Princess's Skin

My Princess has skin issues. Ever since she was a baby, she has had (minor) problems with her skin.

Eczema:
It started off that she had a touch of eczema as an infant. In between the crooks of her arms and behind her knees were so dry and raw, she looked like a plucked chicken in those areas.

I was prescribed a fancy 'smancy' cream made in France by her pediatrician to help with it... I used good old fashioned aloe vera (sabila...the raw, au natural kind) and nothing seemed to really work or get rid of it.

Then we went to the beach. She went into the ocean for the first time (and hated it) but when we got home I noticed her eczema was GONE! No more raw, dry skin in those areas where there used to be. I couldn't believe it. Now, it may have been coincidence but what a lucky one if it was. But I tend to believe that whatever natural 'stuff' is in the ocean, was what really cured her.

Dry Scalp:
Now ever since she was 3 months, I noticed princess had something on her scalp. I wasn't sure what it was so I googled it (since it looked like dandruff) and found out that it might possibly be 'cradle cap'. I had done something bad before I realized what it was. On mother in law's (bad) advice, I put baby oil in her scalp (that's the good part), then I brushed her scalp (that's the bad part). You don't use a brush! A huge chunk of her hair came out, along with the dry scalp on the brush, leaving a bald spot. If I had found out about cradle cap sooner, I would have known to COMB it out, not brush it out.

Anyway, I did this, and did it for a while (putting baby oil and combing out her scalp) yet the 'cradle cap' would not go away. I was beginning to wonder if what my Princess had on her scalp was really cradle cap after all.

I put good ole' fashion aloe vera (good for a myriad of skin ailments) and while it made her scalp look better for a time (while it was still wet), it never healed it and her dry, scaly , flaky scalp never went away.

I had to figure out what to do. It was getting worse.. instead of just 2 spots on her head, it was pretty much all over, in various spots. I hated parting her hair down the middle because then you could see it, loud and clear and it was not pretty.

I finally showed the doctor at Princess's 2 year check-up and she prescribed this medicinal shampoo that I was to use 3 times a day for a month. The thing smelled awful so I had hope it would work. That too was a bust. Plus it made Princess's hair dry and changed the texture.

I finally went to downtown San Jose to the Mercado Central (central market) and bought some natural hair 'ointments'. On hubby's suggestion, I bought natural Aloe vera shampoo, all natural gel for curly hair (the gel I had, this HUGE container, apparently upset hubby) and all natural hair cream for curly hair.

The creams and gel I bought just because my kids have really curly hair (tight, kinky curls) and needed something that could control their curls, make them soft and pliable to styling. Plus, I wanted to get Princess's soft curls back since the medicinal shampoo had changed her hair to this dry, Brillo like mess. The cream worked like a charm. Perfect for my kid's hair.

What I didn't expect was for the cream and the shampoo to work wonders on Princess's scalp as well. Princess's scalp is healed.. or on the way to being healed as long as I keep up with the shampoo and the cream on a semi daily basis. I noticed a HUGE difference and cannot wait for it to be gone totally one day.

Ringworms and viral bumps/pimples:
What I need to find a solution for is the other skin issues she seems to have and no matter what we do, they seem to just keep coming back or popping up. She occasionally gets what looks to me like 'ringworms' on her body... her back, neck, face, arms, legs. I put aloe vera on it and it seems to do the trick of getting rid of it, but she seems to get them more than any regular kid. I think there is a connection to her 'ring worms' and her blanket. Each and every time it gets to a point of being disgustingly dirty and she sleeps with it, she wakes up with ringworms on her body. So now I am more diligent about washing her blanket(s) more often now (she now has 2.. 3 if you count the Dora one, although that is not a favorite).

Also she keeps getting these little 'pimple's on her body, most often on her buttocks area. The same doctor that prescribed the shampoo also prescribed this medicine that helps with it. The ones on her chest and under her arm and on her butt were burnt away by the medicine... which was only to be applied to the bump. I was so relieved that they were gone, only for new ones to pop back up on her butt, and who knows where else. I know they are a virus (similar to warts) , but why does she keep getting them? Boobie had them on his legs too, but ever since his was burnt off by the medicine, he hasn't gotten any more.

My poor Princess and her skin. When will it ever end.