How to look after children’s hair, skin and teeth Essay

Children’s skin and hair should be appropriately looked after as when children develop they become more and more independent especially in their skin and hair care routines. It is vital to make sure the children are being washed and taught to look after themselves whilst they are being cared for by parents, guardians or staff at the nursery. If a child has really bad skin or an infection he/she will start to feel uncomfortable which is terrible for a young child to go through. Parents and staff members at the setting need to cooperate with one another in order to find out about the child’s skin and hair care routine. Every child may have different routines based on their family’s traditions and needs if the child has an allergy or irritation, the parents will have to advice staff at the setting what products would be best to use for them. SKINCARE Daily skin care for toddlers The skin protects the body from catching any infections, a few points to avoid this are: Changing nappies carefully to keep away from infections Wipe or wash the sweat of bodies to avoid sore areas and inflammation Keep the skin moisturised appropriately Young children should be taught how to wash their hands and praising them should encourage them to want to repeat the routine again as well as making them confident Hand wash should be used carefully as it may dry the skin out if too much is given continuously to children Never should any child be left alone near water Only use specific products which are given and agreed by parents to use if children have allergies or skin conditions for example eczema. Use gentle, fragrance-free cleansers and soaps. To prevent dry skin and rashes, apply sufficient amounts of moisturizer after bathing. Bug bites -The most common bug bites are from fleas, mosquitoes, wasps, or bees. -To avoid bug bites, apply an insect repellent which will help fast -Bites and stings are very common in children, mainly during the spring and summer months. Among the insects that often bite and sting are spiders, mites, mosquitoes, flies, fleas, ants, bees, and wasps. Skin Care Routine For Children 1 year and older- Babies and children should have daily showers every week to keep clean as they do often sweat whilst sleeping and so bathing is important in order to keep them hygienic. If in some cases the baby or child is advised not to bathe every day due to dry skin or eczema then there another way of is to gently wash their hands/fingertips with a soft cloth and only in key areas wash the face, under arms and the groin area which are the main areas. After the children have been washed a moisturiser should be applied on the entire body with the correct cream that matches the child’s skin. Babies (Under 1 year): Gently wipe the body with a soft cloth once a day with a mild cleanser. Tenderly wipe the face with water. Babies are recommended to bathe every 2-3 days a week. after they have been washed, with the appropriate creams moisturise the whole of the body especially on the areas such as elbows, knees and hands as they tend to become dry. Moisturising for babies under 6 months is not necessary as the skin does not get dry due to the pores still developing however if there are any dry patches then the creams should be applied. The products for children and babies that should be used are lightly fragranced shampoos, body wash or products like Johnson Head to Toe body wash is simple to apply and does the entire job as shampoo or conditioner is not needed, everything is inside the product already or Aveeno Baby Moisturizing Lotion is another option. HAIRCARE – Taking to parents or the child, will help staff find out about the child’s needs – Children with allergies will require certain or recommended products from parents -Head lice is common, the lice live on the scalp. There are various types of treatments which may include special lotions and combs -Black children may have certain oil rubbed in their hair and might not wash their hair frequently. Using adult’s shampoos in a child’s hair would not be appropriate as it may sting the child in the eye or irritate them on the scalp and so using the right shampoo, and using the proper detangling technique is vital in order to keep the child’s hair healthy. When children are young it is the best time to teach them how to wash, rinse, comb and style their hair as well as doing this in a routine so the children learn quickly and become used to the routine so they can independently do it themselves. Young children’s scalps and still developing and their hair texture may not reveal itself until he/she is at least 8 years of age. If a sensitive head has had harsh products that include chemicals used to it on a daily basis then it is possible that the child’s hair will always be damaged and it could lead to hair loss in the future. A baby’s hair will grow and be free rather than tied up or patterns created in the hair. It is better to let the hair be loose and allow it to feel light. Gentle shampoos and gentle techniques when combing or brushing will leave the hair to its own device. Putting a little oil or water is all the child’s hair needs as not much is required and after a matter of time the child will have a head full of thick healthy hair. Hair care tips: Washing – wash hair using a mild shampoo that doesn’t sting the child’s eyes. When they are old enough, teaching them how to shampoo and rinse their own hair will help them learn to do it themselves. Conditioner should be used when the child is older and has longer hair but avoid putting conditioner on the scalp. Tangles – detangling is best done before the child’s hair is washed. Use a wide tooth comb and start at the bottom of the hair, working your way up. Tangles can cause terrible battles between the parent and child. To reduce the pain of combing tangled hair, hold the section of hair you are trying to comb tightly. For extremely hard tangles, a good de tangler will help. Combing/Brushing – encourage your child to comb/ brush their own hair. Do not brush the hair too much as it will leave the hair very greasy. Use a comb, not a brush on hair that is wet. It increases the shine and minimizes hair breakage. Accessories – use good q uality brushes, combs and accessories for your child’s hair. Kids love having fun clips and hair ties. Avoid hairclips hat are sharp, as these can hurt the scalp and  cause hair damage. Keeping hair neatly tied back is a good way of avoiding hair tangling. TEETHCARE Teeth develop in a specific order and also the way they are looked after is important. A few facts for teeth are listed below: – Babies are born with teeth growing inside their gums – The average age when teeth start to show is 6 months -There are 20 teeth in the first set that appear, these are called the ‘milk teeth’ – Milk teeth show at the age of 2-3 years – From 5 years old and onwards milk teeth start to fall out -When children are 6 years old, permanent teeth start to come out – Larger teeth replace the milk teeth – Molars and incisors are the first permanent teeth to appear – Braces are sometimes needed to repair permanent teeth that are uneven. Chewing is good for the teeth however sweet sugary foods can cause decay. Encouraging every child to brush their teeth after each meal is vital. When the baby is born, he/she will already have 20 primary teeth, some which are fully developed in the jaw. Using a damp washcloth over the baby’s gums after feedings can prevent creating bad bacteria. Once the child has a few teeth showing, brushing them with a soft child’s toothbrush or rubbing them with clean gauze at the end of the day will help keep the teeth healthy if the routine is carried out daily. Babies can develop dental decay problems due to feeding habits not put into practice, for example putting a baby to sleep with a bottle in his or her mouth may be suitable in the short term however it can damage the baby’s teeth as the sugars from the juice or milk remain on a baby’s teeth for hours, they may eat away at the enamel building up a condition that is called ‘bottle mouth’. Signs of b ottle mouth are discoloured front teeth. This may lead to pulling out all the front teeth until the permanent teeth grow in. Times and a routine should be set to give children the bottle in order to help them prevent damage to their teeth. Children aged 1-3 should only use toothpaste if their cavity risk is high but then again the amount should be the size of a pea. Children who are aged 1-3 years with low cavity risk do not need to use toothpaste as a wet toothbrush is fine. From the ages 3-6, children again should use a pea size  amount of toothpaste which has to be applied by an adult. Children should be told and encouraged to spit out the excess after brushing their teeth. Bad TeethOutcome of Bad teeth Perfect teeth