natural remedies for impetigo

[Kuba'sMama]

Hi!
I need some advice for a mild case of impetigo in my ds (mild but annoying!) So he has the classic, yellowish scabs, around his lips and on them as well. They crust over, then they burst, it's all raw underneath, then they scab over again, yuck!
I was considering going to the dr. getting some antibiotics, but before I do, has anybody used any natural remedies? Or are antibiotics the only option? I do want to clear it up soon, my ds is a bit self-conscious about it. Thanks!

[sunset]

I have used Propolis many times with great success. It always clears things up very quickly.

[Crafty]

Honestly, if it's on his face, I wouldn't mess around with it- my son had a NASTY case of impetigo on his leg- the doctor actually thought it was a burn when she first looked at it because it was all bubbly and raised and disgusting looking, but as soon as I told her he'd had a small scratch on his leg before the bubbliness started.

I'm telling you this because we did the abx for it, and it healed up very quickly, but it left a mark for about a year, a discolored white patch that was pretty big. It's not something that I would've wanted on my kid's face, that's for sure. We tried healing with Neosporin, but it either just made it worse, or it did nothing and the impetigo got worse on its own. (I'd never seen a case of impetigo before ds's.)

Hope he heals up soon.

[SuburbanHippie]

I've cleared it up with tea tree oil before, but that was well before any blisters. I only knew it was impetigo at that point because my boys both currently had it. I had to give into oral abx for my youngest since it was on his face. My older DS just used Bactroban (topical abx) and it cleared up.

[Naturalyst]

Have you considered that it might be herpes simplex? Being around the mouth and on the lips is classic. And, there's a stage when the scabs are often yellowish. We've been there, done that.

[Plaid Leopard]

I had impetigo around my mouth that I got from one of my kids. What worked for me (and on my kids as well) is diluting vinegar and tea tree oil in warm water and then holding a wash cloth soaked in this mixture on the affected area. You can also gently rub off the crusty stuff once it has soeftened up from the soaking. Do this several times a day. We didn't have any problem with scarring or white spots.

[lookatreestar]

Originally Posted by SuburbanHippie

I've cleared it up with tea tree oil before, but that was well before any blisters. I only knew it was impetigo at that point because my boys both currently had it. I had to give into oral abx for my youngest since it was on his face. My older DS just used Bactroban (topical abx) and it cleared up.

how old was your youngest? maybe that is why our dr didnt give us a topical choice. my ds is only 8 months.