Extreme Diaper Rash

Updated on November 23, 2010
L.K. asks from Fargo, ND
38 answers

My girl has developed real bad diaper rash with her latest bout of teething. She's never had diaper rash before so I am extra concerned now...she has very raw red skin (it almost looks like it's blistering as if she's been burned!) and can barely stand to be touched for a diaper change. So far I have tried several different kinds of hypo-allergenic diaper creams and also witch hazel for a while. I tried to leave the diaper off for a while but she's popping/peeing so frequenly (probably from teething medicine) that it didn't last long.
Anyone have any good old remedies? I'm worried she's got my hyper-sensitive skin and am ready to take her to the doctor.

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So What Happened?

Thanks everyone for the help, there are sure a lot of creams on the market! But I can't believe how many of them have "fragrance added"! I'm allergic to frangrance compounds myself and I don't know why on earth anyone would purposely add them in something meant to go on baby's already irritated skin, grrr! I ended up trying a few different ones, gooping on the unscented Zincofax (zinc oxide) seemed to work best along with lots of time soaking in a warm bath, and then when we got in to see the doctor she got a prescription for a mild cortisone cream. Finally it's almost totally cleared up. Poor little thing. I will keep all of this advice handy in case there is another round coming!

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Take her to the doctor. When my daughter was younger, what I thought was diaper rash was actually a yeast infection and Lotrimin cleared it up. What you describe sounds the same. You never know but it sounds like it's time for the doc. Best of luck!

2 moms found this helpful

S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Believe it or not, we use vegetable oil for the worst, blistering diaper rashes. Works better and faster than a lot of specialty stuff we've tried, including prescriptions. Plus we know what's in it. I've heard that olive oil and coconut oil also work well.

2 moms found this helpful
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L.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

My Dr. recommended Triple Paste for that when nothing else works. It is expensive, but when the other pastes and creams aren't working it works and fast. Witch Hazel will add to the problem as it most likely will dry it out more. Good luck!

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C.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Best diaper rash creme ever is Arbonne's ABC Baby Care line natural diaper rash creme. Had three boys and used every kind. This one works the best and I think healthier for their bottoms!

2 moms found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Houston on

i use this stuff called "egyptian magic", basically its bee propolis, royal jelly and olive oil. All natural. It works every time on my daughter, and one time she had one of those killer rashes you are describing.

2 moms found this helpful
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N.B.

answers from Toledo on

There are a few things to try before going to the doctor. A&D ointment is really good for regular rash. If that doesn't work in a day, it may be yeast. In that case, try generic clortrimazole, which is in the feminine product section and the foot care section of any grocery or drug store. (Read the labels, because the generic versions are usually less than half the price of name brands like Lotrimin and Desenex.) To cover both bases, wash her butt with plain water, apply a tiny bit of clortrimazole, and put A&D over it as a moisture barrier. This never failed my babies.

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J.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

I haven't had time to read all the responses, but the ONLY time my twins had the rash you decribe is when we tried the Pampers Dry Max diapers. There have been a lot of complaints, and Pampers swears they do not cause this "burn-looking" rash, but they haven't ever had it again since I tossed a whole box of those diapers, and a whole lot of other mothers also swear that they caused a rash on their babies. I still use Pampers, but use the baby dry now. Just a thought, if that's the diaper you use.

To clear up a rash, I use the Desitin extra strength and also use Caldesene powder. Great stuff!

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L.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter went through that when she took antibiotics as a baby and it was terrible, I'm so sorry your poor little girl is going through that. We did lukewarm baths with a bit of baking soda sprinkled in, letting her air dry whenever possible (I know that's hard with little ones!) and then Aquaphor any time she was changed or bathed. I never had much luck with fancy diaper creams but Balmex always worked pretty well. The aquaphor will stay on too and will help heal. Good luck, don't worry it will pass. If you get too worried call your doc.

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K.J.

answers from Los Angeles on

I've heard about this. Sounds like an external yeast infection. Take her to Dr, should give you a cream and air time for your little one!

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C.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

Bag Balm, it's the best thing in the world!!!!! Ask your pharmacy for it, it's in a green square tin can. It's thick but just cake it on and I guarentee it will be better by next day.

J.L.

answers from Clarksville on

Hi L.,

You can use a 1-4 mix of diluted white or apple cider vinegar in her diaper or let her sit in the tub. If this rash is yeast, you will know because the vinegar neutralizes the yeast and inhibits growth.

If you find it is yeast, limit her intake of sugars, refined and processed foods and get her on a probiotic. Giving her yogurt with live active cultures will help her too.

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K.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

Skip the Bag Balm suggestions, and any other suggestion of products that will moisten the area. It sounds very much like a yeast rash, and yeast needs to be kept as dry as possible aside from creams like Lotrimin that will fight the infection. Talk to a pharmacist or see your pediatrician to make sure yeast is what she has.

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J.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Triple Paste I found is the best. You can get it from Target. There's no perfume in it and it started working for my daughter by the next diaper change, even when she had a blistery rash. Pat the area dry and pile it on. Also powder can help prevent these rashes when she is back to normal.

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B.I.

answers from Los Angeles on

Aquafor! Aquafor! Aquafor! We've been using it since my little one was 3 months old because of his eczema. The eczema is gone but we still use it all the time for any little scrap, rash , etc. He just had a major diaper rash due to teething as well, exactly as you describe. We kept his bum as dry as possible. At night, after saoking in the bath, which helps sooth an irritated bum, we would lather the Aquafor on. Each diaper change, we would make sure the area was dry and lather on the Aquafor. It was all gone in 2 days! Good luck!

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T.~.

answers from Raleigh on

Hi,
I did not read through all of the posts, so not sure if this "recipe" has been suggested or not? Mix equal parts of the following: Milk of Magnesia, A&D Ointment and Lotrimin. Make sure it is not too thick or thin. Apply at every diaper change. This has been a miracle worker for my little girl EVERY time she has had a severe diaper rash. My Dr also recommends that if after 5 days the rash is not gone to mix a new batch of the above ingredients and add some hydrocortisone to the mix.
Good Luck!!!

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D.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

DD used to get the same yeast/thrush diaper rashes. Motherlove Thrush and Diaper ointment was the best! I would put it on her bottom - no crying or fussing, unlike w/ other products - and cover it w/ a layer of Triple Paste. The rash would be better within a matter of hours, and be clear overnight.
http://www.amazon.com/Motherlove-759160230016-Diaper-Thru...
Nystatin (Rx) and Lotrimin didn't work and made her cry.

Good luck!

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V.G.

answers from Seattle on

First and foremost: AIR! Leave that diaper off as much as possible, just be ready with a towel for her pee or poop. It doesn't matter if she's goig often it really is the best thing, better some extra clean up than a miserable baby bum.
Wipe with a piece of cloth not packaged baby wipes, and for the yeast you could spray a mixture of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar upon wiping, the vinegar kills the yeast.
Angel Baby Bottom Balm by Earth Mama is the best diaper rash goop I have ever encountered. And I have used most creams on the market and also by prescription.
Good luck!

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H.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

When this happened to my daughter, the doctor had us blow dry her rear end and let her run around diaper-free for a bit. The doctor also had us use lotrimin and alternate that with the diaper creme. My mom is a big proponent of corn starch.

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J.B.

answers from Denver on

rinse her in the sink when she pees or poops instead of using wipes
use a cup to pour luke-warm water over her till the mess is rinsed away
it's MUCH more gentle than wipes
pat her dry gently with a soft clean cloth
call your doc and tell the doc about the rash
there is a cream the doc will prescribe called nystatin
it is a miracle worker and used for yeasty rashes (which is what you're describing)
use PETROLEUM jelly (unscented) it is protective and SOOTHING
doses of infant tylenol will help reduce her pain (Call your doc for proper dosing)

For the next time this happens-
make sure you have triple paste on hand (to use before you get to the raw butt phase)
and have your nystatin cream on hand in case it gets raw and rashy again

GOOD LUCK!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Take her to the doctor. She could have a yeast infection or fungal infection.
Didn't the witch hazel sting?

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D.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

It could be a yeast infection. Try a little cortozone & lotrimin. If it doesn't clear up go to doc, may need a prescription.

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N.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi L.. My son had the exact the same situation - his skin was so raw that it was inpossible to even wash the area with plain water. The only thing that saved us was Sea Buckthorn Oil. You can find it at a local Ayurveda store. It is all natural, you can even drink it (whenever someone has stomach ulcers). It has amazing healing properties.

Here is the also an internet site that I came across: http://floraleads.com/seabuckthorn/

For us, nothing helped, even $100 prescription creams. Good luck to you!!

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D.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

Bag Balm didn't work on my son's diaper rash. What worked great was Zinc Oxide. It's the main ingredient in diaper rash creams. I found it at Target behind the pharmacy counter and it costs less than $3. You don't need a prescription for it, just ask somebody from the pharmacy for one. Good luck!

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J.C.

answers from Nashville on

I would get an old towel that you don't mind getting dirty and take off that diaper and let her lie down on that towel for a while to air out. I also found that certain baby wipes made it worse on mine. The walmart brand baby wipes worked best for mine The huggies senitive wipes made it worse. Balmex is also a good diaper cream to use. Make sure she's dry before u put the cream on and when she wears a diaper change it every hour and then apply balmex.

T.L.

answers from St. Louis on

For my son I used Puppy Pads to let him air dry. They are just like the pads they put under you while you were in the hospital. When they pee you just wad it and throw it away. They cost about $4 for 18 of them at Wal-Mart.

Another thing I loved was Pinx Sav if you google it they have a web page. This stuff does miracles and works quickly. When nothing else worked my sister gave me a tube of this and it was a God send. My son had bilsters and was bleeding so it wasn't too pretty.

I wish you all the best in this area as I know it is a tuff one since each kid reacts differently to each cream/paste for diaper rash.

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R.B.

answers from New York on

Stop putting witch hazel on her immediately especially if the skin is broken. You might want to see if this is yeast. I second the bag balm. Great stuff. Oh and warm wash cloth no wipes.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Ditto the doctor. The "blistering" sounds like a yeast infection. My son got tons of those. There's not just the internal vaginal type of yeast infection... but also the skin type... which sounds exactly as you described. If so, she'll need an antifungal cream in order to clear it up.

Yeast infections are common in broken skin. My son's was from an allergic reaction to his wipes (we switched to cheap papertowels that we got wet and wrung out)... but the acids in diarrhea are another common cause of broken skin. The skin gets degraded and the yeast sets in and then misery.

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R.H.

answers from Boston on

mix some lotrimin cream (at the drugstore-sold over the counter for athletes foot) in with regular diaper rash cream. It sounds like a fungal rash. You can taker her to the pedi and they will probably prescribe nystatin which is similar. It's best to ditch the home remedies once it goes fungal. It's really tough to clear up when it gets to that point. My dd used to get it when she was younger. When nystatin didn't work well we used lotrimin and it worked like a charm. You might want to also consider feeding her less sugar/carbs while the rash is healing. If you really don't like the idea of using an anti-fungal you can try vaseline or some other occlusive barrier cream along with a sprinkling of corn starch powder to at least keep the skin protected from poop and pee (otherwise it will burn), but there is no guarantee it will heal on it's own without an anti-fungal.

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D.G.

answers from Las Vegas on

Another vote for Bag Balm. I've seen it at Walgreens; you can probably find it at other stores too.

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C.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

We just went through this with our little guy. The doctor said that it was turning into a yeast infection and so we had to treat it with a prescription topical called Nystatin. It has cleared up nicely. We did learn however that a great replacement for diaper cream is coconut butter. It works fantastic. Good coverage and smells nice. It can be purchased from any health food store and one jar will last a LONG time.

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C.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

no witch hazel. no diaper wipes. baths, plain ol wet wash clothes to clean up poop. I love triple paste. by far the best butt cream ever. over the counter lotrimin never worked for my kids-always ended up w/ a script. and, I also find that a dermatologist knows way more about rashes than the pediatrician. The ped is more of a, "try this, and if it doesn't work try this, oh, those didn't work, here is a script" type of guy.

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L.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi L.,

Talk with your pharmacist first, but I used to use the stuff used for "jock itch" when my daughter had a bad bout of diaper rash. I cleared it with the pharmacist, and the rash went away in about a day.

I'm so sorry she's so uncomfortable. I hope everything clears up soon and that she'll be feeling better in no time.

Take care,
L.

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S.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

My son is on week two of recovering from the exact same thing; he was prescribed two kinds of ointment by his pediatrician. One of them does burn his bottom when I put it on, but the blisters went away after 3-4 days of being on the ointment. Good luck

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G.F.

answers from Biloxi on

Triple ditto on the doc visit. They have better creams for the rash than store-bought kind. Second..do NOT wipe your child with baby wipes. Use a warm wash rag...or get her in a bath. Are you giving her any kind of juice? My kids got bad rashes even with juice diluted with water. Also, my oldest got rashes from just her diaper. Couldn't use Huggies or generic brands..had to be Pampers or Luvs.

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J.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hello, my son used to get diaper rashes often due to the antibiotics he was on frequently due to ear infections. The only one thing that truely worked was Triple Paste. If you have not tried this one, I definitely believe this is the one to try.

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A.C.

answers from Phoenix on

My daughter has super sensitive skin so she gets rashes pretty often. Any change in her poop will cause a rash! I've done the air thing, and using only baths to wipe her instead of wipes, and taken her to the doctor where I was told she did not have a yeast infection (even though she did have some small blisters). Basically, she's just really sensitive. For me, a heavy heavy coating of Balmex diaper rash cream with each diaper change usually seems to help.

With her last diaper rash, she was crying so hard when I went to change her diaper, she made herself throw up. Talk about making your heart break!!! I called my mom in tears the next day (too late to call her that night)and she told me that I was the same was as an infant and toddler and that she used browned flour. Hmmm....what is that you ask. Basically she told me to just scorch some regular flour in a frying pan on the stove and then use it like powder (once it cools of course). She recommended doing this at night and just piling it on. I'm not sure if it works or not as my DD's rash was much better the next morning, but I'm keeping it in mind for the next time!

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H.V.

answers from Los Angeles on

my son would also get terrible diaper rash with teething. i used aveeno diaper cream, aveeno oatmeal bath for baby (it's in a box), and aveeno oatmeal body wash for baby. i found that just plunking him in the bath for a little bit really helped and then letting him air dry. i've also used lotrimin just in case it was a yeast infection.

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G.B.

answers from Tulsa on

Try anti-acid liquid, like Mylanta or Maalox. We used it on a couple of kids in the center and it went away, uh, put it on the hiney, not in the stomach...lol. We poured some into a butter bowl lid and then used cotton balls to pat it on the skin. When teething their little stomachs can get so upset and they just shoot stomach acid out their hiney's.

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