I don't know if this could be impetigo... or something else

[rubidoux]

My 3 year old has had a red spot on his cheek near his mouth about the size of a dime for probably five days now and last night he started developing some similar redness just over his lips.  He says it's not itchy, but I just looked up to see him scratching it a moment ago.  He has had a bit of a cold and keeps rubbing snot on it, so that doesn't seem to be helping.  lol  But it's not weepy or scabby or blistery.  Can it still be impetigo?  It feels more like chapped skin, like dry but not scaly.  

If it is impetigo, I'm scared of letting it go too long, like maybe it's harder to treat if left unattended, but I don't know where I got that idea.  So I saw some posts here saying that dial soap and neosporin is standard treatment for impetigo and that Dr. Sears recommends something along those lines.  I wonder if I should just start doing that now or wait a couple of days and see what happens.  Does anyone have any experience or thoughts about it?  Or know of something that would cause this kind of redness?  The only reason I don't think it is straight up chapped skin is that it was this perfectly defined dime-sized spot, which doesn't seem typical of chapped skin to me.

eta a pic:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14054236@N02/7275972398/" title="Untitled by smileypomegranate, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7275972398_e663fe63ab.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Untitled"></a>

Well, it didn't work, but you can see the pic if you click on the top part.  It's a little redder in real life.  Sorry about the yucky nose!  

Edited by rubidoux - 5/26/12 at 5:06pm

[rubidoux]

I'm bumping this because it's worrying me.  Its much redder and angrier looking now and he's saying that the part above his lip is hurting.  If it was just the part above his lip I would say it was definitely chapped, but the other spot has been there for several days longer and I don't think it could be chapped.  He has a little cold, but we're in san diego and the weather has not been chapped lip weather, no heat on or anything.  

[rubidoux]

Still wondering if anyone has any ideas.  It's been over a week now and he's still got it.  I know it doesn't look bad in the pic, but it is redder in real life and it's obvious enough that a couple of people have asked what's wrong.  I am feeling pretty sure its not impetigo (still no weepiness) or eczema (doesn't seem itchy at all), but it is hurting him.  If anyone has any ideas of something mild but healing that I might put on it...  I think in the morning I'll put some coconut oil on it.  I didn't do the neosporin and dial soap.  It just didn't seem like it was impetigo.

[eightykatie1]

Sorry to hear you so worried. Luckily it doesn't look like impetigo. We had a little outbreak a while back after swimming in a lake over Labor Day weekend so I am very familiar and be grateful because impetigo is hard to get rid of. That said a little neosporin, if you're okay with using topical antibiotics, would likely clear that right up. It also might be a little fungal infection, in which case you'll just want to wash the site with mild soap and dry it completely a few times a day and use s bit of a mild barrier cream like a diaper salve with zinc or calendula. Weleda makes one that I use on every thing. When my little boy has a cold he will regularly break out in little red angry, dry-ish patches on his cheeks, nose and chin. I think it is just how his little system expresses stress from fighting infection. Good luck, hope the owner of that sweet little snotty nose feels better soon.

[rubidoux]

Thanks, eightykatie!  It is looking a little better this morning.  It has generally looked a bit better in the a.m., so I'm not convinced its on its way out yet.  If it gets worse as the day wears on, I'll try the neosporin.  I think its possible its the same as what your little guy gets when he's sick.  He's had a little bit of a cold all week.  My fingers are crossed.

[AmeliaPerez]

It's hard to say if it's impetigo or some other rash. There are several types of impetigo and not all of them may cause blisters. Anyway it's better not to practice self-treatment but to consult your doctor. I'm sure he'll recommend you an effective remedy. Here you can read more about impetigo symptoms in children and find some photos.