Seborrheic dermatitis in children (“milk crusts”)

Causes (etiology) of diabetes in infants:

Unfortunately, at the moment there is no information about the exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis, but several risk factors for its development can be identified:

colonization of the skin by yeast fungi of the genus Malassezia;
increased secretion of sebaceous secretions (oily skin);
immunodeficiency conditions (HIV, patients after transplantations, etc.);
heredity (history of the disease in close relatives);
unfavorable climate (spring-autumn exacerbations are typical).

How to eat to avoid dandruff

The child must necessarily consume vitamins such as A, B, E, and fiber with food. This is found in foods such as potatoes, bananas, bran, brewer's yeast, carrots, and greens. Particular attention should be paid to vitamin B - it is the lack of this vitamin, as well as zinc, that most often causes dandruff. It is not for nothing that in Soviet times, children were given fish oil rich in vitamin B.

Explain to your child that it is important to avoid fatty oil products that cause hyperfunction of the sebaceous glands. This list includes: fried meat, sausage, chips, crackers, French fries. In addition, sweet carbonated drinks, packaged juices, mayonnaise, and fast foods are harmful. Unfortunately, in practice, parents often fail to convince their child that such food is harmful to the body. A visit to a trichologist can be an effective way to solve this problem, because often the doctor looks more authoritative in the eyes of a child when talking about the dangers of fast foods.

A child’s daily diet must include fresh vegetables and fruits, meat, dairy (fermented milk) products, whole grain bread, seeds and/or nuts, and herbs. In winter, you can give multivitamin complexes.

Summarizing all of the above, we conclude that dandruff is not a particularly dangerous disease. However, the child’s immune system is not yet capable of providing reliable protection, and “white snow” on the hair and shoulders should serve as the first “bell” for parents, forcing them to carefully analyze some aspects of their child’s life.

A competent trichologist will undoubtedly help you make such an analysis comprehensively and with correct conclusions. At the MediLife clinic in St. Petersburg, you can get a consultation with a trichologist at any time convenient for you by making an appointment. High professionalism and an individual approach to the patient will allow you to solve the problem in the most optimal and loyal way.

Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis

Childhood diabetes is characterized by gradual development and diffuse rashes in certain places - most often on the scalp (including along the hairline), on the face (in the area of the nasolabial folds and along the eyebrows), and also under the diaper.

Based on skin manifestations, seborrheic dermatitis is divided into several types:

Oily type - the appearance of oily crusts on the scalp, and the appearance of acne on the face is also possible.
Dry type - the appearance of dandruff on the head, as well as cracks in the area behind the ear.
Mixed type - manifestations of both types are observed.

In infants, DM often develops in the oily type - in the form of a lesion on the scalp, covered with a thick yellow crust (gneiss, “baby cap” or “milk crust”) and the appearance of yellow flaky scales of characteristic localization (see above). In addition, another type of rash can also be detected on the skin of the face - clearly defined pink-red plaques covered with whitish scales. The same rash can be observed in the diaper area.

Forms of the disease

Seborrheic crusts (gneiss) are a common phenomenon among infants. As the baby grows, this problem disappears on its own. But it happens that gneiss bothers older children, and such situations require special attention.

Let's look at how seborrhea manifests itself. There are three forms of the disease:

Mild - when only the top of the head is affected, sometimes the ears. The children's general health is normal.
The moderate form is when the entire face and neck become red and peel, and the body and limbs are partially affected by dermatitis. The scales on the head are large, children become capricious, diarrhea appears, and regurgitation becomes more frequent.
The severe stage is accompanied by the appearance of a continuous plaque on the head or “baby cap.” An infection occurs, causing suppuration. The baby loses his appetite, is lethargic and does not gain weight well.

Differential diagnosis of diabetes and other dermatological diseases

Diagnosis of seborrheic dermatitis is based on the clinical picture and includes assessment of the nature of the rash (color, shape, and other properties), its location and symmetry. Sometimes it is necessary to use microbiological diagnostics if there is a suspicion of an initially infectious nature of the rash or the addition of a secondary bacterial/fungal infection.

The difficulty in diagnosing seborrheic dermatitis lies in making a correct differential diagnosis with other clinically similar dermatological diseases, because psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, and rosacea (rosacea).

Prevention of dandruff in children: prevention is easier than cure

Preventive measures that will help reduce the likelihood of an unpleasant disease occurring should include:

organization of proper nutrition;
organization of proper sleep and wakefulness;
maintaining hygiene: do not wear other people’s hats, use only your own comb, preferably made of natural wood, and regularly replace it with a new one;
be in the sun, but in moderation - ultraviolet rays kill the fungus, but dry the skin.

Treatment and care for seborrheic crusts in children

Seborrheic dermatitis may resolve without treatment, but relapses are common after periods without clinical manifestations. If treatment is still necessary, then to correctly prescribe it, you need to contact a specialist - a pediatric dermatologist.

Often the basis of treatment is the selection of special medicinal cosmetics: shampoos, lotions and creams that can gently cleanse the scalp of crusts and remove excess sebaceous secretions from the facial skin. In addition, for children it is important to select products that can relieve itching, because... additional scratching of the rash can lead to secondary infections.

For treatment, products are used that contain the following components:

keratolytics (eg salicylic and lactic acids) - to soften the top layer of skin;
antifungal agents - when mycoses are attached;
local corticosteroids - to relieve inflammation;
in severe cases, phototherapy and the use of isotretinoin to reduce seborrhea are justified.

Skin care for children with diabetes should be regular (daily) to improve the course of the disease and speed up recovery. Children's cosmetics for skin care with diabetes are classified as medicinal products and therefore are selected only by a specialist (pediatric dermatologist). Care includes the following procedures:

Applying baby cosmetic oil before washing your hair to soften seborrheic crusts.
Wash your hair with a special shampoo using gentle massaging movements to avoid skin trauma.
Daily treatment of rashes on the face, along the hairline and in the area behind the ear with a special cream or lotion.
Thoroughly dry the skin after hygiene procedures to prevent the appearance of a damp environment favorable for the development of microorganisms.

Milk crusts on a child’s head: what to do with them?

A common occurrence in children are white or yellow crusts on the head. Doctors call it seborrheic dermatitis or gneiss, and people call it “milk crusts.” So what is it? What should I do with them and should I remove them? Let's figure it out together with pediatrician .

What is it?

“Milk crusts” are a very common phenomenon that usually appears on the head - in the area of the crown and fontanelle, temporal region, on the face, and sometimes in the groin. The color of these crusts is usually yellow, light brown or white. They usually appear within the first two weeks and can last up to 1 year, but sometimes longer. Gneiss is sometimes similar to eczema or dandruff, but it is not accompanied by itching, pain or other discomfort. The crusts are not contagious, disappear without a trace and leave no scars.

Causes of crust formation

What exactly causes the formation of seborrheic dermatitis is still unknown. But doctors agree that there are a number of factors that cause this process. The first factor is the peeling of skin particles that are saturated with sebum and then dry out. Not in all children this process is accompanied by the formation of “milk crusts”, but often skin particles are glued together with sebum and they are layered on top of each other - this is the manifestation of gneiss. Another factor in such crusts is the transfer of maternal hormones to the baby during pregnancy. This can cause excess sebum in the glands and hair follicles.

The main causes of seborrheic dermatitis are the following:

“immature” thermoregulation of the child’s body;
unregulated functioning of the sebaceous glands;
baby's delicate skin;
unstable water balance.

Thus, it becomes clear that “milk crusts” are a completely normal process that should not be considered a disease and does not require special treatment. The only thing that may worry parents about the appearance of “milk crusts” is their appearance.

How to remove “milk crusts”?

The gneiss process itself does not cause any health problems for the baby if there is no inflammation. But if you still need to get rid of them, then there is a way to reduce their number. Before you get rid of the crusts, it is important to know that you cannot remove the crusts without special preparation. This may hurt the baby or cause an infection. Before you start removing “milk crusts,” you need to soften and moisturize your child’s scalp. It's better to do this before swimming. When the skin has steamed, it needs to be lubricated with baby oil or a special cream. After this, you should put a cotton cap on the child’s head and leave it for some time - from 20 minutes to 2 hours. If all of the above conditions are met, the crusts will become soft or easily peel off when carefully combed out with a soft baby comb.

After combing, you need to wash the child's hair with baby shampoo, which a dermatologist will help you choose. It is advisable to apply a baby moisturizer to the skin after removing the crusts, which will help it recover faster. This procedure can be repeated every 7-10 days, after which seborrheic dermatitis will gradually disappear and will not appear again.

Please note that if crusts appear in the axillary, gluteal or inguinal folds and are reddish in color, then you should not treat them yourself. In this case, you need to consult a pediatrician who will establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Should I comb out the scabs if the fontanel is not closed? You can gently comb your scalp, also after lubricating it with oil and heating it in warm water. However, this should only be done if necessary. In any case, this should be discussed with your pediatrician.

What to do if the little one is more than two years old, but the scabs do not go away? Is treatment necessary?

Usually milk crusts go away within 12 months, however, if the child is two years old or more and seborrheic dermatitis does not go away, then you should definitely contact a dermatologist who will identify the disease and be able to prescribe effective treatment.

When should you see a doctor?

Before taking any measures related to your baby's skin, discuss them with your dermatologist or pediatrician. This will save you and your child from possible further consequences and skin problems.

Be healthy!

Drug therapy

If cosmetics do not bring the desired effect, which happens quite rarely, then you need to contact a dermatologist who, after an examination, may prescribe drug therapy, for example, ointments containing glucocorticosteroids. There are also preparations for oral administration. They are released strictly as prescribed and prescribed by a doctor. These are serious drugs that have many side effects when used for a long time. For a teenager whose body is undergoing restructuring, this can have unpleasant consequences, so such methods should be resorted to only in extreme cases. You cannot use such products for more than a month.

What you should never do

The sebum crust looks harmless and is easy to remove. Mom thinks that she can cope with it using improvised methods, which, in fact, aggravate the situation.
Do not pick off the crust with your fingernails. May damage thin scalp. “Manual” methods on the crown of the head are especially dangerous.
Do not use the same baby shampoo. Consult your doctor before purchasing a new product. Even if the reason for the appearance of the crust is not cosmetics, its very presence changes the requirements for shampoo and soap.

Prevention measures

Dry air in the room has an adverse effect on the child’s skin.
To prevent scales on the head, you need to avoid overheating the child, maintain the room temperature no higher than 23˚C, and humidity no lower than 60%.

You need to wash your hair only with special shampoos, do not use soap, and moisturize your skin with oils. If a child is allergic, choose caring cosmetics taking into account the recommendations of an allergist.

To maintain a strong immune system, it is necessary to ensure a balanced diet, walk in the fresh air every day, and prevent ARVI during the season of respiratory diseases.

If the crusts on the head do not go away well, then the wrong products are being used. Only a doctor can choose effective treatment.

In order not to worsen the child’s condition, you cannot rip off the scales with your nails or hard objects without softening. Such actions will lead to skin injury and severe pain.