Does your child complain of prickly heat rashes every summer? Is he not comfortable while playing out with his friends or while in the school due to the continuous pricking sensation on his back? If the above are true for your child, you really need to make sure that he does not suffer from the same this summer too. You necessarily need not to visit a doctor to get prickly heat rashes of your child treated, some precautions and easy home remedies can keep him safe from this irritating skin condition even if the mercury soars high.
Why your child gets prickly heat every summer?
Prickly heat rashes are very common amongst children particularly because they often tend to play in the sun even during the hot and humid summer days. Moreover, children are rarely concerned about changing sweat soaked clothes which naturally works as a reason adding to the chance of getting prickly itch rashes during summer. The skin of kids is very sensitive and hence they are naturally prone to getting common skin problems like prickly heat rashes during hot and humid summer days.
One of the most critical problems of dealing with prickles in children is that they often tend to scratch the itching rashes which can harm the skin and cause secondary infection, making the problem of prickly heat more serious. So, for children, the best way is to take the right precautions as soon as the season starts to change towards hot. The right precautions will prevent the appearance of heat rashes eliminating the problem all together.
Why opt for natural prickly heat treatments?
There are a number of powder and other products available in the market that claim to keep prickly heat rashes at bay and often parents opt for these products to help their child cope with the irritation of the heat rashes. However, the problem with these products is that, most of them are formulated with a bunch of chemicals that can easily harm the soft skin of a child.
So, when it comes to treating or preventing prickles in children, it is best advised to stick to the natural treatments and ways.
Natural remedies to prevent prickly heat in children
Make sure your child remains hydrated
By taking care of your child’s drinking habits you also take care of the rashes. During summer your child should drink plenty of water; you can also prepare chilled buttermilk, smoothies and fresh fruit juices for him.
Apply cold compress/ice cubes
When the heat rashes are itching too much, then rub an ice cube or two on the affected area for an instant relief. You can make an ice pouch by wrapping a number of ice cubes and rub it for a few minutes.
After bath do dry your child’s skin well
Simply pat dry your child’s skin with a soft towel after he is done bathing. As the wet skin can cause the fungal infections to grow, so dry it well after a bath. Don’t rub the towel too harsh even if it has a soft fabric because it causes more itching of the rashes.
Cucumbers to cool down the area
Cucumbers are not just good when consumed; they are equally cooling when applied. Rub the cucumber slices on your skin or you can simply grind it into a paste and then apply it on the affected regions. Your skin will stop itching and you will feel a cooling effect.
Give him oatmeal bath daily
Oatmeal bath is one of the easiest and yet effective ways to make sure that your child do not get prickly heat rashes this summer. Oatmeal is a great skin soother and it works as a gentle skin exfoliator that also absorbs excess oil, which helps in keeping the sweat glands open, preventing prickly heat rashes.
Just add a handful of oatmeal in the bathing water of your child and let it soak for 5 minutes before you bath him with it.
Bathing salt and essential oils can work miraculously
For preventing prickly heat rashes in your child, adding a few drops of essential oils like geranium or eucalyptus essential oil in the bathing water of your child along with some bathing salt can be a good option. Bathing salt helps in keeping the skin healthy and skin infections at bay. The essential oils soothe the skin and help in ensuring that the skin is free from rashes and irritation.
Aloe Vera gel should be your child’s favorite too
Pure Aloe Vera gel is not only a beauty potion that can give you great skin and hairs it can also work most effectively to keep the prickly heat rashes in your child at bay. Apply pure Aloe Vera gel on the areas of the body of your child where he usually gets these rashes. Aloe Vera gel will soothe the skin and also reduce the chance of eruption of heat rashes.
Mint pack is ideal for your child’s skin
Another natural treatment to prevent prickly heat rashes in children is to use a mint pack on their skin at least once a day. Mint has natural anti-microbial properties and it helps in keeping the skin cool, which reduces sweating. Prepare a mint pack by smashing mint leaves and then apply the paste onto the body of the child. Leave on for some time and then remove with a damp cotton cloth.
Fuller’s earth pack for preventing prickly heat naturally
Fuller’s earth is a natural clay with skin nourishing and calming properties. The natural cooling effect of fuller’s earth pack is sure to be loved by your child during the hot summer. Soak sufficient fuller’s earth in rose water and once soft smear the paste onto your child’s body. Leave on for some time and then wash off with water.
Neem and Tulsi for prickly heat prevention in children
Neem and tulsi leaves are known for their excellent microbial and skin soothing properties. Moreover, they also help in reducing the secretion of excess oil from the sweat glands, which can be most helpful to prevent clogging of the glands that might give rise to heat rashes. Smash 25-30 fresh neem leaves and 10-15 tulsi leaves together to make a smooth paste and massage it lightly onto the skin of your child. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before giving him a bath.
Use sandalwood powder to keep him dry
When your child is going to school or a class where he might not have a chance to change his clothes frequently, it is best to dust some pure sandalwood powder on him before he puts on his cotton clothes. Sandalwood powder will not only help in controlling sweat but will also keep the body cool and the skin calmer.
Tips to prevent prickly heat rashes in children naturally
Before we go to some most effective and skin friendly home remedies for treating prickly heat in children, first we will take a look at some important tips that can be most effective to prevent heat rash in children.
Make them wear loose, cotton cloth
The first and foremost step parents need to take to prevent the outbreak of prickly heat rashes in their children is to ensure that they never wear anything apart from loose fitting, cotton clothes during the hot and humid summer days.
Loose cotton clothes allow air to pass to the skin and helps in keeping it dry, which naturally reduces the chance of blocking of the sweat glands and eruption of heat rashes. Loose fitting cotton or linen clothes are not only comfortable for children during summer but they also ensure that the skin of your child is dry.
Change their clothes frequently
Being physically active all the time is something about your child that you cannot restrict and physical activities naturally results into more sweating during summer. So, instead of trying to stop him from sweating, make sure that you change his clothes as frequently as he gets all soaked up due to sweating. This can be a bit tedious, particularly if your toddler is really active but it is an effective natural way to prevent prickly heat as well as many summer related health issues.
Frequent towel bath can be helpful
Every time you change the clothes of your child because he has got all soaked up in sweat, soak a towel in water and wipe off his skin lightly with it before changing him into new sets of clothes. This will not only remove all the sweat and excess oil from the skin which can block the sweat glands but will also help in keeping the body temperature of the child low, which will reduce the amount of sweating and will make him more comfortable.
Keep your child away from direct heat
Keeping your child away from direct heat of the sun can be helpful to reduce sweating and thus to prevent prickly heat rashes. Try to make him play in-house or at least in shade while the sun is up. Also encourage him for indoor games during the day time when the heat is high.
Taking any measure to keep his room cool even during the hot summer days can be helpful. Apart from using air conditioner in his room you can also opt for measures like thicker window curtains and planting trees around the room for natural shade.
Make some changes in his food habit
What your child eats has a direct impact on his body heat and sweating is again controlled by body heat. So, by changing your child’s diet to foods that can help his body to stay cool will not only prevent prickly heat rashes but will also keep him away from other health problems, like stomach ailments that are common during summer.
Include more simple carbs, vegetables and juicy fruits in his regular diet. Instead of animal protein rich foods it is best to give him more dairy products and plant protein during the summer days. Milkshakes, juices, sour curd, yogurt are some of the healthy favorites of kids and you can always try a several variations of these to suit the taste of your child.
Make him drink sufficient water at frequent intervals and if he is sweating profusely add salt and sugar to his drinking water as well to make sure that he is not dehydrated.
Following the above mentioned ways can be most effective to prevent prickly heat rash in children naturally during summer. Apart from the above precautions also follow some of the below mentioned treatments if your child is prone to get prickly heat rashes every summer.
