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My baby girl is almost 3 months old. She has many layers of fat around her neck. When moisture gets trapped between the layers, a skin rash starts to develop.

  • We have been applying cream but it does not seem to help much
  • I am thinking of washing her neck three times a day and using a hair dryer to keep her neck dry and cool after each wash. Is this a good idea?
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  • I think it's a fine idea. As @SomeShinyObject stated, make sure the hair dryer is on low and far enough not to burn your daughter. Cream is only going to trap moisture under it, so I would not use any; Again, as SomeShinyObject stated, a bit of corn starch or some other baby-safe powder (not talc/talcum) might help when it's hot outside. If it's still a problem at her next visit, show her health care provider, and read up on signs of infection soon, so you'll know if you need to have her seen sooner.
    – anongoodnurse
    Aug 9, 2017 at 14:14

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Before I try anything else, all rashes on my children are treated with coconut oil. It is antifungal and antibacterial & many times this is more than enough for whatever is bothering them. If it persists past that I take them in. If it was a significant rash causing significant discomfort, I would go directly in, but so far we haven't had anything of that nature thankfully. The great news on coconut oil is that it's relatively cheap, available nearly everywhere, very safe for skin right from birth (barring any specific allergy) & isn't known to make anything "worse" even in the off chance it isn't helpful. It won't help bacteria grow and it won't help fungus grow.

And in case it makes you feel any better, I've been around lots of moms & babies over the years & neck rash is very common issue. All of my children seemed to have nearly no neck at all until closer to a year, so i just put oil on them daily at bedtime & that would keep it away. If I forgot, they would always get irritated, and then I would just remind myself not to miss that spot.

With an active irritation (anywhere, not just on the neck) I use a washcloth & water only. Any soaps, etc are just likely to irritate the skin in my experience. I would skip "cleansing" the area & stick to wiping it with just water & then try the oil. This is standard advice on diaper rashes & such as well when you see a doctor. The soap and any fragrance, etc is harsh on skin that is already reactive.

The link shows the findings on how coconut oil compares to other treatments on fungus.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17651080

Adding another link. This one shows how it kills bacteria too. It's a good read. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC90807/

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Don't use the hair dryer. That will dry her little neck skin out even more and cause a further rash. Use a dry cloth and gently dab the moist areas after you wash it. Don't apply to much moisturizer either. If the rash persists, I advise seeing a doctor to see if it's not infected.

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  • If the rash is caused by wetness, how might drying her skin with a hair dryer make it worse?
    – anongoodnurse
    Aug 8, 2017 at 23:55
  • I supposed if the hair dryer is used on a cool setting, it would help. Using the hair dryer on the standard heat setting will dry out the skin too much and even potentially burn baby. Also, rapid air movement across the skin surface tends to drag moisture away quicker than intended. This is why our lips/face get dry during harsh winds. Plus a dry towel can be used anywhere versus something requiring electricity.
    – SomeShinyObject
    Aug 9, 2017 at 0:02
  • You might want to edit your answer? Or not.
    – anongoodnurse
    Aug 9, 2017 at 14:15

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