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Original poster

Help needed for spotty 4yo ds

18 replies

ejt1764 · 04/11/2006 10:04

My ds has all of a sudden become really spotty - just on his face.

It's like a teenager's acne - has anybody else had experience of this? How do you sort it out?

Don't want to take him to doc's just for zits!

Thanks
ejt

OP posts:

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:19

I would take him to the doctor, definitely.

Original poster

ejt1764 · 04/11/2006 10:21

forgot to mention that ds is only 4!

OP posts:

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:21

In the meantime, have you changed your washing powder/his diet lately? Is it all over his chin and round his mouth? (my just 4yo still dribbles and occasionally gets dribble rash).

Are they distinct, separate spots, or is it a raised red blistery rash? Could it be impetigo? Have you checked his chest/legs/back for more spots?

Sorry to bombard you

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:27

impetigo

Original poster

ejt1764 · 04/11/2006 10:36

Thanks for the link to pics of impetigo - it doesn't look really like that.

The zits are just on his face - not around his mouth ...

I think I'd better take him to the docs just to be on the safe side.

We have changed washing powder recently - but to a supposedly less allergenic one!

Thanks
ejt

OP posts:

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:38

I would take him definitely, the doctor will probably nkow what they are and how to treat them. Good luck

Kidstrack · 04/11/2006 10:46

my ds at 8m developed keratosis pilaris(wasn't diagnosed till he was 2yrs), don't know if this will be the same as what your ds has, but ds skin pores get blocked causing spots and if you use the back of your hand and run it over my ds face his skin feels like sandpaper, he then developed it on the tops of his arms and legs, seemingly it can run in families, and low and behold dh and mil had it but just on their limbs they thought they just had dry skin

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:48

I have keratosis pilaris, it doesn't look like acne, it's little raised bumps, one per pore - it's where too much keratin builds up and the pore gets blocked and the little hair gets trapped in each pore. You would usually have it on your arms and thighs before it developed on your face.

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:49

it's common in people of Celtic descent, apparently

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:50

keratosis pilaris

Kidstrack · 04/11/2006 10:51

gunpowder, do you still have it and what age did you get it at, my ds is 7 and they have said it will get worse when he is a teenager and then it might go away but then again he might have it forever, ds skin is particuarly bad and the skin clinic haven't seen anyone worse than ds

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:53

Sorry to hear that Kidstrack . I have had it all my life - not on my face though, only arms and legs and back. It improves if I use a good exfoliator twice a week and wash the areas well every day - my arms are my worst bit and I just don't ever wear anything sleeveless. It isn't painful or itchy though, although it looks it.

Pinotmum · 04/11/2006 10:55

Dd has this. Mainly on the backs of her upper arms and on the front of her thighs. She is 6 yo and in the past year has started to get them on her forehead and on her chin ( a few at a time ). I have also noticed one or two on her nose during the summer. If you leave them alone they go away on their own. It does seem to run in families as both myself and my mum have them on our arms. I'd be interested to know if there is anything good to use on the skin as I've been told there's isn't a cure as such.

GunpowderTreasonAndSNOT · 04/11/2006 10:58

There isn't a cure, but if you use a good body scrub twice a week (I use sand from Exmouth beach with Simple body wash, but that might be a bit harsh for a child's skin!!) and wash the skin with soap every day, and DO NOT pick the spots, it does improve.

Kidstrack · 04/11/2006 11:00

dh has it on his arms too, doesn't bother him either, ds's however can become infected with too much build up on his face and he can scratch it because it becomes sore, when he was a baby eveyone used to stare at him and say things like"its a teething rash put cream on it" becasue his wee cheeks would be burning. I'm glad we pestered the doctor to refer us to the skin clinic. I'm happy to say though that my dd doesn't have it she is 3 and hopefully it won't appear however i have bad skin and she will prob get that when she is a teenager

Kidstrack · 04/11/2006 11:04

we used diprobase and the usual oilulatim in the bath but eveuntually the doctor said just to use normal face wash as the emollients were having no affect on ds, sorry about the spellings cant be bothered checking them

Original poster

ejt1764 · 04/11/2006 11:06

That's it - have just looked at the pics you put on, and it's exactly like it - ds has rough skin on his legs and tops of his arms (like sandpaper as you said), but I'd just put it down to him having excema !

It's only now he's started getting spots on his face that I've paid any attention to it - at least I'm armed with some ideas when we go to see the GP!

thanks
ejt

OP posts:

Kidstrack · 04/11/2006 11:12

there you go, MN is fab again, your own doctor may not be able to confirm it, but ask to be refered just so you know exactly what it is, i was fobed off for a nearly 2yrs by my own doctor saying it was excema and it was only at the skin clinic it was confirmed, ds is still used for students to look at

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