My Son Has Red Cheeks

Updated on March 23, 2017
R.W. asks from New Braunfels, TX
23 answers

My son is 3 and has VERY red cheeks. When you look closely you can see little bumps all over his cheeks, when he is excited/hot/upset his cheeks get very flushed. I am sick of people commenting on his "rosy cheeks" and people saying "oh, it looks like he got too much sun today". He has the bumps on his arms and legs but not as noticable as his face. He has had these bumps/redness since birth and the pediatrician never seems to have an answer. The bumps do not itch, and it is not flaky like eczema. The closest thing I can find is roseca, but it doesn't quite look like that either, I have seen other people that look like him, I am wondering if anyone has any similar experience or a advice/diagnosis? We have not seen a dermatologist yet, that is my next step.

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A.C.

answers from Houston on

My son is now 14 mons.. He always gets this usually from the wind or in the summer from it being so hot. We moved from Cali and he never had this before.. Anywho, I use vasaline. That is it! Just kept them a little moist with a thin layer and it went away the next day.
Good Luck!!!

1 mom found this helpful
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K.S.

answers from San Antonio on

Not to contradict what everyone else is saying, but it sounds like what my toddler has. My doc calls it contact dermititis and, according to him, it is dry and irritated skin from rubbing against stuff (my shoulder, his hands, dad's pants, whatever). We put vasaline on his face every night after bath and whenever it seems dry and it is stays away - no redness, no dryness, no visible bumps.

good luck!

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M.K.

answers from Houston on

my son had the exact same thing, i used to used baby wipes to wipe his face after meals, and when i stopped it went away, so you could try that.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.G.

answers from Houston on

My cousin has two children who have a similar issue. They are both very fair-skinned and whenever they get hot/upset it looks like they have a bright red rash on their cheeks. The dermatologist told her that it was basically a form of heat rash. A trip to a pediatric dermatologist is your best bet for a diagnosis, since it could be caused by so many different things. Also, I would avoid giving the steroid cortisone to a child under 5, unless you've checked with your doctor. Even the over-the-counter creams can be harmful.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.G.

answers from Austin on

Hi, both of my babies had/have it. It sounds like Ketosis Pilaris. My 4 and a half year old out grew it but my 18 month old still has it. They both had it on their face, arms and legs. Neither had it really bad but their faces would flare up and turn red in heat, cold, or anything rubbing their face. It's really tough to treat but go online and read about it. Hopefully your son will outgrow it. Our doctor said that is likely to happen but they may be one of those adults that have the bumps on the back of their arms or it's possible it will be a severe case (if this happens, you will probably choose to try and treat it). Lastly, it is hereditary and a form of eczema (according to our pedi). Go online and read up on it; see if this sounds like the issue your little guy is facing. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.L.

answers from Austin on

Keratosis Polaris. I have it, my mother had it and my daughter also has it. Not a big deal. Last I checked, there wasn't a good treatment. We have found that oatmeal mint soap really softens the bumps. The oatmeal exfoliates and softens them. I had a dermatologist once that didn't know what it was, then another who knew immediately. My daughter outgrew the "rosiness" about age 3. We just keep the areas hydrated during the winter months. In summer it usually clears up a bit.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.K.

answers from Killeen on

My son is 11 years old and has had the same issues. Recently , he has had an episode of intense itching when he gets sweaty and now that has followed with tiny clear blisters all over his arms, legs, and back. They appear in the sun and go away when he cools off.

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L.B.

answers from Odessa on

Check out Fifth's disease on the internet and see if that's what it sounds like. It's a virus, and it's going around in Midland. It tends to hope around from city to city this time of year. We had it last year. If it's not that, you might try a probiotic. Your child might just be really allergic in nature.

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L.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Have you heard of the fifth disease?

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C.W.

answers from Waco on

Hi R.,
It may be from allergies to the detergent you are using- bath soap etc. My children could not have Ivory soap near them- and it was supposed to be 99.9% pure- but there was some chemical that broke them out just horrible. I tried dreft, and all the name brand products and nothing helped. I finally found a product that was chemical and toxin free and the issue was resolved.
I can send you the information if you PM me- I am not rtryinmg to sell you any products, just lettig you know what has worked for us and others in my family.
good luck and Blessings

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M.M.

answers from Corpus Christi on

I am a sales consultant with Mary Kay and I have seen this on adults. Dry Skin...that is all that it sounds like. Try to put baby lotion on his skin a couple of times a day, especially before going out in the weather. Also do it in the morning and after his bath when the water really can dry him out. It could be roscea because it does not always itch, but I have never seen roscea in a small child.

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S.B.

answers from San Antonio on

Eczema isn't always flaky. You might just try putting some heavy duty cream, like eucerian or aquaphor, on it at night; and see if that helps.

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M.D.

answers from Victoria on

Hello! My son has something very very similar. His cheeks are always red and he has red bumps on the backs of his arms continously. It doesn't itch and it's not flaky. My pedi. said that is was a form of eczema, very common, not many people know that that's what that is because of the stereotypical eczema. Not all eczema is going to be full on flaky itchy skin. He told me to get Eucerine (HEB has it) daily moisturizer and apply it twice a day. I saw an extreme difference in bumps and redness. I hope this helps! Also becareful with the detergent you use and don't let him wear anything new that hasn't been washed. The dr. also said that not taking a bath every night would help. Good luck!

M.S.

answers from El Paso on

Hi R., I battled it out w/ my son's pediatrician too & I FINALLY got him to give him a referral for both a dermatalogist AND an allergy dr. I went w/ the allergy dr. 1st and he explained my son (who is also 3) produces too many mast cells which causes the "breakouts"; red, small bumps all over his body. The sun & sweat make it worse. His cheeks would get really red too & thought maybe he had some sort of food allergy. That wasn't the case. Dr. prescribed zyrtec & that helped him.

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K.P.

answers from Houston on

My son has eczema and very sensitive skin. I know you said it is not eczema but try cordezone cream for his arms and legs and ask the doctor for a very mild one for the face. It helps. I mix it with sensitive lotion as to not use a lot because it is a steroid.

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A.C.

answers from Austin on

You are on the right track. I would ask your pedi. for a referal to see a dermatologist. You can ask for this over the phone (you don't need an appt with the pedi.) After that I don't know what to suggest. It is great that you are researching this yourself as we all have to be our own advocates. As for the people who like to make comments.... I guess I would just smile and say "no, it is just how God made him- beautiful!" I know how irritating it can be when other people make coments about your kids. It is easy to want to snap back and say "It is not to much sun! Don't you think I would put sunscreen on my child if he were outside!" Anyway... it sounds like you are a great mom and doing everything possible. Keep up the good work!

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A.K.

answers from Houston on

I agree with Brandy G. This sounds exactly was it is only I wasn't sure the name. My daughter has this really bad on her arms, legs, and face. It is flared up more than not. Not much I can do but to keep it hydrated as much as possible. Our pedi said to use aquaphor. It helps but nothing takes it all away. It doesn't bother her at all but just looks terrible. It is hereditary. I have it to. My mom took me to multiple dermotologist but none could ever resolve the problem. I tried cream after cream. It more or less is a type of allergy. I have it on my face and arms and it wasn't until after my first pregnancy that it started on my legs. It is embarassing and some kids outgrow it or it lightens up considerably. This will be a longterm problem so Good Luck. I plan to do some more research and I am currently in the process of switching all of her products to all natural or organic such as detergent, soap, and shampoo to see if that helps.

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J.L.

answers from Austin on

If you are able to, keep him away from other children today. He may have Roseola or Hand Foot and Mouth (which all kids get one time in their lives usually). It could be a simple allergic reaction to something, but you might want to just play it safe today. Here is something that may describe exactly what he has: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t082900.asp

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R.L.

answers from Houston on

When my song was a toddler his eczema started as small red bumps, and it wasn't always itchy. It could be Rosacea or Keratosis both are treatable. Or it could be an allergy. I agree I think it's time for you to seek a specialist or a second opinion, I am sure there is something that can help!

In the meantime make sure to wash with warm water and mild soap at bath time and follow with a lotion like lubriderm, or baby lotion as long as it doesn't have a lot of fragrance in it. Moisturizing is so important for skin conditions! Lubriderm I find is the best for calming skin. The one with oatmeal may help alleviate some of the redness he is having too!

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K.C.

answers from Houston on

My son is 10 and still have those same rosy cheecks and the little bumps. I agree with most of the posts that the best way to treat it is to keep it moist and the wind in the winter will make his cheecks very chapped (much more so than my daughter who does not have this.) When he gets really bad, I will put Vaseline or Aquaphor on him but on a daily basis I use a product from Shaklee called "multipurpose cream." It works really well in keeping his face soft. Although people mistake him for having a fever or being sick, most people think the really rosy cheeks are too cute so at least enjoy that aspect of it! Good luck!

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

try looking up "slap cheek" on the internet. also do a image search to see if they look simular. if your doctor has no answer keep asking different doctors till you get a real answer. we learned the hard way. best of luck. hope your little guy gets that cleared up quickly.

T.M.

answers from Houston on

My son is 14 months old and he has the same thing. One of the doctors at his doctors office had said it's a form of eczema. So when it flares up they said to give him benedral and in a few days it's pretty much gone. They also said to use the aveeno soaps and lotions and that's helped too.

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C.P.

answers from Austin on

You may want to make sure it's not "petechiae".

My little one often has flushed cheeks. He's fair skinned. He gets wind-burned very easily. One time he had petechiae (red dots all over his face). I brought him into the peditrician because petechiae can be a sign of something more serious.

There's probably no alarm, but think you might want to look at a few pictures of petechiae or ask your peditrician if this is what is is.

http://www.baby-medical-questions-and-answers.com/toddler...

Blessings!

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