Season for cracked skin is here, and dry skin is rapidly increasing in children and babies Nutritional testing to strengthen skin barrier function to begin in December 2024

2024.12.19 09:30

江戸堀サンテクリニック

Dry weather warnings are being issued in Osaka on an increasing number of days. With this, more and more people are suffering from redness and itching caused by dryness. Edobori Sante Clinic (Location: Nishi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka; Director: Tetsuo Furuya) has started nutritional testing to strengthen the skin barrier function from December 2024.

Director.

[Due to the summer heat wave, be careful of dry skin this winter.

More and more dry weather warnings are being issued in Osaka. Dry and rough skin is a concern every year, but this year we need to be especially careful. This is because the prolonged heat wave this year has caused damage from ultraviolet rays and sweat to accumulate on your skin, making it more prone to skin problems caused by dryness.

Dry skin can become flaky, rough, itchy, and cracked. This is not only a problem for adults, but also an increasing number of children and babies with dry skin.

The number of children and babies suffering from dry skin is increasing.

The number of children and babies with dry skin who complain of redness and itchiness is increasing in our clinic as well. 20 years ago, we rarely saw such patients, but the number has been on the increase for 7 to 8 years, and the number is increasing every year. Children now account for more than 10% of all patients. The itching is caused by eczema due to dryness, but children tend to scratch easily and get scars, which can become infected in severe cases.

This year, due in part to the extremely hot summer, more than three times as many children came to our clinic with dry skin compared to the summer, and more than 1.5 times as many as last year.

Many parents do not moisturize their babies because they think they are not dry, or they do not notice until it gets worse. Many parents, especially with their first child, think that this is the way babies' skin should be, and are sometimes surprised when we point out their dry skin.

Preventive measures for dry skin include,

(1) Apply Vaseline over a penetrating moisturizer such as Hydroid

(2) Avoid rubbing as much as possible when washing skin during bathing.

(3) Avoid prolonged bathing, which can damage the skin's barrier function.

(3) Avoid prolonged bathing as it can damage the skin barrier function.

[Start nutritional testing for children and babies.

Although dry skin is said to be mainly caused by a loss of skin barrier function, it is known that moisture from inside the body has more to do with it. Moisturizers only moisturize the surface of the skin, mainly the epidermis, but not the dermis, which is even deeper. Vitamin B is important for moisture from the inside of the body.

At our clinic, we provide nutritional therapy and check for vitamin B deficiency through blood tests, and if there is not enough, we supplement vitamin B. In fact, when we actually test the skin, we find that the skin is dry, and that the skin is not moisturized. In fact, when we conducted the test, we found that very often children and babies with dry skin are deficient in vitamin B. That is why we have started to conduct nutritional testing for children in our clinic.

Director's comment: "Compared to the past, the number of children and babies with dry skin seems to be increasing greatly. Mothers of such children and babies are almost always dry as well. Mothers and children often share the same diet, so their nutritional status is similar. We offer nutritional therapy and believe that lack of nutrition is one of the causes of dry skin."

Nutritional Testing for Children and Babies Treatment Summary

Test price: Reimbursed by insurance

Method of examination: Blood test

Test Contents: Nutritional deficiency is diagnosed from a general blood test.

　　　　　Basically, the test is covered by insurance,

　　　　　If you wish to have a more detailed examination, it can be done at your own expense.

　　　　　The fee for the self-paid test is 27,500 yen (tax included).

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