Child’s Skin Care

Posted by galleca on May 25, 2009

Babies, and children, have perfect skin: soft, velvety, smooth and blemish-free. So what happens to skin, when children enter their pre-teens and teens? Raging hormones, an unhealthy diet and pollution, all combine to play havoc on the skin’s surface, and your child’s face soon feels like sandpaper and resembles the surface of the moon

A rash is a reaction of the skin. It can be caused by many things, such as a drug reaction, an infection, or an allergic reaction. Many different agents can cause similar rashes because the skin has a limited number of possible responses. Very often the associated symptoms in addition to the rash help make the diagnosis, such as a history of tick bites, exposure to other ill children or adults, recent antibiotic use, environmental exposures, or prior immunizations.

Babies up to 6 months should be kept out of the sun completely.

- All children need regular daily applications of sunscreens that are waterproof and sweat proof. Some of these sunscreens are available in spray form, which is often more convenient for children.

- Depending on the size of the child, approximately one ounce of sunscreen should be applied to the entire body surface one half-hour before going outside and should be reapplied after swimming.

- Parents should also note that if their child has freckles, this is a sign that their skin has sustained some sun damage.

- Moles present at birth need to be evaluated by a dermatologist. In some cases, they may need to be removed because of a possible risk that they may develop into a melanoma later in life.

- Teenagers, who are often very concerned about having a tan, should be reminded that tanning creams are safe and will give them the same look without the harmful rays of the sun.

- Tanning beds are not good for anyone!