How to remove baby's prickly heat

Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
Updated on November 23, 2024
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Baby prickly heat is mainly caused by the hot and humid living environment, which damages the skin. Therefore, it is important to enhance skin care, especially by improving the environmental temperature. Keeping the room ventilated by exchanging air is the best treatment method.

If the skin symptoms are severe, Calamine lotion can be used, which can effectively alleviate the symptoms of prickly heat. The main treatment for prickly heat is prevention. Therefore, especially in summer, the clothes worn by infants should be loose and made of pure cotton. Avoid tight clothes or synthetic fabrics, as these can aggravate the symptoms of prickly heat by causing friction between the skin and the clothing. Also, pay attention to the diet and try to eat less spicy and stimulating food, choosing instead light and liquid-based foods.

(The use of medication should be carried out under the guidance of a physician.)

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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What medicine is used for prickly heat?

Prickly heat is a common skin disease that often occurs in summer. For the treatment of prickly heat, we divide it into systemic treatment and topical treatment. Systemic treatment mainly involves taking antihistamines orally, such as loratadine tablets, when itching is severe. If there is a pus infection, it is recommended to use antibiotics for treatment. Another method is the topical treatment of prickly heat, which involves the use of cooling powders locally, such as prickly heat powder or cooling and itching-relieving washes, such as calamine lotion or menthol tincture. In cases of pustular prickly heat, calamine or berberine powder can be used topically.

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Written by Zeng Hai Jiang
Pediatrics
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How to relieve itching from prickly heat in children

Heat rash in children is primarily caused by blockages in the sweat ducts, due to the poor development of neonatal sweat ducts, a humid and hot external environment, and prolonged bed rest. Based on the appearance of the heat rash, it can be categorized into white heat rash, red heat rash, pustular heat rash, and deep heat rash. Red heat rash can feel itchy and burning; pustular heat rash can cause burning, itching, and pain; white and deep heat rash do not typically present noticeable symptoms. When a child's heat rash feels itchy, topical medications can be applied for relief. Local cold compresses or ice packs can also be used to alleviate itchiness and pain. Naturally, providing a cooler environment for the child is beneficial, including frequent baths to help clear the sweat ducts.

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Written by Li Ying
Neonatology
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The difference between prickly heat and rash

It's often hard for parents to distinguish between intertrigo and prickly heat, but our approach to handling them is generally the same: keep the area dry and apply a small amount of talcum powder to the area affected by prickly heat. Diaper dermatitis and prickly heat may appear similar. Diaper dermatitis primarily occurs on the baby's genital area due to the parents' failure to change diapers or nappies in time, leading to contamination of the skin by the baby's excrement, which can cause the appearance of erythema. Typically, the skin's surface will exhibit red patches or rashes. At this point, we shouldn't use talcum powder; instead, we should visit a dermatologist who will prescribe antimicrobial topical treatments. Another condition is atopic dermatitis, which also manifests with the development of a rash but is characterized by genetic predisposition and being primarily an allergic reactive disease. It usually appears on the face and the flexural sides of the limbs. If you notice that your baby develops rashes not just during summer but also in winter, or if the rashes appear sporadically, you should take your child to a dermatologist for an examination to see if it is atopic dermatitis. For managing atopic dermatitis, the routine care typically involves the long-term use of moisturizers instead of talcum powder and avoiding allergens.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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The fastest way to get rid of prickly heat

Prickly heat is a common dermatological condition caused mainly by excessively hot weather and high temperatures, which lead to excessive sweat production that cannot be properly released from the body. It often appears in individuals who are bedridden for long periods or in infants and young children. The quickest methods to eliminate prickly heat include: First, keep the skin dry and clean. It is best to ventilate the room well and avoid overheating the indoor environment. Second, wear comfortable and loose-fitting clothing to reduce the occurrence of prickly heat. Third, use talcum powder or some astringent medications, applying them to the affected areas to treat the prickly heat.

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The difference between prickly heat and chickenpox

Prickly heat is a physical skin condition that often occurs in hot and humid summer weather, related to excessive sweating, especially common among infants, the elderly, and people working in high-temperature environments. It appears in three types: white, pustular, and red prickly heat. Generally, prickly heat does not have systemic symptoms; it does not feature fever and is not contagious. Chickenpox, on the other hand, is a common acute infectious skin disease, mainly characterized by scattered erythema and vesicles on the trunk, face, and proximal limbs. It is contagious and has prodromal symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and muscle soreness.