Pediatric Dermatology Services
at Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic , We love kids! We offer dermatology services from birth to adolescence and into adulthood.
Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic is dedicated to the care and treatment of children with dermatologic conditions. Our team understand that childhood skin conditions can leave a long lasting impact on the self esteem of these developing patients. We are committed to providing the very best dermatology care in a supportive and nurturing environment. Childhood skin conditions can range from severe diaper rash in infancy to acne during the teenage years. Other common conditions include skin allergies, eczema, and psoriasis. Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic works with our young patients and their families to provide education, as well as compassionate care.
Call the Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic, your dermatology healthcare clinic:
1-800-599-0067
ECZEMA TIPS
Soak & Seal
INSTRUCTIONS TO SOAK AND SEAL
- Put the child in a bath using lukewarm water for five to 10 minutes. Use a gentle cleanser (no soaps) and avoid scrubbing the affected skin.
- After bathing, pat the skin lightly with a towel leaving it slightly damp.
- Apply prescription topical medication to the affected areas of skin as directed.
- Within three minutes, liberally apply a moisturizer all over the child’s body. It important to apply the moisturizer within three minutes or the skin may become even drier.
- Wait a few minutes to let the moisturizer absorb into the skin before dressing or applying wet wraps.
Don’t limit moisturizing to just bath time. Slather it on your child throughout the day whenever their skin starts to itch or feel dry. Try using an ointment or a cream rather than a lotion and apply it with your palms, stroking lightly in a downward direction.
Bleach Bath
- Add 1/4 cup (about 59 milliliters) to 1/2 cup (about 118 milliliters) of bleach to a 40-gallon (about 151-liter) bathtub filled with warm water. Measures are for a U.S. standard-sized tub filled to the overflow drainage holes. Use household bleach and read the product label. In the United States, bleach products may contain 6 percent to 8.25 percent sodium hypochlorite, the Environmental Protection Agency says. If the concentration of sodium hypochlorite is at the higher end of that range, use less than a 1/2 cup of bleach.
- Soak from the neck down or just the affected areas of skin for about 10 minutes.
- Rinse if your skin doesn’t tolerate the bleach bath well. Gently pat dry with a towel.
- Immediately apply moisturizer generously.
- Take a bleach bath no more than three times a week.
You may experience dry skin if you use too much bleach or take bleach baths too often. If your skin is cracked or very dry, any bath — including a bleach bath — may be painful. Talk to your doctor before trying an eczema bleach bath.
The American Academy of Dermatology encourages parents to do the following when giving their child a bleach bath:
- Use a measuring cup to get the exact amount of bleach needed and then add it to the water. Too much bleach may irritate the child’s skin and too little may not help eczema symptoms.
- Never apply bleach directly to the child’s eczema.
- Talk to your dermatologist about starting bleach bath therapy including how long your child should soak. Most dermatologists recommend 5 to 10 minutes per bathing session, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Parents of children with bleach sensitivities or allergic asthma that might be aggravated by chlorine fumes should consult with their heath care provider before starting bleach bath therapy.
Wet Wraps
- The fabric wraps are soaked in water and applied to the affected skin on the body. Face wraps use gauze and surgical netting, and are made and applied by nurses trained in this treatment.
- Wet wraps are best done after bathing, moisturizing and applying medication. Use clean, preferably white, cotton clothing or gauze from a roll for the wet layer, and pajamas or a sweat suit on top as a dry layer.
- If the eczema is on the feet and/or hands, you can use cotton gloves or socks for the wet layer.
- To do wet wrap therapy, first moisten the clothing or gauze in warm water until they are slightly damp. Next, wrap the moist dressing around the affected area.
- Then gently wrap the dry layer over the wet one.
- Lastly, carefully put on night-time clothing so as not to disturb the dressing. Leave wet wraps on for several hours or overnight, taking care not to let them dry out.
- Consult with a health care provider prior to starting wet wrap therapy.
ACNE TIPS
Why Treat Acne?
Here’s why:
- Without treatment, dark spots and permanent scars can appear on the skin as acne clears.
- Treating acne often boosts a person’s self-esteem.
- Many effective treatments are available.
Helpful Information
- Wash twice a day and after sweating. Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, can make acne worse, so wash your skin as soon as possible after sweating.
- Use your fingertips to apply a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser. Using a washcloth, mesh sponge or anything else can irritate the skin.
- Be gentle with your skin. Use gentle products, such as those that are alcohol-free. Do not use products that irritate your skin, which may include astringents, toners and exfoliants. Dry, red skin makes acne appear worse.
- Scrubbing your skin can make acne worse. Avoid the temptation to scrub your skin.
- Rinse with lukewarm water.
- Shampoo regularly. If you have oily hair, shampoo daily.
- Let your skin heal naturally. If you pick, pop or squeeze your acne, your skin will take longer to clear and you increase the risk of getting acne scars.
- Keep your hands off your face. Touching your skin throughout the day can cause flare-ups.
- Stay out of the sun and tanning beds. Tanning damages you skin. In addition, some acne medications make the skin very sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, which you get from both the sun and indoor tanning devices.
- Using tanning beds increases your risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent.
Consult a dermatologist if:
- Your acne makes you shy or embarrassed.
- The products you’ve tried have not worked.
- Your acne is leaving scars or darkening your skin.
For more information visit: AAD Acne Resources(the source of this information)
Treatment
Acne treatment that you apply to the skin:
Most acne treatments are applied to the skin. Your dermatologist may call this topical treatment. There are many topical acne treatments. Some topicals help kill the bacteria. Others work on reducing the oil. The topical medicine may contain a retinoid, prescription-strength benzoyl peroxide, antibiotic, or even salicylic acid. Your dermatologist will determine what you need.
Acne treatment that works throughout the body:
Medicine that works throughout the body may be necessary when you have red, swollen types of acne. This type of treatment is usually necessary to treat acne cysts and nodules. Your dermatologist may prescribe one or more of these:
- Antibiotics (helps to kill bacteria and reduce inflammation).
- Birth control pills and other medicine that works on hormones (can be helpful for women).
- Isotretinoin (the only treatment that works on all that causes acne).
