is anything else we can do to improve the skin on his arms as it is very dry and itchy for him.
Dr Mayou A:
It sounds as if your baby boy is growing out of the eczema but as he still has the patches on his arms, I would buy 1% Hyrdocortisone Cream over the counter and apply twice daily after moisturising his skin. I can reassure you that you won’t thin the skin or cause any harm even if you use it for 3 or 4 weeks.
gurgle.com member Q:
My one year old has developed little spots on his face. They started on his chin after a cold and I put it down to dribble and low immune system. Then it seemed to spread to his left cheek and onto his nose. They are very small and slightly red and raised. They don't appear to bother him and they have now lost their redness and seem to be going but are still slightly raised. They also appeared on his arms and leg very faintly but are going quickly. I haven't applied sun cream for several days in case it's that and I have just put calamine cream on to sooth it. I haven't changed his diet or lotions etc. They have been there for approx 2 weeks. I wonder if it's heat spots or whether it could be something else. Thanks
Dr Mayou A:
The rash on his face sounds like an irritant eczema related to dribble after his cold and has now triggered eczema elsewhere. I would suggest using a perfume-free moisturiser followed by a 1% Hydrocortisone cream, which you can buy over the counter.
gurgle.com's top three products for children with sensitive skin are:
1. E45 Junior Foaming Bath MilkAt gurgle.com we love this product because it means children with really sensitive skin can have bubbles in the bath! (Something they can't usually have as normal bath foam irritates their skin) It's also nice for children without sensitive skin; your children can have a bath together wven if they have different skin conditions.
2. JOHNSON’S® Baby SOOTHING NATURALS™Intense
Moisture CreamJOHNSON’S® Intense Moisture Cream is great for soothing and relieving your baby’s dry skin, even on dry patches, from the first use. Fast absorbing and non-greasy, it moisturises for 24 hours. It has been developed with paediatricians and tested by dermatologists.
3. Inferderm Conditioning Shampoo Inferderm's conditioning shampoo has been especially designed to help babies with sensitive scalps, especially those suffering from cradle cap. It's dermatologically tested, soap and dye free and made with chamomile. Also in the Inferderm range are bubble bath, bath oil and moisturising lotion all formulated especially for babies and children who suffer from Asthma.
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