Generally, children have tender and delicate skin and how you care for their skin will go a long way in determining how healthy the skin will be in the long run. (Learn more about newborn and new mom care here)
Babies are prone to having dry skin due to the presence of fewer oil glands and if baby’s skin isn’t cared for the proper way, the skin becomes prone to dryness.
As a child grows, dryness of the skin should improve but sometimes persistent dry skin could be as a result of an underlying medical condition.
Here are a couple of factors that could lead to dryness of your child’s skin.
Common causes of dry skin in babies;
- Cold weather condition
- Applying powder on the skin of little babies
- If you’re not moisturising baby’s skin regularly
- Using the air conditioner for long hours
- Harsh baby products
- Giving baby a bath too many times in a day
- Using hot water to bathe baby
- Sometimes, it may be due to underlying medical condition; a common cause of dry skin is vitamin deficiency and there are many other medical conditions that can lead to dry skin
Tips that can help reduce dry skin in babies:
- Use warm water in place of hot water
- After bathing, pat dry the skin gently with a soft towel
- Apply moisturiser frequently
- Use mild baby products that are dermatogically tested
- Avoid powder in little babies as this will further dry out the skin
- Avoid giving baby a bath too many times in a day
- Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air in your home
If there are no improvements with the above tips, the child should be evaluated by a doctor
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