Getting chicken pox is something that nearly every child will go through, unless they received a chicken pox vaccine. Kids typically lack the self-control that's required to leave chicken pox marks alone, and as a result, many children grow up into adulthood with unpleasant chicken pox scars that they resent. If you want to improve your child's chances of developing as few of these scars as possible, try these three steps.
Oozing Wound Care
Chicken pox itches normally, but when one of the pock marks bursts, it makes everything around it worse. What's coming out is infected fluid and dead white blood cells, which can make other chicken pock marks itchy and miserable.
The best way to avoid having these burst pocks making other parts of your child's body irresistibly itchy is to treat them immediately. Clean the pock marks with a gentle cleaning agent like Bactine, or simply with water and gauze. Wipe away any discharge and then close up the pock mark with a bandaid to prevent infection. Make sure to use a small band aid so that the adhesive doesn't stick to any pock marks.
Adequate Anti-Itch
There are plenty of ways to help reduce your child's itchiness, and you should make use of all of them.
Calamine lotion is a popular choice for deterring itchiness on bug bites and chicken pox. This topical can simply be spread over the itchiest areas, where it will soak in and provide relief.
You can also look to mild over-the-counter steroids to reduce the underlying inflammation and the itchiness. Cortisone cream, for example, is sold in most drug stores and can be applied to closed pock marks for immediate relief.
Nighttime Scratching Prevention
Finally, make sure you're taking steps to discourage your child from scratching in their sleep. Unfortunately, there's no way to control their actions, so you have to try and mitigate them instead.
To do this, start out by clipping your child's fingernails. The shorter they are, the less damage they'll be able to do to their skin.
In addition, you can have your child wear thin cotton gloves when they go to sleep. By choosing cotton, the gloves will breathe and allow your child to stay cool and comfortable in their sleep. However, they'll provide a layer of cushion between your child's fingernails and their skin, so it will reduce the risk of them ripping up their pock marks.
Adequate treatment of recently-opened pock marks and discouraging your child from scratching will help to reduce their risk of future scarring. If your child hasn't already had the chickenpox, make sure to get them vaccinated to reduce their risk of ever encountering this problem. For more information, contact a local pediatric clinic like Willow Oak Pediatrics.
