Those pesky dry bumps on their arms and legs

Since they were little, both kiddos have had those little dry bumps on the back of their arms. DS also has them covering the top part of his legs. I know it is quite common, but I wonder if there is something else we should be trying to clear them up?

Right now, I avoid using a lot of soap in the shower or bathtub. Just before bed, DH puts Aquaphor on their arms and legs.

Any other suggestions?

 

Aveeno works best for us. Also we limited baths to preserve their natural oils. This might sound strange but I believe that dairy is a partial cause for us. When I switched to goat's milk, it has cleared up drastically. I do still give them cheese, butter, and yogurt, just not straight milk.

 

Hi Amanda! :wavey:

Are you using Aveeno shampoo/body wash or an Aveeno lotion? We are using a Weleda shampoo/body wash that I like, but I am willing to switch if it will help clear up those bumps! Luckily, they are taking showers these days so they are not spending as much time in the water.

The cow's milk connection has me thinking...DS drinks 18oz of milk a day while DD is closer to 9oz a day. DS definitely has a worse case of the bumps than DD.

 

Those are called keratosis pilaris. They're very common especially among people of Northern European descent. I've had them my whole life, as does DH. (I was interested to read on the Mayo Clinic sitethat it "usually disappears by age 30" -- mine certainly hasn't.)

The only time in my life they ever got noticeably better was when I had some unrelated itchy rash and was smearing steroid cream all over my legs every night. I'm not advocating that as a regular treatment, though! The most I manage to do is just moisturize regularly.

Amy has them too (I don't think Sarah does) and they seem to itch a little when the weather is really dry. We use lotion when she gets out of the bath (most of the time) and Aquaphor at other random times if it's bothering her. Switching to something like Aveeno might help, but it doesn't seem to bother her much, so it hasn't been a high priority.

I never thought about the cow's milk connection, but I've been wondering recently if I have a dairy intolerance, so maybe they are related...? But I have no plans to give up dairy, which would (in my world at least) be more painful than the mild reaction I seem to have to it!

 

Ana has these on the backs of her arms. I get them too. I just lotion her up after baths and in the winter I try to only bath the girls every other day (but it depends on how messy they get especially after ambitious art projects at the sitter's house ).

 

My DD has it. Doctors told me it is inheritance from parents. In our case is from DH who is from Baja California. She also told me that is is very commom in teenagers.
Dr.suggested Ammonium Lactate Lotion 12%, but it did not work for her, so she prescribed Urea 20% cream and it seems to help. There is aslo special soap you buy in the pharmacy can't remember the name. I am not using any liquid soaps on her.
My DD does not drink milk, she eats yogurt but Dr.never asked about that,and she did not think it is allergic reaction to milk.

 

Hi Sarah I just use Aveeno lotion. I should switch to body wash though, never thought about that! I use the shampoo/conditioner combo on them and then an extra conditioner because they both have a lot of hair that gets easily tangled. I use the baby unscented soap still. Ethan has it much worse than Abby, but we usually keep it mostly cleared. When it's dry I rub the lotion on twice a day during diaper changes. (yes I am not potty training yet!) Does your son have trouble breathing at all? Someone told me once that there is a connection between the asthma and the skin rash but I am not sure if it's legitimate or not. Ethan does have issues with breathing, but he was born 9 weeks early so it's kind of to be expected. Hope you find a solution!

 

I had bad eczema as a child and my husband has the bumps on the back of his arms, and interestingly DD1 has perfectly smooth skin, and DD2 has bumpy skin on both arms and legs. We use acquaphore (sp?) after bath and I've used a low does cortizone cream in the winter months when DD2 has had more of an eczema rash in those area's.

we did neutramigin with both girls but they drink cow's milk now... I've never tried to eliminate it b/c the skin wasn't too bad...

 

My girls get them .... I use no soap in the tub ... just wash them with water and wash their hair last them get them right out and I use Curel something ... can't remember the kind ... but super healing for dry itchy skin type stuff ... adult lotion ... also, a humidifier in their room may help ... it may just be that the dry heat in the house is contributing ... my girls don't get it nearly as bad in the hot and humid summer ... I also try to do a bath every other day in the winter ...