Disclaimer: This is meant for general skincare advice and sharing of knowledge. This is not medical advice.
Welcome back! Today will be for you new parents out there and for any one who is planning on having kids so keep this post bookmarked! Today’s topic if you didn’t read the title is all about diaper rashes and how to fix them. I am not a parent myself, but I know that this seems to be an issue as you navigate the world of caring for another human. First and foremost, congratulations! Now, a diaper rash is something that is most common in the first 3-15 months of life. It is more common in babies who wear traditional cloth diapers which seems to be making a come back lately due to the rising prices of baby products as a whole. A rash like this can also affect children if they are incontinent as well.
Today’s big goal: Teach you about common causes and fixes for diaper rashes.
What is diaper dermatitis?
Dermatitis will be a word you probably already know the meaning of but it means inflammation of the skin and I will use this frequently throughout this post.
The mechanism by which this dermatitis occurs is typically through something called irritant contact dermatitis which means some kind of irritant is causing a break down of the stratum corneum or the top layer of your skin leading to irritation and inflammation.
What causes diaper dermatitis?
The specific causes in this area of the body are as follows:
Urine occlusion leads to maceration of the skin which means the skin is excessively soft similar to being in a pool too long.
Certain enzymes in fecal matter break down the proteins and lipids that hold together your stratum corneum.
Wet skin allows for fungus and bacteria to colonize the area
Other conditions such as eczema raise your chance of this rash occurring. Check out my post about eczema here
How to recognize diaper dermatitis?
The rash itself mainly occurs in the groin area as expected. Due to the sensitive nature, no photos will be added to this post.
The rash typically appears as red raised bumps that can spread from genital area to upper legs and lower abdomen. There can also be ulcerated areas where the friction of the diaper may break down the skin even further. Occasionally, there will be pus filled pimple like spots present.
How do you treat diaper dermatitis?
General principles to keep in mind when dealing with this rash:
Keep this area dry and clean. Be prepared to use a barrier cream such as Desitin Zinc Oxide.
As a parent, always wash your hands before changing your baby’s diaper as to not introduce any other harmful organisms to the area.
Do not let a baby sit in a wet or soiled diaper for too long. Common sense I know but you would be surprised.
During and after diaper change:
Clean the skin with water and gentle cloth. Avoid anything harsh or anything that might have harsh chemicals in them.
Pat dry or allow to air dry. Increased friction can make things worse.
Use a protective emollient such as petroleum jelly or anything with zinc oxide in it as mentioned above.
As your baby is introduced to foods, write down what foods are more likely to cause this rash and adjust their diet accordingly.
If the rash seems to be too severe and not going away then seek out the advice of a medical professional. They will likely need a steroid cream to help with inflammation and an anti-fungal cream to help with secondary infections.
Aloe vera is and will always be your friend. Anecdotally, cornstarch is not a bad idea to try as well.
I hope this short guide will help you avoid diaper dermatitis in the future. As some of my friends who have kids have told me, if your baby is happy then you are happy. Stay tuned for more posts on this substack about children skincare problems in the future. If you liked what you read here then shoot me a follow on twitter at The Skincare Provider.