Dry skin on a child’s body, arms and legs: causes and what to do about it

Causes of roughness on the face and head

On the skin of children's faces, more often on the cheeks, rashes and roughness are caused by allergens of household origin, that is, food products. The reason for this manifestation is the products consumed by the nursing mother or those introduced into complementary foods. The baby’s digestive tract is not yet able to cope with the latter, for example:

1. Whole cow's milk.
2. Chicken eggs.
3. Citrus fruits and nuts.

A rash appears in the form of red or pink spots that are flaky and very itchy. Redness behind the ears of newborns may appear due to the frequent flow of formula or breast milk into this area, the excess of which is not eliminated by parents in a timely manner.

A dry spot on the fontanelle or forehead is observed in almost all newborns. If parents do not take measures to combat this, after some time the dry scales will spread throughout the head and will not allow the hair follicle to develop. You can eliminate roughness on your head with the help of special baby oils and a soft brush; with their help, you need to remove dry scales every day and very carefully to prevent them from spreading.

The pediatrician will give a more detailed recommendation for eliminating rough skin on the face and head after examining the baby, and will also recommend a nutritious diet after allergies.

Rough and dry skin on a baby's belly most often occurs due to the following reasons.

Walks in the open air

If peeling appears on the skin, walks are not canceled. They must be daily. You should not keep a newborn with dry skin in direct sunlight for a long time.

Children with skin problems are protected from direct sunlight

If it's hot outside, use UV creams for protection. At any age, children benefit from regular air baths, as well as short light massages.

You should not keep a newborn with dry skin in direct sunlight for a long time.

Features of children's skin

A baby's skin is significantly different from the skin of its parents. She is more vulnerable, gentle. Sweat glands are not sufficiently developed in the first year of life, and therefore the baby has to transfer excess heat through pulmonary breathing. If at the same time the baby has to breathe too dry air, or he lives in a room where, thanks to the efforts of his mother and grandmother, it is hot all the time, then the load on the immature sweat glands increases and the skin deteriorates.

The stratum corneum (the uppermost layer) of children's skin is well supplied with blood, so any scratches on a baby heal faster than on an adult. However, the stratum corneum, which is thin and loosely connected to other skin layers, creates favorable conditions for irritation and injury.

Initially, dry skin in babies practically never occurs due to the saturation of lipids - an innate feature of all toddlers. But these fats perfectly dissolve most of the chemicals that are contained in washing powder, soap, and urine, and therefore inflammation of the skin in children is common. Dry skin can also become due to health problems.

The most common cause of dryness, in which the skin becomes somewhat rough to the touch, is contact dermatitis, says Evgeny Komarovsky.

Features and functions of baby skin

Newborns have very thin, easily vulnerable skin, which loses heat very quickly. It also has an insufficient pH level up to a certain point, which causes various microbial diseases.

In addition, infants have a very low concentration of melanin, a pigment that protects against ultraviolet rays.

The thickness of children's skin becomes close to adult parameters only by the age of 7 years.

The epidermis is the most important part of the human body and performs the following functions:

1. Protective. In newborns, this quality is poorly expressed, so their skin is often inflamed and damaged.
2. Respiratory. The skin absorbs oxygen and evacuates carbon dioxide. The intensity of skin respiration in infants is much stronger than in adults.
3. Sensitive. Receptors that perceive irritation are localized in the skin. In infants, the most sensitive parts of the body are the hands, face and soles of the feet.
4. Thermoregulatory. The epidermis gives off heat and evaporates sweat. In babies, thermoregulation is imperfect, so they quickly overheat and become hypothermic.
5. Immune. The skin contains cells that carry out many immune responses.

The epidermis is the place of formation of biologically active substances, enzymes and vitamins. This is why it is so important to keep your skin healthy.

Dry skin in a newborn is a natural phenomenon caused by a change in microclimate.

Diathesis (exudative and allergic) in a child

In newborns and infants, flaky areas of skin on the face, tummy, butt, back, arms and legs often appear due to diathesis. Contrary to popular misconception, this phenomenon does not apply to diseases. This is nothing less than a constitutional anomaly. In pediatrics, this term refers to the hereditary predisposition of the body to the appearance of certain pathological reactions or diseases. The table shows the characteristics of the types of this phenomenon.

Bathing helps keep your baby clean and also promotes better blood circulation.

Dry skin on feet

As already mentioned, roughness and dry skin can appear in various parts of the body. Very often such lesions occur on the skin of the legs. Most often, rough skin on a child’s legs is observed in the summer, when high temperatures and wind dry the legs, it cracks and hurts due to loss of moisture. During this period, it is recommended to wear sandals or other shoes that allow your feet to have maximum air access.

• For better security, it is advisable for the child to wear socks - this will protect the feet and prevent dirt and dust from getting on them, especially if there are already cracks and wounds.
• Before putting your child to bed, it is imperative that you carefully care for his feet. Use baby soap for washing. After this procedure is completed, the feet should be wiped dry, and then a special fortified cream should be applied to soften the skin. It should be rubbed in, carefully massaging the area to be rubbed. This will eliminate roughness of the skin of the legs and reduce its sensitivity, as well as avoid complications.
• With all the well-known prickly heat, the appearance of diaper rash, as well as diaper dermatitis, parents also need to show care and concern. After all, they tend to spread quickly and even in some cases lead to the formation of a pustular rash. There may be no consequences if the child is shown to a doctor in a timely manner and treatment is started.

During this period, it is recommended to wear sandals or other shoes that allow your feet to have maximum air access.

Prevention of dry and flaky skin in children

Everyone is familiar with the well-known truth that it is always easier to prevent a disease than to undergo long and expensive treatment later.

Dry skin and the appearance of flaky spots are no exception, and you need to think about preventive measures in advance.

Use only high-quality mixtures from well-known manufacturers.

Prevention measures

To avoid dry skin, offer your child something to drink often. Make sure there are enough vitamins in his diet. Moisturize your baby's skin after bathing. In your care, use only hypoallergenic products tested by dermatologists.

The creams should include moisturizing and soothing components: panthenol, niacinamide, oils (shea, olive, wheat germ), zinc oxide, vitamins A, B, E, F, plant extracts (chamomile, calendula, string).

Exposure to cold and dry indoor air contributes to excessive dryness of the skin.

Worm infestation

The appearance of dry patches on parts of a child’s body sometimes indicates the presence of parasites in the child’s body. This reason is detected extremely rarely; experts generally associate changes in the condition of the skin with the above factors. Doctors consider dry skin as a reaction to toxins. With this diagnosis, the child will be prescribed antiparasitic treatment.

Treatment of dry skin in children.

Rough skin in a child: on the legs and arms. Why and what to do?

A child differs from adults in having healthy skin, since his body is not yet poisoned by toxins. But as soon as a parent begins to care for it incorrectly, irritation, redness and dryness may occur. And they mostly affect the limbs.

1. Causes of rough skin in children
2. Diseases
3. Allergy
4. What to do for rough skin
5. How to properly moisturize rough skin on your hands and feet

In order not to get confused in such a situation, I suggest reading today’s article here on the website o-kozhe.ru, which will tell you why rough skin appears on a child’s legs and arms, and what to do about it.

A child differs from adults in having healthy skin, since his body is not yet poisoned by toxins.

Non-drug treatment

First of all, you need to adjust and normalize the baby’s nutrition. It is understood that it is necessary to exclude the food allergen; if the child is breastfed, then the mother should analyze her own menu and exclude from it foods that could theoretically trigger an allergy outbreak.

It is imperative to pay attention to the mother’s intestinal function. If she constantly suffers from constipation, then toxins resulting from stool retention are absorbed into the blood and passed on to the baby through the woman's milk. To combat constipation, the mother can use lactulose, suppositories with glycerin and increase the consumption of fermented milk products.

If the child is bottle-fed, you should seek help from a doctor - you may need to change the previously selected formula for feeding.

If dry and rough skin appears after introducing complementary foods, parents should stop giving the baby a new product and feed only familiar foods for two weeks. Parents must remember: each new product is introduced as complementary food separately, addiction should last at least 3 weeks, which will allow the true irritant to be identified with great accuracy.

If the child is over one year of age, then you need to keep a diary of observations of the body’s reaction to different foods. It is imperative to exclude fish, eggs, citrus fruits, cheeses and strawberries from your diet - foods that most likely cause allergies. Subsequently, they can be administered, but in minimal quantities.

In addition, you should remember the following recommendations from doctors:

1. Sweets are strictly contraindicated for children with rough and dry skin (atopic dermatitis), as they increase fermentation in the intestines and improve the absorption of allergens. Consumption of honey, sweet drinks and jelly leads to deterioration of health.
2. Preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers and flavor enhancers, and exotic fruits are prohibited for children with this phenomenon.
3. The child needs to be provided with a full volume of fluids, since a lack of fluid in the body leads to constipation.
4. It is important not to overfeed your baby. For example, when artificial feeding, a small hole is made in the nipple so that the baby eats his portion of the mixture in 15 minutes - this way he will receive pleasure and a feeling of satiety.
5. The first complementary food is vegetable puree. And the most hypoallergenic foods are cauliflower and zucchini.
6. The air in the children's room should always be fresh, slightly cool and sufficiently humidified. Only in this case will it be possible to prevent sweating and dry skin.
7. Children's clothes should be washed with hypoallergenic phosphate-free powder and rinsed at least 3 times in clean water. If dryness and roughness of the skin is in a progressive stage, complicated by a bacterial infection, then rinsing the laundry will need to be done in boiled water.
8. Your child's dishes and toys should be washed regularly with hot water. This must be done without the use of chemical detergents/cleaners.
9. The child should walk in the fresh air every day, for at least 3 hours and in any weather. If you have to go for a walk on frosty days, then the baby’s face must be lubricated with rich baby cream.

Atopic dermatitis occurs in waves - periods of exacerbation are followed by periods of remission. But even during periods of “calm”, parents must follow certain rules:

• When bathing a child, do not use a washcloth;
• shampoo and baby soap for bathing can be used no more than once a week;
• After bathing and drying, the skin should be moisturized with baby cream, milk or a special moisturizing lotion;
• You need to lubricate your child’s skin not only in areas of flaking and dryness, but throughout the entire body;
• You need to wash your child’s face and perineal area as often as possible, and you can use wet hypoallergenic wipes for this.

The use of sorbents Smecta, Enterosgel, Sorbogel, which help remove toxic substances from the body.

When to see a doctor: warning signs

If dry skin does not cause your child much discomfort, there is no need to panic. You need to continue to care for the epidermis using children's products. But there are situations in which the help of a doctor - a pediatrician or pediatric dermatologist - is extremely necessary.

You should consult a doctor if:

1. increased body temperature;
2. deterioration in the child’s general well-being;
3. increased thirst;
4. frequent urination, especially at night;
5. mood swings and anxiety;
6. itching and redness of the skin in the area where it is dry;
7. the appearance of rashes - vesicular, pustular, papular or pustular;
8. formation of scales in certain areas of the epidermis.

A dangerous situation is when a child scratches those places on the body where there is dry skin. Whether it is fungus or dermatitis, the situation requires immediate intervention. Pathogenic microflora can penetrate into damaged areas of the skin, which will subsequently cause the development of serious complications.

Rough skin in infants: the main causes of pathology

Most mothers begin to panic when faced with a phenomenon such as rough skin on a baby, especially if this condition is pronounced.

The child's hands, head or feet may be rough.

Sometimes such symptoms are not dangerous, but in some cases they can pose a serious threat to the baby's health. Over time, this phenomenon can develop into a chronic form of the disease.

If roughness on the skin appears in a baby after 2 months, and this condition is protracted, then this may be a sign of atopic dermatitis.

Water treatments

Improper care of children's skin often provokes peeling. The most common mistake parents make is bathing their baby with a solution of potassium permanganate added. It dries out the children's epidermis even more, causing peeling.

It is best to bathe the baby for the first days in boiled, settled water without adding any decoctions or cosmetics. It is recommended to use simple baby soap no more than once a week.

Diaper dermatitis.

Walks in the open air

Walk with your baby in the fresh air as often as possible, protecting him from wind and drafts. During your walk, try to ventilate your child’s room. During the heating season, the air in the apartment becomes too dry; during this period it is recommended to use a humidifier to create a favorable microclimate.

Remember, caring for your baby’s health in the first years of his life will allow you to get rid of the body’s allergic reactions in the form of rough skin in the future.

Peeling in newborns - how it manifests itself

Do you notice that the skin on your newborn’s body is peeling? There is no need to panic because of this; in most infants, peeling is physiological in nature and is associated with the maturation of the skin, as well as with adaptation to the external environment.
On the 3-4th day of life, thin whitish films can be seen on the baby’s body. If you easily run your finger over the baby’s body, these films begin to roll off. Because a newborn's epidermis is very sensitive, redness and peeling may occur where it is touched (for example, on the chin, nose, or between the eyebrows). You may find crusts on your head. They can be dense or not very dense, yellow or white, tightly adjacent to the skin. Often these crusts come off after bathing. In most newborns, the skin peeling looks like small flakes. During bathing, they are removed, leaving no red marks in their place. If you notice peeling skin and crusts on your baby’s head, do not try to specifically remove them. A baby's skin is very delicate, vulnerable, with a large number of blood vessels. Even a small scratch on the skin can lead to infection and cause inflammation. In some cases, an infectious process is hidden behind peeling skin. You can suspect it by carefully examining the problem area of ​​the baby’s body. You should consult your doctor if:

• liquid and pus are released from under the crust;
• pustules appear;
• redness appears around the problem area;
• the baby becomes restless, cries often and loudly;
• his body temperature rises.

Peeling that does not go away after bathing and gets worse over time requires special attention. We recommend consulting a pediatrician or dermatologist.

Eczema

Another hereditary disease caused by an inadequate immune response. Often combined with problems of the gastrointestinal tract and biliary tract.

The area of ​​skin becomes red and swollen, and small blisters appear on it and burst. leaving behind pinpoint weeping ulcers (erosions), which doctors call eczematous wells. Then crusts appear on them. As it dissolves, new elements appear nearby, so you can simultaneously see different manifestations - redness, blisters, erosions, crusts, peeling. The boundaries of the lesions are unclear.

The rashes are symmetrical, the child has rough skin on the arms, legs, and face. Damaged areas alternate with clear skin, looking like an “archipelago of islands.” After the inflammation subsides, dense, darkened (or, conversely, pale) areas with rough, thick skin and an enhanced pattern remain, which gradually return to normal.

When the scalp is affected, seborrheic eczema occurs: yellowish or gray flaky and itchy crusts, yellowish-pink, swollen spots appear in the hair, behind the ears and on the neck, covered with greasy yellow flaky scales.

In children, the first signs of eczema usually appear between 3 and 6 months. Its manifestations are very similar to those of atopic dermatitis, the treatment is also similar: exclude all possible allergens, including food, ointments with glucocorticoids, oral antiallergic drugs, emollients several times a day to maintain the water-fat balance of the skin.

Allergic diseases

Allergy is one of the main problems of our time: according to WHO, a third of the population of developed countries already suffers from one or another of its manifestations, and in the future the number of such patients will increase. Proponents of the hygienic theory of allergies believe: the problem is that we live in a too clean, almost sterile world, and the immune system, due to the lack of real “enemies,” attacks the proteins of its own body.

Allergic reactions and diseases associated with excessive allergic readiness of the body often manifest themselves on the skin.

Prevention of diathesis in children

To achieve a sustainable result in the treatment of diathesis in children, doctors recommend reducing the exposure of the child’s body to allergens of all groups (not only food ones) as preventive measures.

For this it is proposed:

• refuse to keep pets;
• regularly carry out wet cleaning of the apartment;
• when choosing clothes for a baby, give preference to natural fabrics;
• reduce the number of soft toys as much as possible;
• use hypoallergenic skin and hair care products.

To prevent diathesis, other factors that provoke an allergic reaction and causes of pathology are also minimized.

Hives

In appearance, this reaction is similar to traces of a nettle burn; the skin becomes rough, bumpy, swells, sometimes blisters appear (and sometimes the matter is limited to swelling). The rashes are itchy and may be painful to the touch. The skin and mucous membranes are affected, the rash can spread throughout the body, on the back and abdomen, or be located only in certain areas (for example, with increased sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation, solar urticaria appears only on open areas of the body).

Hives can be triggered by food allergens (honey, citrus fruits), medications, insect bites, even cold and sun.

What distinguishes urticaria from skin diseases is the rapid appearance of many elements, while in skin diseases the rash begins with 1–2 elements and spreads over some time. Also, unlike skin diseases, rashes with hives last 1–2 hours, after which they disappear. The danger of this condition is that swelling of the mucous membrane can spread to the tissues of the larynx and impair breathing - this is called Quincke's edema. This condition requires immediate medical attention.

To treat urticaria, it is necessary to eliminate the allergen and take an antiallergic drug (loratadine, fexofenadine, cetrin). For food allergies, sorbents (Smecta, Polysorb, Enterosgel, Filtrum) are recommended; they will bind some of the allergens, preventing them from entering the blood. Fenistil can be used topically.

Diagnosis and treatment of diathesis

The doctor determines how to treat diathesis on the cheeks of a child depending on the diagnosis performed. It includes a general urine test, general and biochemical blood tests, an immunological examination, and a stool test for dysbacteriosis. In case of lymphatic-hypoplastic diathesis, additional examinations are required: radiography of the respiratory organs, ultrasound of the liver, lymph nodes, spleen and adrenal glands.

How to treat diathesis in children under one year of age and older:

• Follow the diet and feeding schedule prescribed by your doctor.
• Introduce complementary foods no earlier than 6 months.
• Limit consumption of cow's milk.
• Enrich your diet with vitamins.
• Use prescribed medications: antihistamines, absorbents, vitamins, antipruritics.

As a local treatment, an ointment made according to the original recipe “PsorMak” is used. It does not contain hormones or other harmful components, and contains only natural ingredients that are gentle on the skin.

If in childhood a child undergoes a course of effective treatment for diathesis, then he has every chance of not encountering complications and being absolutely healthy in adulthood. Here it is important to contact a specialist in time. The PsorMak clinic practices an individual approach to the treatment of each patient, developing not only a treatment regimen, but also a diet, as well as a prevention program.

Contact us through the form on the website or by calling +7 (495) 150-15-14. We will help you form a correct understanding of the disease itself and its treatment at all stages.