Dry, peeling baby skin: causes and treatment

You might think that dry skin is just an adult's problem. However, the baby's skin condition is even more prone to dryness and may even peel off. For parents, seeing dry skin in their beloved baby is certainly worrying. Let's find out what causes it and the right way to overcome it.

Causes of dry and peeling skin in babies

Dry and flaky skin tends to be found in newborns. However, especially for newborns, the peeling that occurs is not actually dead skin cells like adults.

The baby's skin appears to peel within a few days of birth due to the shedding of the vernix caseosa in the newborn which covers the skin. This layer serves to make it easier for the baby to get out of the mother's vagina while protecting the baby's skin from infection.

After birth, the vernix coating will appear thicker and will peel off when cleaned regularly. This condition will stop on its own over time and does not need special treatment.

In older babies, their skin can become dry and flaky because the outer layer (epidermis) lacks fluids. A "dehydrated" epidermis can be triggered by a variety of factors, including:

1. Dry air condition

Skin health is very dependent on the surrounding air temperature. If the surrounding environment tends to be hot and dry, the baby's skin will lose a lot of fluids.

This also applies to rooms that use air conditioning. Even though the air is cold, the air conditioner makes the air dry so it can reduce the moisture in the baby's skin.

2. Improper choice of soap

Baby's skin needs to adapt to various substances in the environment, one of which is soap. These baby skin care products are made with various ingredients that may not be suitable for baby's skin. This is what makes you need to know how to choose sensitive baby skin care products.

Especially if the baby has a sensitive skin type, improper use of soap can make the skin dry and peel off.

3. Skin problems

Peeling skin in babies can also be caused by skin problems, such as eczema, psoriasis, or ichthyosis. Eczema on the skin of babies is a chronic skin disease that causes a rash, thickened skin and itching and peeling.

The appearance of these symptoms can be triggered by various things, such as allergies to food or the environment. Apart from eczema, other skin diseases such as psoriasis and ichthyosis can also cause dry skin.

Psoriasis is a chronic disease that causes the production of skin cells to occur so rapidly that it makes the skin dry, cracked, and flaky. Meanwhile, ichthyosis is a genetic condition that causes scaly, peeling, and itchy skin.

This disease, which makes the skin dry and flaky, cannot be cured. However, you can apply treatments to reduce symptoms while keeping your skin healthy.

4. Certain habits that dry out the skin

Dry and peeling skin in babies can occur as a result of a habit, for example, taking a long bath with warm water. Exposure to heat and water can disrupt the balance of oil and water in your skin, making it dry out.

Actually, it doesn't take too long to bathe a baby. You only need to wipe the baby's body with soap, rinse it thoroughly, and dry off with a towel.

Symptoms of dry and peeling skin in babies

It is very important to know the symptoms of dry skin in babies so you can be careful. There are several symptoms that are signs that the skin in the baby will be dry and peeling, namely:

Baby skin looks scaly
Rough
Peeling skin
Reddish skin of the baby
Blisters
Thickened skin
Rash on the face, neck, knees, elbows, and ankles

If the skin is very dry, it is possible to develop painful cracks. The condition is so severe that it can even lead to bleeding or infection

How to prevent dry and peeling skin in babies

If the baby has not shown signs of dry and peeling skin, should preventive measures be taken? We recommend that you do, before your little one's skin condition changes.

There are several steps to prevent dry or scaly baby's skin, even peeling, namely:

Avoid bathing using hot water

Baby bath water that is too hot can irritate the baby's skin, so the ideal water condition for your little one is lukewarm.

The meaning of lukewarm is water that tends to be almost cold, but still feels a little warm.

For adults it may not feel warm, but this is enough for babies and can take care of the skin so that it does not dry and peel.

No need to shower every day

Unlike adults who need to bathe every day, babies do not need to be bathed regularly. Quoting from Raising Children, babies, especially newborns, have thinner and more fragile skin than adults. Bathing too often can reduce skin moisture faster, thus making the skin dry faster.

Not only that, babies also don't need soap early in life. Avoid giving too much soap to prevent dry and flaky skin in babies.

Avoid direct sunlight

Babies need sunlight to increase their vitamin D levels so that their bones are strong. Usually you hang your little one in the morning or evening. However, keep in mind, avoid direct sunlight to prevent dry baby's skin.

Drying the baby in the sun can still wear clothes so that the baby's skin is protected. No need to worry, sunlight can still provide vitamin D to babies even when covered with clothes.

Wear soft fabrics

Your little one's clothes also affect the baby's skin condition. The reason is, wearing clothes that are too tight can irritate the baby's skin, redness rash, to dryness.

We recommend that you choose loose baby clothes with soft cotton material. This is useful so that the baby's skin can breathe.

How to deal with dry and peeling skin in babies

Generally, dry baby skin is not dangerous, you just need to take care of the baby's skin properly, the skin condition will soon improve. However, in babies whose skin is dry due to certain health problems, doctor treatment is needed.

The Mayo Clinic states that dry skin that doesn't get the right treatment can lead to complications, such as infection due to wounds due to peeling skin.

Follow these steps to deal with dry and flaking skin on your little one, such as:

Do not bathe the baby for too long

The habit of bathing or playing water for too long can lead to dry and peeling skin in babies. It's nice to be able to play water with your baby, maybe your baby will like it too. However, too long and frequent exposure to water actually makes the skin dry easily.

Limit baby bath time to 10 minutes. Use warm water and a soap that doesn't contain too many chemical additives, such as perfume, dye, or preservative.

Use a moisturizer

After bathing a baby with sensitive skin, immediately apply moisturizer to keep the skin moist. This needs to be done regularly when the baby's skin condition is clean.

Choose products that are safe for your baby. Now there are many special baby moisturizing products on the market that you can choose from. It is important that you choose the right baby moisturizer so that your little one's skin is not irritated.

Make sure you have enough fluids

Not only take care of the skin, but you also have to make sure that your baby's skin is not 'thirsty'. This can be done by giving him enough fluids.

Make sure that your baby drinks water frequently, but if they are under 6 months of age, breast milk is sufficient.

Take care of the health of the skin

In addition to moisturizer, you can use sunscreen or sunblock specifically for babies and children. The goal is to keep the baby's skin awake when outdoors and exposed to direct sunlight.

If you invite your little one to play on the beach or swimming pool, after playing, you should immediately rinse your little one's body until it is clean.

Chlorine and salt in swimming pools and sea water can cause skin damage, especially if the baby has certain diseases, such as eczema.

Perform doctor treatment

Dry, peeling skin conditions on your little one are not always effectively treated with home remedies. Your little one may need a doctor's care, especially if it occurs due to certain health problems.

If your baby experiences the following signs and symptoms, have her condition checked by a doctor:

Home care did not make her condition better
Dry skin that occurs with redness
There is an itching feeling that makes the baby fussy and even has trouble sleeping
It causes blisters, scales, and keeps peeling

Doctors' care for dry and peeling skin in babies can include oral, topical, or therapeutic medications. This is also done to help prevent complications.