Causes of dry skin in babies

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.

Why does my baby have dry skin?

Dry skin in a child usually occurs in the first three years of life in the autumn-winter period or early spring. This phenomenon can be observed both on individual parts of the body (arms, legs, face) and on its entire surface. Children's skin is very sensitive to external factors, its protective function is just developing. Therefore, when dry spots or rashes appear on the body, it is important to determine which personal hygiene items can cause irritation to the epidermis, and exclude shampoos, soaps, gels, and washing powders to which the baby may be allergic. If your child has dry skin, you should choose only hypoallergenic hygiene and laundry products, preferably without a strong odor and bright color.

You should not bathe your baby in hot water, as it tends to dry the skin; the optimal temperature for this procedure is 37°C.

Sudden changes in temperature can also cause dry skin in a child. Severe frost and cold winds often cause irritation and redness on the face and hands. Therefore, before going outside, the baby needs to lubricate exposed areas of the body with a special cream.

Heating systems operating in winter dry out the air in apartments, so it is recommended to use special humidifiers during this period.

Dry skin in a child can be an allergic reaction of the body, so you should pay attention to food. Among them may be those that provoke allergies, in particular citrus fruits and chocolate.

Dry skin on a child's feet

Quite often, children have dry skin on their feet. Especially in the summer, it loses moisture to such an extent that it begins to crack and hurt. In this case, it is better to wear open shoes with maximum air access. To avoid dust and dirt getting into the cracks, you need to wear socks. Before going to bed, be sure to wash your baby’s feet with baby soap, wipe them dry and lubricate them with massaging movements with a special softening fortified cream.

Dry skin on a child's feet is highly susceptible to infections, which can lead to complications. The familiar heat rash, diaper dermatitis, and diaper rash spread quickly if not properly cared for, and a pustular rash can even form. To avoid complications, it is necessary to show the child to the doctor as soon as possible and begin treatment.

Treatment of dry skin in children

The epidermis in young children is not yet able to retain moisture in sufficient quantities, so it has to be replenished from the outside. The choice of moisturizer must be taken seriously, since the skin reacts sharply to external irritants. If the child has very dry skin, choose a product together with the pediatrician. Most often, in such cases, doctors recommend external preparations containing urea, in particular Excipial M lotion, as well as an additional course of vitamin A for a period of two months. It is better absorbed if you drop it on a small piece of black bread before eating. In some cases, if the baby’s skin is inflamed, vitamin E, calcium supplements, and fish oil are prescribed. The dose of medication is determined by the doctor.

It is better to bathe your child without foaming detergents at all. Herbal baths are very effective in such cases. You need to mix rose petals and chamomile flowers in equal proportions, pour boiling water over it and let it brew for 15-20 minutes. After this, strain and add to water. The procedure should last at least 10 minutes. A bath with flax oil is also effective (1 tablespoon will be enough).

After bathing, you can give your baby a massage, treating the skin with a cream containing vitamin A.

Dry skin of a child as a sign of the onset of the disease

Sometimes dry skin can indicate the onset of a disease. Therefore, if redness or irritation occurs, parents need to consult a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis, establish the cause and begin treatment. Dry skin in a child, mainly under the age of 1 year, often occurs with atopic dermatitis. Severely itchy, reddened areas are localized on the face, without affecting the nasolabial triangle.

Peeling and scaly formations on the elbows, knees, and cheeks may be signs of ichthyosis, a genetic disease in which the process of keratinization of cells in the body is disrupted.

If a child’s skin is very dry and peeling, most likely it is hypovitaminosis A and PP; treatment in the form of taking the necessary vitamins eliminates unpleasant symptoms.

It should be taken into account that dry skin can be caused by dehydration due to dyspeptic disorders (vomiting, diarrhea) and heavy sweating.

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.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

The delicate skin of a baby is very thin, easily injured, and due to some of its features it dries quickly. Dry skin not only causes discomfort, but causes serious dermatological problems. If treatment is not started in time, wounds and ulcers, eczema may appear, and if a fungal infection occurs, thrush may develop. It is important to find the cause of dryness and eliminate it. Without this, even the most correct treatment and care will not help. If you cannot find out the cause on your own, it is better to consult a pediatrician or pediatric dermatologist.

Content:

1. Causes of dry skin

1. Environmental response
2. Reaction to care products
3. Lack of care
4. Dehydration
5. Diseases that cause dry skin

Causes of dry skin

In most cases, the cause of dryness is the physiology of newborns. In the womb, the baby is covered with smegma, or vernix, which performs a protective function. After the baby is born, it is gradually washed away, and the baby’s skin cannot yet sufficiently perform the functions assigned to it. In addition, her immunity is poorly developed, and any impact, external or internal, immediately affects the condition of the skin.

The sebaceous and sweat glands of a newborn are also not yet developed; thermoregulation is established only by the end of the first year of life. Any overheating is fraught with profuse sweating, which protects against overheating.

All these features lead to the fact that the baby’s skin reacts to any adversity with a rash, redness, and begins to dry and peel.

Other reasons why a child develops dry skin are related to the conditions surrounding him, the general condition of the body, and the characteristics of care.

Environmental response

These may be unfavorable weather conditions: wind, frost, exposure to the open sun for a long time. When going outside, it is advisable to take care of protecting exposed skin. So, in the summer, apply sunscreen, in the winter, lubricate your face with a cream that protects from low temperatures.

Things to remember: During the cold season, protective agents should be applied in advance, at least half an hour before going outside.

This also includes too dry air in the nursery, which is the most common problem in winter, during the heating season. The optimal humidity is 55-70%, which is achieved with special electric humidifiers or wet towels hung on heating radiators. You can also place a small container of water near the crib, periodically spray water from a spray bottle, and ventilate the room more often.

Reaction to care products

We are talking not only about soap, shampoo, foam, but also about various additives that parents use when bathing their baby. Not so long ago, doctors advised adding a weak solution of manganese to water. This is what causes dry skin.

Modern pediatricians advise bathing a child, if he does not have serious skin problems, in ordinary tap water after the umbilical wound has completely healed. If mom is worried about its quality, then you can use boiled or filtered water. Hygienic products are used no more than once a week or when heavily soiled.

You should also pay attention to what powder is used when washing children's clothes. Special baby powders and mouthwashes are not a clever marketing ploy. Most of them undergo strict control and do not contain fragrances or other components that can cause allergies in the form of peeling, irritation and redness of the skin. Therefore, in the first year of a child’s life, it is advisable to wash his clothes and bedding separately, using products from the children’s line.

Lack of care

The skin of a newborn needs constant care. Hygienic procedures in the form of rubbing and washing must be carried out in the morning; it is advisable to bathe the baby every evening before the last feeding. Wash the baby every time you change the diaper and after bowel movements. Here it is enough to use warm running water.

At the same time, feces contain enzymes that, if left untreated, can cause severe irritation, which often results in diaper dermatitis and other serious skin diseases.

Dehydration

Organizing the drinking regime correctly is important from the first stages of a baby’s life. If a newborn is breastfed, mother's milk is usually enough to fill you up and quench your thirst. It is still worth offering your child clean water, especially in hot weather or in stuffy rooms, but if he refuses, do not insist.

Children who are bottle-fed or mixed-fed must be given water. How to establish a drinking regime, how much liquid a child should drink - it is better to clarify these questions with your pediatrician.

Dehydration also appears with high fever, increased sweating, vomiting and diarrhea. Doctors advise not to self-medicate. In all these conditions, the child loses fluid, so dehydration, which is especially dangerous for children in the first year of life, develops quickly.

Important: It is easy to detect dehydration in a newborn. The tongue and lips become dry, the skin becomes tense and appears transparent, and the fontanel sinks. In this condition, you should consult your doctor. If symptoms are noticed in the evening, you should not wait until the morning; it is better to immediately call an ambulance.

Diseases that cause dry skin

In addition to reasons related to errors in care, dry skin can be due to the presence of certain diseases:

1. improper functioning and intestinal pathologies;
2. atopic or diaper dermatitis at the initial stage;
3. avitaminosis;
4. Ichthyosis is a disorder of the process of keratinization of the skin.

If any of the conditions are detected, you should consult a doctor. Starting treatment without consulting a pediatrician is dangerous: a newborn’s body can react negatively even to the most seemingly harmless drugs.

Treatment

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.

All of them perfectly soften, moisturize and heal the skin, and cope even with advanced forms of dermatitis. They are practically identical in composition and action, but differ significantly in cost. The cheapest of them is “Dexpanthenol” (up to 100 rubles per tube), “Bepanten” is the most expensive (from 400 rubles).

Now on the shelves of stores and pharmacies you can find many baby creams that contain dexpanthenol, additional vitamin E, and herbal extracts.

Things to remember: It is better to buy medications and care products in pharmacies to avoid purchasing low-quality products or counterfeits.

Bepantol Baby from Bayer – a new protective cream for diapers, but can also be used to lubricate dry areas of skin. The composition contains provitamin B5, vitamin B3, shea butter, jojoba, olive, niacinamide, vitamin E, phospholipids, lanolin. It has excellent wound healing properties and protects against dryness. The hypoallergenic composition without fragrances and dyes makes it possible to use it in children from birth. The average cost is 800-900 rubles.

Sudocrem contains zinc oxide, paraffin and lanolin, it softens, soothes and restores the skin. It has a slight anesthetic effect, relieves discomfort and pain. The average cost of the cream is 500 rubles.

Line of Bubchen creams. The main components are zinc oxide and panthenol. Heal and soothe the skin, relieve itching, flaking, and redness. The price for one tube is about 300 rubles.

Little Siberica produced in Russia includes extracts of medicinal herbs (yarrow, marshmallow, Rhodiola rosea and others), beeswax, oils (sunflower, shea, pine nut), vitamin E, glycerin. Eliminates diaper rash and irritation, softens, moisturizes and nourishes the skin, has antiseptic properties. It has a “COSMOS-Standard organic” certificate - an absolutely harmless product. Cost from 250 rubles.

"Umka" - soothing and moisturizing cream from Russian manufacturers. Contains ectoine, panthenol, olive oil, chamomile extract. Has good healing and restorative properties. Price – 90 rubles.

Baby and cosmetic oils

Many mothers notice improvements after using baby or any cosmetic oil. You should choose non-comedogenic, easily absorbed oils, for example, peach, apricot, almond. Cosmetic oils do not need to be heated over a fire; just moisten a cotton pad and apply the product to a dry area of ​​skin.

The disadvantage is that the oils take a long time to absorb and leave greasy marks on the laundry. Before dressing the baby, it is advisable to blot the body with a soft napkin so that a greasy film does not remain on the surface and the skin can breathe freely.

Folk remedies

When adding herbal decoctions to baths and using them when washing and drying the baby, you should remember that many of them have a pronounced drying effect, which, if dry, will only aggravate the situation. This is everyone's favorite chamomile, string, calendula, oak bark.

Oat decoction has very good softening and restorative properties. To prepare it, 1-2 tbsp. l. pour a glass of boiling water over the unrefined grain, cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes and let it brew for half a day. The finished broth is filtered and added to the bath before bathing. You can make lotions by moistening gauze folded in several layers and applying it to dry areas of the skin.

Potato lotions

Grate a small potato on a fine grater, collect the pulp in gauze, wrap it and apply to the affected area for a few minutes. Potatoes relieve inflammation, soothe and moisturize the skin.

Ointment made from honey and Kalanchoe juice

Mix natural bee honey and squeezed Kalanchoe juice in equal parts, leave in the refrigerator for 7 days. Apply a thin layer to dry skin.

Video: What to do with dry skin of a baby in the first month of life

How to avoid dry skin

Prevention plays an important role, because it is much easier to prevent such manifestations than to treat subsequent infections later:

1. The baby's skin should be moisturized with selected creams or ointments. Many parents massage their newborn using oil or a special baby product. There are enough of them; additional processing is often not required.
2. The humidity in the nursery should not be below 55%. It is advisable to carry out wet cleaning every day, since dust is also a common cause of allergies, causing dryness and tightness of the skin.
3. Everything that the child’s skin comes into contact with must be made from natural fabrics, since even a small percentage of synthetics can provoke unwanted skin reactions.
4. Monitor the baby’s condition, promptly treat diseases, and prevent dehydration and other complications.

A nursing mother should adjust her diet; if dry skin appears in a bottle-fed baby, a different formula is selected together with the pediatrician.

Video: How to properly care for the skin of a newborn

Every mother dreams of a chubby, smiling baby with velvety skin that you want to stroke. But sometimes parents are faced with a problem that raises a lot of questions. Dry skin on a baby is where the worry lies. Children's doctor Evgeniy Komarovsky discussed the causes of this problem and what needs to be done to combat this phenomenon.

Children's skin and its features

The baby's skin is different from the skin of the parents. They are vulnerable and tender. Since the development of sweat glands occurs gradually, the infant gets rid of excess heat through breathing with the lungs. If the air in the apartment is too dry, and the room is constantly hot, then due to the immaturity of the sweat glands, the skin becomes dry.

The main causes of dry skin in a child according to Komarovsky are the presence of some damage. This may be due to the fact that there was contact with substances of chemical origin; they can be in large quantities in powder or cleaning products.

Contact dermatitis can also occur due to chlorinated water., which mothers often use to bathe or wash their baby. If the skin on your child’s lips begins to dry out, there may be several reasons:

1. dry air;
2. lack of vitamin A;
3. reaction to certain drugs;
4. allergy;
5. herpes.

Treatment of contact dermatitis

Many parents don't know what to do when they discover that their child has very dry skin. If there are small stains, you can eliminate them using moisturizers, these can be children's formulations with aloe extract.

If your baby has dry skin, Komarovsky advises using Bepanten in the form of an ointment or cream. If tissue damage is more extensive, then it is necessary to change the microclimate in the room in which the baby lives. A number of other conditions must also be observed, so that the child’s skin does not begin to peel off:

1. Water used for bathing must be boiled and filtered in advance.
2. Things that the baby wears if he is not yet one year old, as well as bedding, should be washed using only baby powder.
3. Rinse items exclusively in boiled water.

If a newborn has dry skin, you need to figure out what to do. If there is an allergic reaction, the doctor will definitely prescribe medications, but will definitely try to find out the reason for its occurrence. Some may wonder why allergies occur. This is a very common phenomenon, and the body's reaction most often occurs to pet hair, pollen, chemicals and bleach.

If your lips are cracked and your face is covered with roughness, then you should resort to oil solutions of vitamins E and A. You need to smear your cheeks and forehead with sea buckthorn oil, it has a healing effect and also softens the skin. Lips can be treated using lipstick with moisture.

At this time, the child should be given more fluids. Sometimes a mother notices that the baby’s feet, or rather the area around the toes or heels, become covered with cracks; this may be due to the presence of a fungus. In this case, you should also use sea buckthorn oil to get rid of this problem.

Advice from Dr. Komarovsky

According to the expert, many problems with the baby’s skin can be avoided, if you place it in normal living conditions. The air in the room should be humid and not hot. If the temperature is maintained at no higher than 20 degrees, you will not need to worry about what product to purchase for dry skin.

If problems cannot be avoided, then you should use only warm water for bathing and use bathing products as little as possible. The best option is to use soap once a week. After the procedure is completed, the baby must be dried with a towel.

If a baby is fed through a bottle, be sure to ensure that it is always thoroughly washed and boiled. Didn't stay open for long.

When the baby begins to crawl, extra attention will be required, especially if the skin is dry, it is important that the baby does not rub the damaged areas with clothing. It would be better to use disposable diapers at this time, preferably with an additional layer of aloe balm.

Dry skin occurs in a child, reasons, what to do, all this was discussed in this article. If a similar problem arises, it is better to consult a pediatrician who will tell you what to do in this situation.