Special Care For Issues With Your Child's Skin While you probably know how to keep your child's skin moisturized and protected from the sun, otherskin situations require special care and attention. Prepare yourself for dealing with all of your littleone's skincare needs with the advice in this article. 1. Diaper rash. This painful condition is characterized by red, inflamed skin on the buttocks andgenitals. Diaper rashes can occur for a variety of reasons, including reactions to the diaper itself,irritation from urine or feces, yeast infections, or allergic reactions to foods. To treat diaper rash,carefully clean your child's bottom using with a soft, damp cloth or an alcohol-free baby wipe. Apply athick barrier cream to protect the irritated skin, and change diapers frequently until the rash clears. If itdoesn't improve within 24-48 hours, contact your child's pediatrician for further advice. 2. Sensitive skin. All children have sensitive skin to some degree, especially when compared to thatof an adult. If your child experiences frequent redness or irritation or has conditions like eczema orallergies, you must take special care with the products you use. Choose laundry detergents, bathsoaps, wipes and other products that do not have added fragrances or dyes. Avoid bathing your childevery day, unless it's necessary; this can dry out your child's skin. 3. Ringworm. Despite its name, this skin condition has nothing to do with parasites; it's actually afungal infection. Ringworm is highly contagious and is easily spread among children. The infection ischaracterized by round, patchy areas on the skin that may appear flaky or scaly. If your childcontracts ringworm, you can generally treat it with an over-the-counter antifungal cream. You shouldalso keep the infected areas covered to prevent scratching and spreading it. 4. Bruises. These blue, purple, red, brown or greenish areas occur when blood vessels under the skinare broken. Most bruises in and of themselves are not harmful and heal within a week or two. If yourchild has many unexplained bruises or his or her bruises do not seem to heal properly, contact yourchild's pediatrician to rule out more serious conditions like anemia or leukemia. 5. Burns. If your child is burned, you need to assess the severity of the burn before determining howto proceed. First-degree burns usually swell and turn red, but only the outermost layer of skin isdamaged. These burns can usually be treated at home, unless the burn affects a large area of your

child's extremities, groin, buttocks, face or a major joint. Second-degree burns cause blistering of theskin, and if the diameter of the burned area is less than three inches and doesn't appear on theaforementioned body parts, it can also be treated at home. Burns other than those outlined requireimmediate medical attention. If you are treating a burn at home, run the burned area under cool waterfor 10 minutes to cool the skin; do not use cold water or ice, however. Give your child an age-appropriate dose of ibuprofen to reduce the swelling. Cover the burn with sterile gauze. Keep a closeeye on the wound for signs of infection. 6. Blisters. From ill-fitting shoes to intense playground sessions, blisters happen when skin isrepeatedly rubbed in the same spot. If your child has a blister that hasn't opened on its own, do notattempt to drain it. You can cover the blister with a bandage to prevent further damage to the skin asthe blister heals. If a blister seems infected, see your child's pediatrician. 7. Keep scars at bay. Cuts, scrapes, burns and other skin traumas can lead to scarring. To minimizethe likelihood that your child will have a scar from an injury, you must take actions to promote quickand effective healing. Practice good first aid habits, such as hand-washing and cleaning the wound.Teach your child not to pick at the beneficial scabs that form on wounds. If your child has a deep,wide or significant split or cut in the skin, proper stitching by a physician may prevent scarring, too. 8. Cuts, scratches and scrapes. When your child skins a knee or cuts his or her finger, first run thewounded area under cool water to rinse away dirt or debris. You can use hydrogen peroxide tocleanse the area, as well. Apply a thin layer of antibacterial ointment, such as Neosporin. Finally,place an adhesive bandage over the area, and keep it covered as it heals. For significant or deepcuts or wounds that will not stop bleeding, your child may need emergency care. Hopefully, you feel better prepared to tackle the myriad skin issues that are sure to arise during yourlittle one's childhood. Always know your limits as a parent, however, and do not hesitate to seekmedical care if a skin issue seems severe or you suspect an infection is present. For more information click here