Wintertime beckons children to build snowmen and enjoy hot chocolate after playing outside in the cold. However, the combination of cold weather and a well-heated home is a perfect recipe for dry skin in many children.
Dry skin is extremely common during the cold, winter months. Often called the “winter itch,” dry skin is characterized by:
- ashy, cracked or scaly skin
- chapped lips
- constant itching
- redness
- rough, grey patches
“In addition to cold weather drying out skin, children are constantly in low-humidity environments because homes and buildings are heated,” says Archna Calfee, MD, community pediatrician and instructor of clinical pediatrics at
St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “Using a humidifier in your home can greatly help to prevent or improve dry skin.”
Dr. Calfee recommends the following tips to help prevent or treat dry skin:
- Apply thick creams or lotions, such as petroleum jelly, routinely to keep skin moisturized at all times, especially after bathing.
- Avoid harsh soaps and bubble baths and look for moisturizing soaps instead.
- If itching is bothersome, discuss the use of an over-the-counter oral antihistamine with your pediatrician.
- If skin becomes especially dry or begins to crack, apply over-the-counter 1-percent hydrocortisone cream once or twice a day to the affected area.
If your child’s skin has not improved within two weeks, visit your child’s pediatrician.
For more information call 314.454.KIDS (5437) or toll-free 800.678.KIDS.