Treatment for Face Rashes

Hi A.,
Both of my children had bad rashes when they were babies. With my first child I just kept trying different baby shampoos and washes but the rash was always there. I finally stopped using the shampoos and baby washes on his face and it got better. When my daughter was born, same thing bad rash on her face. I asked her peds doctor and she recommended Dove Soap. I have every sensitive skin and that's what I use on my face so I thought why not give it a try. I just used a tiny bit on a damp washcloth and within a week to two weeks the rash was gone. Baby shampoos and washes have lots of perfumes in them and Dove Soap does not. I hope it works for you.

It sounds like eczema. Try using Aquaphor. It comes in a tub and you can get it at any drug store (and maybe even grocery stores). It works great and doesn't have the steroids that are in Cortaid and the other hydrocortisone creams.

I have a 3 year old daughter who has had eczema rashes that sometimes cover her chin and upper lip I have found that hydracortizone cream and/or a small amount of neosporin help

Hi! My daughter had the same type of thing on her face, arms and the back of her neck(she was born 10-25-07). I started to use California baby products. Baby wash, powder and the baby oil. It is a all nautral line that is awsome! After I started to use it all her skin issues went away! I highly recomend it. Good luck!

A.,
My baby is 5 months old and gets the same thing from time to time. The rash is from her saliva. My pediatrician recommends Aquafor. It works fast!

It could be an allergy, especially if you are breast feeding. My daughter used to always get big time gas after I consumed oranges or orange juice while I was breast feeding.

I'd take her to the doctor though, they have creams to help with that sort of thing. You can also do a google search on eczema and see what comes up. I only know that keeping the irritated area extra hydrated (oiled up as my sister says) is a good thing, but not specifics.

However, my sister (previously mentioned) was told by her doctor NOT to give them hydrocortizone. Doctors don't like giving babies steroids. Ya know? I watched my sister keep her son all oiled up with baby oil and lotions and such. A&D ointment should help too.

It could be that she is allergic to something she's touching, contact dermatitis. My 3 month old son had the same problem, and I just had to take everything away from him that he was touching, and introduce things one at a time back. For example, I found out that you have to wash everything that is made of cloth (stuffed animals, quilts, crib bumpers, etc.) because they are treated with formaldehyde to prevent them from getting moldy or mildewed in their packaging. A washing in hot water with gentle detergent, then rinsed twice worked great for me. Also, a perfume or lotion that you yourself wear might be rubbing off on her face (something that happened to me as a breastfeeding mom). The other thing is fabric softeners; even ones that are advertised as being safe for babies still don't rinse out completely, and the residue can cause allergic reactions. A friend of mine, Jana, has some really great laundry products that are ph balanced and the only ones I can use with my little boy. Here is her e-mail address, if you have questions about them, you can e-mail her at ____@____.com

One other thing I did for my baby that seemed to work, was exposing him to some sunlight for at least 10 minutes a day (not possible now because we've had such bad weather!). That seemed to help quite a bit, as well as giving him some nekid time ;)

Hope that helps!

S.

i ave found that a product i buy called herba life aloe vera, works well any rash one of my 3 children may get! hope it helps you!@ you can find it online

My daughter, now 15, had some issues with patchy red, itchy skin and the doctor's told us it was exzema. We tried there medications that didn't seem to help much. A friend recommend Arbonne's Baby Care line and it's worked awesome. Also, they have a product called Conditioning Oil that worked great when the area got dry and patchy.

If you want more information, I can get that to you.

R.

As a physician, it worries me when people ask for medical advice on this site before consulting their doctor. I'm not a pediatrician so can't give you advice, but it would be much more efficient to go to your pediatrician first for this kind of question. Rashes have many different causes, so using a treatment recommended by another mom might not help and could possibly be harmful.

Definitely see a pediatric Dermatologist. First, you want the correct diagnosis, and the right treatment (cream or whatever) and make sure you follow the directions exactly. My daughter has eczema, and the doctor started with mild creams and progressed until the effected areas healed completely (we have to put aquaphor on her scratchy places every night even after the blotches went away. This really prevented the eczema from returning. When we forget for a few nights, it comes back and we have to use the medicated cream all over again...).

Hi A.,
I have a 2mo old, who gets redness on his face, and it goes away easily with Aquaphor. I only use that on him b/c that is what we use in the NICU (where I work as an RN). I put some on when we wrap him up for bed so he won't rub it off, and in the morning the redness is gone. I've only had to do it a few times. If this doesn't work, then I would contact your Dr. Food allergies really aren't that common, and with the dry air, it is probably just dry skin that gets more irritated by daily activities. Also, don't use soap on her face-- only a wet cloth. Hope that helps!
--Anne B

My pediatrician told us to use Aquaphor and it's great, clears everything up quickly. Good Luck.

Hello..
I am a mom of almost..3.. due in July.
My oldest who is 8, had food alergys, from early on..
to prevent rashes, you will have to diagnose what causes them......
If you are breast feeding, take your diet to a very simple diet, and see if that clears your babes face, and then slowly introduce foods back,( big Allergens,)wheat, nuts, milk , soy. even citrus, fruits..and if she reacts with a rash you will be able to tell which foods to avoid. Also pets, and detergent, can cause rashes.
Good luck...

Your daughter has the same name as me :)
I think it might be Eczema as my 4 month old has it since he turned 40 days or so. if it's only on the face though it might be something else please have it checked out.
I put olive oil before bath and after bath put the Disney Eczema cream over the face. I also use hydrocortisone at nights on spots.
Hope this helps :)

Our daughter, Hannah Kathleen, born on May 20,2007, gets a rash on her face and forehead also. The hospital sent us home with Aquaphor lotion for her diaper rashes and we tried it on her face, within about an hour, it is all cleared up. Her diaper rashes at times are blisters and they clear up within 2 diaper changes also. We LOVE AQUAPHOR!!!

My daughter will get this once in a while when I use something other than Aveeno soap on her. I found a moisturizing stick by Gerber Grins & Giggles that helps get rid of those red, dry spots.
L.

Hi there-
My son started getting eczema at 5 mos old (almost 7 mos old now), and what you are describing sounds alot like it. Our ped thinks his case is due to the weather - when it is very cold and dry, the skin dries out more easily and is more easily affected by drooling, rubbing, etc. We coat him in Cetaphil cream 3x/day from head to toe to keep his skin moist. On his face, we use an over the counter hydrocortisone cream when he has an outbreak (helps with itching and heals the outbreak sites quickly). We were given a prescrip hydrocortisone for the neck down when he has outbreaks there too. Otherwise, everyday we just use CEtaphil cream and vaseline on his face. We don't use any soap during baths anymore - just Cetaphil cleanser and baby shampoo at the very end of the bath so he isn't sitting in it. Use lukewarm water only, and make sure he isn't dressed too warm at naps and bedtime. Be sure to use breathable clothes (cotton) and nothing scented. Once you get the outbreaks to calm down and know what to do going forward, it is easy to manage. He has had very few outbreaks now that we have started our daily cream regimen. Our ped said winter is the worst for eczema, and summer the best. Eczema can also be caused by allergans like dust mites too. Good luck, it will get much better with treatment and once you know what the triggers are for your baby!! We can't wait for the weather to turn :)

This sounds like an allergy to me. Eczema is more typically very dry skin. In my experience, a red, itchy rash is an allergy symptom. Our second child got this type of rash on his face when he was a baby. It turned out to be a reaction to eggs, via my breastmilk. The rash went away 5 days after I stopped eating eggs. As a toddler, he also got rashes and dry skin on other parts of his body that turned out to be allergies to soy and citrus...

Our third child developed the red, itchy rash on his face when he turned one. It took me two months to figure out that it was a dairy allergy. I was surprised that it was dairy because he had been taking formula from 7-12 months with no problem. He developed the rash because we had switched to whole milk when he turned one. It turns out that the hydrolized formula we had been using breaks down the milk protein enough for him to not react to it. We swictched back to the formula (Good Start) and excluded all dairy from his diet and the rash went away.

Talk to your ped. There are prescription ointments that help to make the rash less itchy. Once the rash gets to the less red/itchy and more just dried/scaly phase, the best treatment I have found is called Triple Cream. It used to be only available to order on-line, but I noticed that Target now carries it. It's expensive but really worth it.

Is there a family history of allergies (any kind) on either side of the family? If it is an allergy causing the rash, this is going to be a constant battle/issue until you figure out what the specific allergen is or the baby outgrows the allergy. (Babies frequently do.)

Good luck!

my kids also had rash/eczema issues and my daughter in particular had itchy rashes on the sides of her face too. i used eucerin calming cream and it helped right away.

My 8 mo old gets that too. She has been since around 1 mo old. Our pediatricia recommended a lotion called Aquaphor. You can get it at Wal-Greens..Target...in the lotion area. My daughter gets it here and there...when I start noticing it coming back I will put some cream on her face for about 2 days and it goes away for a month or so. Now...she had it really bad when I started using it so it took about a week to clear. I thought it was exema too but it was only on her face and the pediatrician said it wasn't. I also stopped washing her face sooo much and that has helped too...I was also told I was taking the moisture from her face by overwashing. I do not use any baby products on her whatsoever. I started using a natural sea salt soap on her and this helps on her body. If you want a more natural approach..instead of the Aquaphor cream you can also use calendula gel (natural foods co-op). I use this on her bottom at times and its wonderful.

Both my boys have eczema and a combination of .5 or 1.0% hydrocortisone to stop the flare-up with a top coating of Aquaphor. You can buy Aquaphor in teeny tubes for $2.50 if the $17/tub price seems too much a commitment but you'd be surprised how quickly you go through a tub. You and your whole family will be using it as chapstick or windchill protectant or moisturizer. Our Pedi Dermatologist recommended a 10min lukewarm bath each day using no bubblebath and Cetaphil cleanser on a wet washcloth. Then quickly pat dry (no rubbing) and while the skin is still moist cover from head to toe in Aquaphor. Having a greased little piggy right after getting them all clean in the bath is frustrating at first but within a week or two there will be no rash and your baby's skin will feel fantastic between baths. The good thing is that it's winter now so you can cover all your daughter's greasy spots (except her face) by dressing her in a footed sleeper. To keep the aquaphor from rubbing off on the crib sheets pick up a crib protector (a tie-on drool mat with a terry-cloth top) like this one http://www.amazon.com/Quilted-White-Terry-Cloth-Sheet/dp/... ... we had a few and it was a lot easier to switch them out for washing than stripping the entire crib constantly. When you've got her skin back to what you'd expect on a newborn you can spread out the bathtimes (or at least the whole-body coatings) to every other or every third day etc etc.. Swaddling is the only way I could keep my boys from scratching at night and it was heartbreaking to watch them shake their heads back and forth while swaddled just to get a little friction on their cheeks... good luck!

Hi there, my youngest has suffered w/ eczema from birth. Gets worse if she drinks milk--allergy. Soy milk is a miracle liquid. We have a precribed ointment for the flare ups too. But you can't use on the face. Hmm. Ask your pediatrician maybe? Another mom mentioned Aquaphor--also wonderful. A bit pricey and a little greasy, but it DOES help. I would switch to soy, get the aquaphor and call the doctor.
Best wishes. :)

My pediatrician reccomended Cetaphil face wash.

My son had a simialar problem on his cheek and eyelid. I did a lot of research and found that primerose oil is very good for eczema. I just put a little on him every day and in few days it was all clear. Also St Johns wort oil is very good for any rash. I use it as a diaper cream and have never has a problem with diaper rash.Good luck!

It is probably eczema. My son had it really bad at that age. Try aquaphor. We ended up having to get a prescription of elidel to treat his eczema (non steroid based cream). He ended up having food/seasonal allergies pretty badly. Goodluck.

Hello!

Same thing happened to my little man and it was eczema. We used a hydrocortisone cream (.5% purchased at Longs) to clear it up (2x 5 days - completely took care of it). We keep it at bay using ALBA Un-Petroleum Jelly (not a fan of petroleum based products myself). Good luck!

my nephew had that issue and found out he had a form of eczema. best bet is to have his doc look at it before trying to treat it yourself. could make it worse. could just be infant acne. could be sensitive to soaps... so many things..

Hello... my 7 yr old daughter has had exzema since day 1! Vaseline has been our best friend. Now that she's older, we use prescribed Elidel or an OTC hydrocortizone cream but I would start with Vaseline. Apply generously throughout the day and it will help. If it gets worse or spreads, ask your pediatrician about one of the other creams. They are applied in shorter periods of time to their delicate skin.

Hope this helps.
J.

I would go to the doctor about this. She may be allergic to something. If you are breastfeeding it may be something you are eating or something in the formula. Good luck!

I use 1% hydrocortisone cream on my daughters face for her excema. But since your daughter is so young, I would ask a doctor first. You can also try a layer of vaseline to help seal in the moisture.

One of my twins had a rash type thing on her face about the same age. It never went away no matter what. Then we tried a different formula for her. She ended up having a milk protein allergy. We gave her Nutramagen and it cleared up almost immediately.

Any other "eczema" areas?

Ask your doc about possible allergies.

By the way, after one year, she is on regular milk. Good luck.

Hi A.,
I would first have it checked by the baby's doctor and if it is excema you might want to look into possible foodallergies like dairy and gluten, eventhough that you are breastfeeding her ,foodallergies excist.
C.

My daughter had the same thing and I told her doctor and she said there was nothing to worry about. I went and bought Aveno moisturizing cream (fragrance-free, also good for eczema and safe to use even for newborns). Right after her bath, I would apply it to her cheeks so her skin can absorb the moisture. Avoid using any soap or baby wash on her face for now. Trim her fingernails or have her wear mittens so she doesn't scratch it and make it worse. My little girl's face has been smooth and clear ever since!

I have to agree with Rachel R. regarding the Aquaphor. My son, who is now three, still gets eczema on his cheeks every once in a while, and I apply the Aquaphor, and it's gone in a few days. Aquaphor is what my pediatrician recommended for diaper rash, too. We love that stuff!!

Good luck!!

What has helped for eczema is Baby Bees (line from Burt's Bees) skin creme. This stuff stays on the skin better than any prescription and takes away the itchiness. What I like about it is it's all natural. My friend's baby has really bad eczema and used it on his face and all over his body. It stopped him from scratching and it's healing now. I, myself have eczema from my last pregnancy and have used it as well on my skin. It worked on me too. You can check amazon or drugstore.com if you can't find it at stores. I've found it at Molly Stones for $10. Walgreens sometimes carries the Burt's Bees line too. Hope this helps!

I'm not sure what it is? Not much you can use at such a young age. Do you use anything on her face right now? She could be sensitive to soap if you use for baths.
Have you heard of Arbonne skin care products. All natural, no animal bye products or mineral oils. They have a great baby care line that I have used on my 15month old since he was born. The products have worked great!! If he gets a diapper rash it goes right a way after I use the cream. All the products are great for all skin types. The baby lotion and baby oil work great for eczema. I have heard great things about how fast and effective it is. I really recommend trying the Arbonne baby Care products (ABC)
If you are interested, but would like to try the products first please let me know and I can send you a sample. Arbonne is truly one of the best skin care/health and wellness companies around!!!!
Good luck!!
www.beautifulwithin.myarbonne.com