Dave Krishna, R.Ph.
What's The Best Way To Treat Chapped Lips?
Dry, cold winter weather can zap your child's lips even more than the rest of her skin. And even the winter sun can burn lips-as many skiers find out.
Because lips produce no oil, they depend on nearby skin to keep them moist. In the winter, there may not be enough oil to share. When your children go outside, apply a lip balm with sunscreen (Chap Stick, Softlips, Vaseline Lip Therapy and others) frequently. Discourage your children from licking their lips it takes away oil, and saliva can even have digestive action! Children, especially, may get a red "lip-licker's dermatitis" when they keep licking dry lips-and the surrounding skin.
To treat chapped lips, try a medicated balm (Blistex, Carmex). Mentholatum ointment can soothe chapped lips as well as sore skin. Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) can protect lips and surrounding skin when the redness spreads.
My Child's Skin Is So Dry That It's White And Scaly. What Can I Do To Improve It?
Dry skin is a condition that makes skin itchy, irritated, or cracked. It's a common problem that most often affects the hands, upper arms, lower legs, and thighs.
Dry skin is caused by too little water within the skin. Cold weather, low humidity, heated homes and offices, and repeated exposure to wind or irritating chemicals can sap moisture from skin. Autumn and winter bring on more cases of dry skin. Rarely, it may be related to a medical condition such as malnutrition, dehydration, or low thyroid hormones.
Moisturize your child's skin and protect it from moisture loss. Start from the inside: encourage your children to drink plenty of water and other non-caffeinated fluids. Have them take shorter baths or showers, using lukewarm water with mild soap, and gently pat their skin dry. Apply a moisturizer while their skin is damp. Use a soap that contains extra oils or moisturizing cream, such as DoveŽ, and then moisturize. Use a humidifier at home.
Avoid exposure to detergents and perfumes. Buy cotton clothing - it's less irritating than wool. Rinse clothes well to remove detergent residue.
What Can I Use To Soften My Child's Chapped Hands?
Over-the-counter products are by far the most common moisturizing treatments for dry skin. Reach for a moisturizing hand cream, such as Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream, Curel Soothing Hands, Burt's Bees Hand Salve, or Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy.
Bath products and cleansers with moisturizers can help. Add bath oils that contain mineral oil or vegetable oil to your child's bath. Oatmeal products, such as Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment for Itchy, Irritated Skin, soothe and lubricate dry skin that's become irritated.
For severe dry skin, talk to your child's doctor about prescription remedies. Ammonium lactate (Lac-Hydrin, LAClotion) is a prescription-strength emollient that treats dry, scaly skin and the itching that may be associated with it.
Dave Krishna, R.Ph., is a clinical pharmacist for the drugstore.com(tm) online pharmacy. For more information about these and other health-related conditions or to ask Dave a question, visit the drugstore.com(tm) Ask Your Pharmacist service at http://www.drugstore.com/ayp.
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