Care of Dermatitis HF#6494



These directions will help you maintain moisture within your child's skin and keep his dermatitis under good control.

 

1.   ____ time(s) a day you should wet the skin on your child’s entire body by either a bath or shower.  If you choose a bath, while in the water use a wet towel or washcloth to wet the entire skin surface.  Keep his skin wet for no more than 5-10 minutes.  A gentle fragrance-free soap may be used if you’d like, but be sure to rinse it off completely.

 

2.   After bathing, and a thorough drying, apply the proper medicines (below) to the affected areas and rub it in.  Then apply a thick moisturizer over the whole body.  Good moisturizers include Vaseline^® petroleum jelly, Aquaphor^®, Eucerin^® cream, Cetaphil^® cream, Aveeno^® cream, Vanicream^® or Moisturel^® cream.

 

3.   Good soaps for eczema-prone skin include Cetaphil^®, Dove^®, Aveeno^®, Vanicream^®, or Oilatum^®.

 

4.   For the areas of skin rash,your doctor has prescribed:

Apply____________________ (ointment/cream) to the areas of the body, arms or legs affected by the dermatitis _____ times per day.

Apply ___________________ (ointment/cream) to the areas of the face or ears affected by the dermatitis ________ times per day.

 

5.   For itch, over the counter calming cream (Aveeno^®, Eucerin^®) or Sarna lotion may be helpful. These can be used many times a day. In addition your doctor has prescribed:

Name of medicine: _____________________________________

Dose: ____________________ every______________ as needed.

 

Name of medicine: _____________________________________ 

Dose: ____________________ every___________ as needed.

 

6.   For infection,your doctor has prescribed:

Name of medicine: _____________________________

Dose: ____________________ taken ____________________ times a day.

Duration: _________ days or weeks.

 

Bleach bathis also very helpful in preventing recurrent skin infection. You may add ½ to 1 cup of household bleach in the bath tub and let your child soak for 5-6 min. Then drain the bleach water, rinse, pat dry before applying for medication.

 

 

7.   For the scalp,your doctor has prescribed:

Apply ___________________ (solution/ointment) to the affected areas ____ times per day.

 

8.   Throughout the day, apply moisturizer to any parts of the body that appear to be dry.

 

Maintenance

 

As your child's dermatitis starts to improve, keep giving him a bath or shower daily.  Over time, you should be able to slowly stop the medicated ointments.  At first, you should apply it once a day for a few weeks.  If it improves, stop the medicated ointment.  But, continue to apply the moisturizer after every bath or shower (and throughout the day if needed).  At this point, the medicated ointments are to be used only if the dermatitis begins to get worse again.

 

How to Apply Creams and Ointments

 

Creams and ointments absorb best if applied to wet skin.  They do not need to be massaged into the skin as they are active once on the skin surface.  To avoid clogging hair follicles, always apply ointments to the skin in a downward direction.  

 

Most people apply far too much medicated cream or ointment to a child’s skin.  Only a thin layer is needed to get good results.  The amount of cream or ointment that covers one adult fingertip is a “Finger Tip Unit” or FTU.  One FTU provides a thin film over quite a large area of skin.  This is a good guideline for how much to use.  Two FTUS equals about l gram of cream or ointment.

 

If the cream or ointment used is irritating, especially to the skin near the eyes or lips, apply the FTU elsewhere first.  Then apply the thin amount that’s left on your finger to the skin around the eyes or lips.

 

Number of Finger Tip Units to Use Based on Age and Skin Area to be Treated

 

 

 

UW Dermatology Department 1 S. Park St 7th Floor Madison, WI 53715 Clinic: 608 287-2450

American Family Children’s Hospital Pediatric Dermatology Specialty Clinic 1675 Highland Ave. Madison, WI  53792 Clinic: 608 263-6420

 

 

The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Last Updated: 06/25/2010

Copyright © 06/25/2010 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#6494

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