toddler scab scratching

[mangobenjamino]

Hello,

I have a son who is just over two. A month ago he started to scratch his nose whilst sucking his thumb. It developed quickly into quite a big sore. We've been trying to heal and it was working (10 days untouched) but this morning we found he had scratched it again and now we're back to square one.

The scratch is now nearly the length of his nose and as wide as the top. It seriously looks like he has taken the skin off with a potato peeler. Its going to scar badly if this carries on.

We've been trying elastoplast plasters with a padded one over the sore and strips of plaster tape on his forehead and over the nose to hold it in place. As its over his nose it never sticks well in the middle so he can get at the scab.

We're going to try liquid skin plasters now but does anyone have any more ideas? Would the doctors do anything?
Thanks

I had this w/ slightly older DS (closer to 3). Picking at both cheeks and his chin... later he moved to picking at chapped lips until they bled (sigh).

Put socks on his hands (esp. at night). I noticed that DS was most likely to pick at the scabs when he was sleepy or just woken up from a nap, so I was especially vigilant to stop him at those times.

Gave him chapstick which he started putting first on my lips and then on his own (with coaxing); this is his new substitute nervous habit; he carries the lip balm in his own pocket (they love pockets). I wonder if that would work for the scab picking in your case, too?

My 2.5 year old did this - scratching around his chin and cheeks, which scabbed and then he picked at those! He said it was itchy. Took him to dr, and turned out it was a bacterial skin infection called impetigo (apparently very common in young children). He needed oral antibiotics and cream. It took a while to clear up (about 4 weeks or so) but it has more or less resolved. Of course, this may not be what your son has but they can do a swab test to diagnose so should be easy to rule it out. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. We have a doctors appointment tomorrow. I tried the socks idea but it didn't work. He woke up and was frantic getting the sock off. Will try again but putting it on before he goes to sleep. May be awkward though as he is a thumb sucker and thsi comforts him when nodding off.

Post back here what doctor said, I am interested, anyway.