Why Your Babies Having Dry Skin?

Causes Of Dry Skin

Many babies have dry, peeling skin immediately after birth, particularly if they’re born after 40 weeks. This is normal and gets better quickly. Too much bathing and soap usage can cause dry skin, or make skin worse if it’s already dry. This is because soap removes the skin’s natural oils and makes it harder for your kids’ skin to keep moisture in.

Dry skin is fundamentally caused by loss or lack of skin moisture, which leads to cracking and peeling of the epidermis – the uppermost layer of the skin. The weather is a contributing factor that lead to this condition too. Check on your home temperature, if it is set to a very high or low temperature, then the air in the house will gradually lose its moisture and dry out the baby’s skin.

Symptoms Of Dry Skin in Babies

If your kids’ skin look like a rough patch and flaky, that is a symptom of dry skin. It isn’t usually very itchy or red. Dry skin can come up anywhere and everywhere. Children mostly get it on their faces, arms especially elbows and legs (pay attention to the knee areas). If your child’s skin is very dry, cracks might develop. These can be painful. Sometimes they might even bleed or get infected.

If it becomes itchy or red, it’s likely that eczema has developed in the skin. Eczema usually comes up in patches in the elbow creases, behind the knees or on the face. It’s more likely to develop when the epidermis layer is really dry.

Dry Skin Prevention

Prevention and management of dry skin are easy, and all you need to do is follow some simple steps and procedures. Do not spend too much time on bathing your little one. Limit the bathing time. Too much bathing and shower can wash away natural skin oils, leaving the skin bare and susceptible to dryness. Experts recommend limiting the bath time to not more than ten minutes with warm water.

Do remember to avoid using harsh soaps and strong body shower products. Always use soaps that are specially made for babies as they are free of harsh and harmful chemicals.

Always keep babies hydrated. Give them sufficient amount of water or breast milk. If the air in your house is too dry, use a cool mist humidifier to raise the moisture level in your home. A humidifier helps relieve eczema and dry skin.