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Mom has recently developed a rash under her tummy folds/in groin area/bottom. It appears to be intertrigo. In similar posts many recommend Desitin/zinc oxide. Frequent washing and drying of the area is also recommended. After applying zinc oxide to the area I tried washing it off my hands with soap and water but it wouldn’t come off. It took rubbing it off with a towel. I’m afraid rubbing the area for my mom will break the skin! Some of the areas are already cracked and so red. If I leave the Desitin there how can the skin be cleaned?
I will contact her doctor but it’s currently the weekend.
Many also recommend applying nothing and just letting the area dry. We will try to do this but Mom has had back surgery and does not lie flat in a bed. She stays full time in a lift chair. (She can get up and down and uses a walker to walk).
My other questions is whether there’s anything that can gently keep the stomach folds lifted—like a bra does for breasts?
Any advice is welcome!
I’m not her full time care giver but I am worried about her. :(

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Aveno makes a eczema cream for babies. It works very well.
Wash the area and pat dry gently. Then apply the cream. I find it very effective and gentle.
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I am 80 soon to be 81 in November. I have raised 4 children and helped raise 7 Grandchildren and 9 Great Grandchildren. We have basically never used anything but Udder Salve for diaper rash or any times the children or ourselves might have dry areas on our bodies. You can get it at most Drug Stores and Walmart usually carries it. It has been a life saver when some of the other creams that were recommended only made the areas worse. I still use it today. My husband, who has Alzheimer's, is a large man and has several folds and I try to keep them from getting infected in this way.
I the above mentioned stores do not carry it, any farm sales will have it in their
inventory.
You may think I'm senile, but try it, you might like it.

Naomi Hartness
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HijaPreocupada: Perhaps you can try tea tree oil as recommended online. Disclaimer: "Google said." However, your mother should really see her dermatologist.
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Psyclinz Oct 2022
I would be careful about using tea tree oil - because it can sting like mad when the skin is already irritated 😬
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Like a babies bottom, leaving the Desitin on will not hurt her. Just gently wash her for any contamination and apply new Desitin until the red cracks go away.

She can’t lay it down at all? Not on her side even if you prop her up? Humm. Maybe get some help with that. For the folds I don’t know, that’s a good one. A back brace? Pantyhose that you can cut the legs off but leave the mid drift area and see if that might work. Get a size too small? You’d have to Jimmy it of course. Or maybe something like a Corset. Good luck!
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I didn't like zinc oxide for my mom for that very reason. The key point is to keep the area dry. When it first started, skin seemed damp so I used powders and stuck a soft cloth in the fold. That seemed to jump start the healing. After that, I used a 50-50 mix of powdered desatin and powdered Zeasorb. Put in on the areas at least 2 times a day. Once totally cleared up, 1 x a day seemed to keep things drier.

Doctors would only order creams that did absolutely nothing except keep area moist.

As a side note, I tried to find some of the old bath powder fluffs that used to be so common as Christmas gifts. No longer popular, but Walmart has a few locked up in the area where makeup is sold. I dumped out the powder and used the container and fluff for her powder mixture.
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Hi
I found that desitin was almost impossible to remove without taking off some skin. A & D works. My husband's doctor prescribed Sulfadiazin cream ( an old burn treatment) that protests and heals his skin very well.
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Burnt is correct. Nystatin powder and cream work wonders. Washing skin with OTC Nizoral shampoo is great. It’s ketoconazole based. Spraying with athlete’s foot spray also works.
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My late husband had a big belly and suffered from a chronic fungal rash in the skin folds. We treated it with clotrimazole USP1% antifungal cream, which kept it at bay if we applied it *daily* to clean, gently patted-dry skin, after every bath. It was very inexpensive over the counter. I bought the store brand at Walmart in the athlete’s foot section. This worked better for us than prescription antifungal meds. The secret was to never miss a day; otherwise it would flare up bright red, nasty and painful.
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As an RN I loathed Desitin. I could never wash it off. It sticks through any washing and it cannot be removed without trauma to the skin. I used only A&D. Gentle soaping in the area with only a smooth bar of very gentle soap will eventually remove this. Be certain it isn't reapplied. I cannot believe anyone is still recommending this ointment, or that it is still being made.
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We use a nystatin powder which is prescribed my her doctor. It heals those rashes within a day and works way better than barrier creams/ointments. Once it is a rash like that it is typically a bacterial growth.
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AlvaDeer Oct 2022
The nystatin is for a fungal infection, so will work on that. No indication this is a fungal infection they are dealing with, but the nystatin certain will do no harm and any medicated powder will at least keep area drier. If it IS a fungal infection any ointment other than anti fungal will make it a good deal worse, holding in the fungus and keeping the area too moist.
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A & D ointment is the best for this believe me because I have the same problem as your mother and this is the best I have found. And I have tried everything believe me.

Prayers.
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Don’t use it. I’ve worked in nursing for over 35 years and destine is not the answer. Use A&D ointment for rashes and skin breakdown. If you must use destine, try taking it off with baby oil. That works. ☺️
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I have worked this issue with my wife. First understand what desitin is. It is a barrier cream designed to protect the skin from external influences. For example urine or unwanted moisture from reaching the skin. If the moisture is from the inside like sweat try something more like a deodorant or powder. Moisture its self is not the issue but the bacteria it breads. I have had very good luck with those deodorant stones. Also I had a nurse recommend cornstarch to help keep you dry.
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My mom has frequent rashes, fungal & sometimes yeast. Her primary prescribed
Keoconazole cream. We use soft baby wipes with soap & water to wash off excess cream before applying fresh cream. Keep the area dry. We have used gauze 4X4's and tucked into skin folds, left there to keep area dry.

For the days there are no rashes she uses gold bond powder. Daily inspection is needed on all fold areas to stay on top of these rashes. They can get bad fast.
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Be careful! I was so sick, if things had progressed to sepsis, I could have died from a severe rash that turned out to be a yeast infection. I'd had mild ones before, so I used Nystatin, but I couldn't really get rid of it - over a year! - until my derm gave me Keoconazole. your loved one should see a derm; if she can't go, consider a tele visit with the doctor or at least a photo from your cell phone to show the doctor. She shouldn't let this go! Also there are strips of cloth sold to separate a tummy fold from the abdomen - they are in lots of on line catalogs, check out ones like Dr. Leonard, etc. and several have them. God bless you for all you do.
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Try Aquaphor instead.
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I had intertrigo 2 years ago and had to see a dermatologist. She prescribed econazole nitrate cream. Took forever to clear up
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I had an aide tell me that Almay deodorant is good for folds of any kind. My Mom had problems under her breast. Use it once you get the rash cleared up. If fungal, it may take a while but can be prevented. She recommended the dry stick. She used it mainly when the area starts to get red but probably can be used as a reg routine. She claims it keeps the area dry. Yes, using a hairdryer will get rid of extra moisture.
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Under the tummy and groin area (if it's sides of the legs) there in an anti-fungal powder called phytoplex. The name brand is 'Remedy'. This works wonders. As for her backside, don't scrub her skin to get the Desitin off. It won't do any harm leaving it on. Just wash her normally when you bathe her.
Using cleansing spray specially formulated to clean urine and feces every time she goes will also help to clear up her skin conditions. Nystatin cream (perscription) or Nystatin powder is like a miracle for these conditions.
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My dermatologist recommends mixing prescription strength cortisone cream and nystatin cream.
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BurntCaregiver Oct 2022
The Nystatin cream is like a miracle.
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When you apply a thick ointment like that "pat" it on rather than wiping it on. Patting it on will have a finer coating than wiping it on. Just put a tiny bit on your gloved fingertips and pat. If you need more use a bit more. The area does not have to have a thick coating.
To get it off, soap and water. If it all does not come off do not worry about it. clean the area as best as you can. Excess will eventually come off. It will either come off on clothing or slough off as the skin sheds.
My Husband used to develop a rash like you are describing in the skin folds. The Hospice Nurse ordered Nystatin Powder and that worked well. The rash might be due to fungal (yeast) infection.
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I don't think you need to be aggressive in removing the ointment, it's there as a protective barrier and she likely wouldn't benefit from being be scrubbed back to raw skin.

Have you done a forum search on skin folds?
https://www.agingcare.com/search?term=skin+folds
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The hospital washed my mothers folds. Dried thoroughly with hair set on COOL. When dry they applied Nystatin powder to keep it dry.
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