From Family Fun
December/January
Flaky, scaly itchy, eek! Relieve your child’s dry winter skin with these stop-scratching strategies from Eric Ball, M.D., a pediatrician at CHOC Children’s in Orange, CA.
- Take a cool bath or shower― hot water speeds up dehydration.
- Slather on ointment or cream (lotions aren’t as effective) right after bath time.
- Put an ice pack near the itchy area, or tape, poke, or massage around it to stimulate the adjacent nerves and diminish the itching sensation.
- Distract your child with a fidget spinner, stress ball, or toy that engages his hands and mind.
- Cover the area with soft bandages and clothes that breathe.
- Keep the temp low― sweating makes the itching worse― and use a well-maintained cool-mist humidifier in his room to add moisture to the air.
