Frequent bathing is typically discouraged in infants and toddlers with eczema but it can be an effective tool against flair ups if used properly.
Eczema in infants and toddlers can be difficult to keep under control. Even the best skin care regime can not prevent your child from occasional eczema flair ups. Treatment of eczema flair ups will differ from your normal skin care routine and will depend on the severity and frequency of the flair ups.
Frequent Bathing
It may seem strange to encourage frequent bathing when it is so often discouraged in children with eczema but it can be very useful for treating eczema flair ups. The key to this is to give your toddler frequent, but very short, baths followed by immediate moisturizing with a perfume free creams such as Cetaphil.
Bath water should be free from any soaps or perfumes. You may want to rinse the tub before filling it with water to be sure that any soap residue is gone. Soap can irritate sensitive eczema flair ups. If you need to use some sort of cleanser be sure that it is perfume free, dye free, and designed for sensitive skin, such as Cetaphil cleanser. These cleansers can even be left on the skin and blotted dry with a towel to add extra moisture to the skin.
Drying After a Bath
Water evaporating on the skin can cause severe drying. This is what you want to avoid in infants and toddlers with eczema. Have all the supplies you need to dress your infant or toddler available as you take them out of the bath. Quickly blot their skin dry with a towel and apply the prescription medication to flair up areas and then cover their entire body with moisturizing cream. Be liberal with the cream. It is okay to dress them while their skin is moist. If all the cream is absorbed by the skin you need to apply more before dressing.
Prescription Creams
Prescription creams are often necessary to treat eczema flair ups in infants and toddlers. These creams often contain steroids so they should be used as infrequently as possible but at times they are necessary to control occasional eczema flair ups. Apply the prescription cream only to the affected area. The prescription cream should be applied to the affected area immediately after the bath and before applying over the counter, perfume free cream to your infant’s entire body.
Eczema flair ups need to be controlled as soon as possible. The sooner you begin treatment the less severe the flair up will be. You will minimize the possibility of scarring by controlling the problem before your infant or toddler begins to scratch at the affected area and make it bleed. Eczema flair ups are extremely uncomfortable to infants and toddlers but relief is possible. By using frequent bathing properly as a treatment for eczema flair ups you can add essential moisture to your infants or toddlers skin.
