Skin issues behind toddler ear - pictures included!

[pinkcow123]

My toddler has had an issue in the skin behind their ear. It is cracking, sore, crusty and weeping - along the line behind the ear.

Previously tried hydrocortisone cream.

They have reacted to Epaderm and epimax and this has caused further rash.

Another GP request has been made, but I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Any other creams that have worked?
Sudocreme doesn't seem to do anything other than clog it up!

Any ideas what it could be as well?

Picture below...

My youngest boy used to get this when he played rugby and I think he was getting his ear pulled.It's quite nasty and must be really painful, in his case sudocrem every night sorted it out.

Just to add that we had to clean the sudocrem off every morning and reapply so it didn't get clogged up.

Poor poppet, that looks sore. It does look rather like eczema, which is presumably where they were going with epaderm and hydrocortisone. Is there any moisturiser you've used on them that you know they tolerate? If so, potentially try that, applied as many times a day as you can?

It would heal faster if their skin can tolerate a stronger emollient – lanolin (either the breastfeeding nipple cream or bepanthen) works well for DD2, but not more than a couple times a week or she comes up in spots. I know some react to lanolin, though.

I'd see a pharmacist with that. Looks sore potentially fungal to me.

That looks so sore. My son has this to a lesser degree. I wash behind his ears and make sure to pay dry thoroughly. Yellow metanium works wonders though I know it’s not easy to get now

Yeah that needs a swab done at the GP I think. Ouch!

That looks like wet eczema, which can be made worse if it gets infected - has the GP tested her for a fundal or bacterial infection?
A quick test is to turn of the lights and shine a blacklight on it, if you have one. Many infections will glow and the colour can help narrow down what the problem is.
I get this behind one ear and when it flares up I wash with soap and water, then use hand sanitiser, but its painful. You could try Fresh Wipes, which contain Chlorhexidine.

It's very strange, because they have been prescribed Epaderm for around 12months, used without any issue, but it was only when this ear issue came about (Nov / Dec) that the reaction to Epaderm happened!

My research suggests eczema too, I just don't know how to help her 😢

I would get it checked out. When my daughter had similar but to a lesser extent we used aloe vera vaseline (small lip balm sized tub) and it cleared it up within a few days.

The pharmacist redirects us to the dr - maybe because of their age?

But hopefully will hear from the docs tomorrow! 🤞🏻

Thank you for all the advice! I am reading them all even if I'm not replying!

Could anyone have pulled his ear really hard? That looks like a pull injury.

Sudocreme, my dd had this as a baby and small child. Sudocrem always fixed it

I think it's perhaps fungal

I get eczema like that behind my ear. It's like having a paper cut there 🙁

I clean with soap & water & treat with regular hydrocortisone until it settles.

Hope your wee one heals up soon

I hope not! But they do go to nursery - could another child have pulled it?
I imagine they would have been distressed at the time?

If it turns out to be eczema and they give you something to take the worst off you could continue with calendula lotion. My DD had infected eczema and she got antibiotics and cortisone and after those I got rid of the rest with calendula lotion.

My DD gets similar to this a lot! We’ve seen a few doctors about it, some have said it’s fungal some have said it’s impetigo. Either way, we use daktacort cream and it clears it up within a few days to a week.

Agree with this and after it is healed make sure the crevice is cleaned regularly as sometimes you can get fungal infections there if dry skin builds up etc

After it is healed a bit by putting sudocream on it, you can walk with Nizoral, it’s an anti dandruff shampoo but can be used on skin for fungal infections

Aw yes poor little DS1 used to get that too, the full length of his ear. Seems to have grown out of it, except right where lobe joins head still gets sore sometimes (he’s 10). Cant remember what creams he had, often slapped on some germolene or canesten but also wanted it to dry out! Often wondered if he was getting sweaty in the night or something ?

My little one had this for a year. He then got tonsillitis and antibiotics cleared it up! I told the GP and they said they should have swabbed it. So might be worth asking for a swab just in case. I tried everything!

when dc had this it was a staph infection.
needed an antibiotic cream (prescription only) to clear up.

I would forget about over the counter creams when it looks like this. Either an anti fungal or antibiotic cream from the doctor so it's good you have contacted the doc.