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Children's skin

Rashes on a small child look alike and behave differently. These pages describe what distinguishes eczema from cradle cap from molluscum, what resolves without treatment, and what a pediatrician wants to see sooner rather than later.

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Children's skinBaby Acne, Milia, and the Newborn Bumps That Look AlikeNew babies get bumpy skin, and the internet's differential is not reassuring at 2am. Baby acne, milia, erythema toxicum, heat rash, cradle cap — most newborn bumps are benign and self-limited, and knowing which is which spares a lot of worry. This walks through the common ones, how they differ, what helps, and the specific signs that mean a rash should be seen rather than watched.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinClearing Scabies From a Child and the Whole HouseholdScabies is not a hygiene problem and not something a family did wrong — it is a mite that passes between people in close contact, and clearing it means treating everyone at once, not just the child who itches. This guide covers the prescription treatment, how to treat a whole household on one day, what to wash, why the itch lingers, and how to tell scabies from its many look-alikes.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinMolluscum: The Case for Waiting and the Case for TreatingMolluscum is a harmless viral rash that almost always goes away by itself, which is why the real question is rarely 'how do I kill it' but 'is it worth treating at all.' This guide lays out the honest case for waiting, the specific reasons to treat, what the treatments involve, and the red, angry bump that looks infected but usually means the end is near.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinOrdinary Diaper Rash or Yeast? How to TellMost diaper rashes are simple irritation and clear in a few days with barrier cream and drier diapers. But a rash that lingers, brightens to an angry red in the creases, and sprouts little outlying spots is often yeast — a different problem that needs a different cream. Here is how to tell them apart, and when a rash means a call to the doctor.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinSun Protection for Babies Too Young for SunscreenThe short version: babies this young are kept out of strong sun rather than coated in sunscreen, because shade, clothing, and timing protect delicate skin better than a lotion can. But sunscreen is not off-limits in a pinch. Here is what pediatric guidance actually advises for babies under six months, how to choose and apply a product when you need one, and what changes at six months.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Parent's Rash Decoder: What Common Childhood Rashes Look LikeA new rash on a child sends every parent to the search bar. This decoder does what a photo cannot: it walks the features that actually sort one rash from another — itch, fever, texture, location, whether it blanches — and names the common culprits from eczema and hives to ringworm, viral rashes, and diaper rash. Most are minor. The point is knowing which few are not.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Rash Signs That Mean Call the Doctor NowA rash on its own rarely means danger. The signal is what travels with it — fever, pain, a spot that will not blanch, skin that peels, breathing that changes. This is a parent's field guide to the handful of rashes that need a phone call or an emergency room today, and the far larger number that simply need patience.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Strawberry Mark: A Parent's Guide to Infantile HemangiomasMost strawberry marks are harmless and shrink on their own, but the few that matter are best caught early, while there is still a window to change their course. This guide walks through how infantile hemangiomas grow and fade, which ones get treated and why, what propranolol does, ulcerated sores and their care, and the signs that mean a same-day call.Children's skin | education
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Children's skinBaby Eczema: What Parents Need to KnowBaby eczema (atopic dermatitis) causes dry, itchy, red patches — most common on the cheeks and scalp in infants and in the skin folds as babies grow. It affects up to 20–25% of children, is not contagious, and most improve with age. Gentle daily moisturizing and avoiding triggers are the foundation of care.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinBirthmarks in Children: Types, What Is Normal, and What to WatchMost birthmarks are harmless and require no treatment. They fall into two groups: pigmented marks involving skin color and vascular marks involving blood vessels. Some fade on their own — most infantile hemangiomas shrink significantly by age 10 — while others persist. A provider should evaluate any birthmark that grows rapidly, bleeds, changes texture, or sits in a sensitive location.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinCradle Cap in Babies: Flaky Scalp ExplainedCradle cap causes greasy, yellowish or brownish scaly patches on a baby's scalp, and sometimes the eyebrows, eyelids, or behind the ears. It is harmless, not contagious, and not a sign of poor hygiene or allergy. Very common in the first months of life, it usually clears on its own, and gentle home care can help in the meantime.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinDiaper Rash That Won't Clear Up: What Parents Should KnowA diaper rash that lingers more than three to five days despite barrier cream and frequent changes may not be a simple irritation — a yeast infection is the most common reason it persists. Other causes include contact dermatitis or, less often, a bacterial infection. A provider can identify what's happening and whether a prescription is needed.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in ChildrenHand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness in children under 5 that causes painful sores in the mouth and a rash or blisters on the hands and feet. It spreads easily in daycare settings, and most cases are mild and clear on their own within seven to ten days.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHeat Rash in Babies and Toddlers: Small Bumps, Summer SkinHeat rash in babies and toddlers causes tiny red or clear bumps when blocked sweat ducts trap sweat under the skin. It appears most often in warm weather and in skin folds where sweat collects. Cooling the skin, removing extra layers, and avoiding overdressing usually clear it within a few days without any creams or medication.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHives in Children: What They Are and When to ActHives are itchy, raised welts that come and go, common in children after a viral infection or an allergic reaction. Most episodes are uncomfortable but not dangerous and settle with simple care. Hives combined with swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, or vomiting signal a serious allergic reaction and need emergency care right away.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinImpetigo in Children: What Parents Need to KnowImpetigo is a common, highly contagious bacterial skin infection in children, most often between ages two and five. It shows up as small red sores that break open and form a honey-colored crust, usually around the nose and mouth. Most cases are mild and clear reliably with a topical or oral antibiotic a provider prescribes.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinMolluscum Contagiosum in Children: Small Bumps, Big QuestionsMolluscum contagiosum is a common viral skin infection in children that causes small, pearly or flesh-colored bumps with a central dimple. The bumps are painless and, in healthy children, clear on their own without treatment — though it can take many months to two years. It spreads by skin contact and scratching, so covering bumps and not sharing towels help limit it.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinRingworm in Kids: What It Is and How It's TreatedRingworm is a common fungal skin infection in children — not a worm despite its name. It usually appears as a round, ring-shaped red patch with a clearer center. Ringworm on the body often responds to over-the-counter antifungal cream, while scalp ringworm (tinea capitis) needs a provider and a prescription oral antifungal.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinSunburn in Children: Care, Comfort, and PreventionA child's sunburn comes from overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Most mild sunburns can be managed comfortably at home with cooling measures and good skin care. Blistering, fever, signs of dehydration, or any sunburn in an infant warrants a provider or urgent care visit, because childhood sunburn also adds to lifetime UV damage and melanoma risk.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinTeen Acne: Understanding Breakouts and Building a Skin Care RoutineAcne affects most teenagers and happens when pores clog with oil and dead skin cells. A gentle daily routine — a mild cleanser, a non-comedogenic moisturizer, and sun protection — is the foundation, and over-the-counter ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and adapalene help. A provider can offer stronger options for persistent, cystic, or severe breakouts.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWarts in Children: Common, Harmless, and TreatableWarts are common, harmless skin growths in children caused by strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). Most clear on their own over time — about 93% resolve by age 16. Over-the-counter salicylic acid can help, and a provider can discuss options like freezing if a wart is painful, spreading, or on the face.Children's skin | education
Pediatric derm
Children's skinAre Steroid Creams Safe on a Baby's Skin?Steroid cream on a baby's face is one of the more anxiety-inducing prescriptions a parent can be handed, and the fear is understandable — a baby's skin is thinner and more absorbent than an adult's. The truth is more reassuring than the anxiety suggests: used the way a pediatrician or dermatologist actually prescribes it, a topical steroid is one of the best-studied treatments in pediatric dermatology. Here is what it is used for, what can go wrong with the wrong use, and what careful use looks like.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinBeyond the Face: Treating a Teen's Back and Chest AcneAcne below the neck gets less attention than facial acne, but it's just as treatable — it just plays by slightly different rules. Sweat, tight sports gear, and backpack straps add friction that facial skin never deals with, and a cream that works fine dabbed on a cheek doesn't scale to a whole back. Here's what actually clears truncal acne, when oral treatment or isotretinoin enters the picture, and how picking-related scarring gets protected against along the way.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinCafe-au-Lait Spots: When the Count MattersA handful of light brown, evenly colored patches on a child's arms or trunk rarely worries anyone, and it shouldn't: most children have at least one, and it means nothing at all. The question that actually matters is how many there are and how big they are, because past a certain point the pattern shifts from a common, harmless finding to one worth having a pediatrician look at more closely.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinCaring for a Baby's SunburnInfant skin burns faster and more severely than older children's or adult skin, because it's thinner, has less natural pigment protection, and covers proportionally more body surface relative to a baby's small size. That combination means a sunburn that looks moderate can carry a bigger fluid-loss and pain burden for a baby than the same-looking burn would for an adult.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinChicken-Skin Bumps on a Child's Cheeks and ArmsA rough, sandpaper-like texture on a child's cheeks and arms that flares with cold weather is a pattern parents ask about often, and it's usually a benign, extremely common condition rather than eczema, ringworm, or anything that needs urgent treatment. This covers why it clusters on the cheeks specifically in young kids, how to tell it apart from its look-alikes, and what gentle care actually helps.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinChoosing a Moisturizer That Calms Baby EczemaStore aisles full of eczema creams promising to be the one that finally works can make choosing feel higher-stakes than it needs to be. This article explains what the evidence actually says about moisturizer choice for baby eczema, why thickness matters more than most specific ingredients, which additives are worth avoiding, and how application timing changes how well any product performs.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinDoes What a Teen Eats Actually Cause Acne?Every generation of teenagers hears some version of the same warning: greasy food, chocolate, or dairy will wreck their skin. The honest answer is more complicated than a flat yes or no. Hormones, genetics, and skin biology do most of the work in teen acne, diet is a plausible but modest secondary factor for some people, and a few of the most commonly blamed foods have surprisingly little evidence behind them.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinGentle Ways to Clear a Child's Finger WartA rough, dotted bump that shows up on a child's finger is almost always a common wart, and clearing it is mostly a matter of consistent technique rather than finding a magic product. The steps that actually move the needle — soaking, filing, applying acid to the right spot, and protecting the area overnight — matter more than which brand of treatment sits in the medicine cabinet.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHand-Foot-Mouth or Chickenpox? Two Blistering RashesA parent staring at a feverish child covered in blisters is usually trying to answer one of two questions: is this hand, foot, and mouth disease, or chickenpox? The two viral rashes share a fever and a crop of fluid-filled bumps, but they diverge in where the blisters show up, how itchy they are, and how the lesions evolve — differences reliable enough to sort out from a careful look.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHives After Amoxicillin: Allergy or a Viral Rash?A child covered in hives a day after starting amoxicillin sends most parents straight to worry about a drug allergy, but timing tells most of the story. Hives that erupt during the dose itself, or soon after, are the pattern of a true allergic reaction; hives that show up well into the illness, especially alongside a runny nose or sore throat, usually trace back to the virus the antibiotic was prescribed for in the first place.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHives Everywhere, No Fever: What's Usually Behind ItWidespread hives with no fever in a child usually mean the immune system is reacting to something — often a virus that's already passed, sometimes a food or a recent antibiotic — rather than signaling anything dangerous on its own. This article walks through what typically triggers pediatric hives, how to soothe the itch at home, what the missing fever actually tells you, and the specific signs that mean this is more than ordinary urticaria.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHow a Chickenpox Rash Moves Through Its StagesChickenpox rarely shows up as one uniform rash. Instead, a child ends up with a mix of red bumps, fresh blisters, and older crusted spots scattered across the body all at once, because the rash arrives in waves over several days rather than all in a single go. Here is how each stage looks, how long the whole thing runs, and what separates ordinary chickenpox itch from something worth a call to the pediatrician.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHow a Diluted Bleach Bath Helps Eczema-Prone SkinBleach in the bathtub sounds alarming until the concentration involved is understood: far weaker than a swimming pool, and used as one part of a bathing routine many children with eczema already follow. This article explains the reasoning behind diluted bleach baths, how they fit alongside moisturizing and any prescribed treatment, why exact dilution should come from a clinician rather than a general guide, and the signs that mean to stop and check in.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHow Long Molluscum Really Takes to ClearParents asking how long molluscum lasts are usually really asking when it ends — this covers the typical timeline for one bump versus a whole outbreak, why autoinoculation and immune status change that timeline so much, what the final stage of a bump often looks like, and when a course that's dragging on is worth a second look rather than more waiting.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHow Pets Pass Ringworm to KidsDespite the name, ringworm has nothing to do with worms — it is a fungal infection of the skin, and pets are one of the most common sources of it in children. Kittens are the classic carrier, often shedding the fungus without any bald patches or scaling of their own. Here is how to recognize a pet-acquired patch, treat it, and stop it moving through the household.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinHow Propranolol Shrinks a Growing HemangiomaMost infantile hemangiomas need nothing more than time — they grow for months, then slowly fade on their own. Propranolol for hemangioma changes that calculation for the minority that grow fast, threaten to interfere with an eye, the nose, or feeding, or ulcerate: a daily oral beta-blocker, started early and monitored carefully, has replaced older treatments as the first choice for shrinking a hemangioma that can't simply be watched.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinImpetigo, Daycare, and the Back-to-School RulesHow fast impetigo spreads, and how long a child stays contagious, are two different questions — this covers both, plus what actually counts as close contact, how impetigo compares to other contact-spread childhood rashes like ringworm and scabies, and the practical return-to-school timeline parents actually need to plan around drop-off and pickup.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinItchy Bumps: Telling Scabies From EczemaA toddler who suddenly cannot stop scratching sends most parents straight to a search bar, and scabies and eczema are the two most common explanations that come up. They share the itch but differ in almost everything else — where the rash lands, whether anyone else in the house is affected, and what actually treats it. Here is how to tell them apart before the pediatrician visit, and what happens if the rash turns out to be both.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinNew Moles in Childhood: Usually Normal, Sometimes Worth a LookA parent noticing a new mole on their child's skin is one of the most common reasons for a worried search at 2am, and in the great majority of cases, new moles are simply part of normal childhood skin development. This article walks through why moles keep appearing through childhood, the specific features that separate routine from worth-checking, and the concrete steps — photographing and tracking, not guessing — that actually help a clinician evaluate one.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinPort-Wine Stains and Why They Don't Fade on Their OwnNot every red or pink mark on a newborn behaves the same way. Salmon patches fade within a year or two, some blue-gray birthmarks lighten through childhood, and infantile hemangiomas grow for months before slowly shrinking — but a port-wine stain does none of that. It stays, and understanding why changes what's worth doing about it, from early laser treatment to knowing which locations warrant a closer look.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinReading the Blisters of Hand, Foot, and Mouth DiseaseSmall, oval blisters on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth are the signature of hand, foot, and mouth disease, a viral illness that moves quickly through households, daycares, and preschool classrooms every summer and fall. Most children need nothing more than comfort measures while the virus runs its course, though a few signs mean it is worth a same-day call to the pediatrician.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinStork Bites and Angel Kisses: The Fading BirthmarksNearly every newborn nursery sees at least one of these pink patches, and pediatricians consider them the most common vascular birthmark of infancy. Unlike a strawberry mark or a rash, a salmon patch doesn't grow and doesn't need treatment — its location on the face versus the neck predicts almost everything about whether it fades completely or stays as a faint, permanent feature.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThat Red, Angry Molluscum Bump Is Often a Good SignParents often panic when a molluscum bump that had been sitting quietly for weeks suddenly turns angry-looking — red, puffy, maybe a little crusty. In most cases that change is a well-documented part of the bump's natural course, not a sign anything has gone wrong. This article explains what's actually happening under the skin, how to tell ordinary inflammation from a true secondary infection, and what, if anything, helps while the body finishes the job.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Blotchy Newborn Rash That Clears on Its OwnA newborn covered in red splotches, each with a little white or yellowish bump at the center, tends to unsettle new parents more than almost any other benign finding of the first week. The rash comes and goes, sometimes changing shape within hours, and can look worse before a nurse or pediatrician explains what it actually is. Here is what erythema toxicum looks like, why it behaves the way it does, and how it differs from newborn rashes that do need attention.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Blue-Gray Birthmark Parents Often Mistake for a BruiseParents unfamiliar with dermal melanocytosis often assume the mark is a bruise and worry about what caused it, especially if it wasn't there at the first look after delivery. The mark's flat, stable, blue-gray appearance and its typical spot on the lower back or buttocks distinguish it clearly from bruising once you know what to look for, and knowing that in advance can save a family real anxiety during the newborn weeks.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Case for Leaving a Child's Warts AloneA wart on a child's finger or foot forces an unglamorous decision: apply salicylic acid for weeks, freeze it at the pediatrician's office, or simply wait it out. All three are medically reasonable choices. The right call for a given family often depends less on the evidence than on how much the wart is actually bothering the child day to day.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Glass Test: A Rash That Doesn't FadeNot every rash on a child needs the glass test, but the ones that do are worth taking seriously. Petechiae — tiny flat red or purple spots — and purpura — larger, bruise-like patches — don't disappear under pressure the way an ordinary rash does, and that single physical property is one of the fastest ways to separate a routine viral rash from one that needs urgent evaluation.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Honey-Crusted Sores of ImpetigoHoney-colored crusted sores clustered around a child's nostrils or the corners of the mouth are usually impetigo, though a handful of other conditions — perioral dermatitis, cold sores, hand foot and mouth disease, simple drool irritation — show up in this exact spot and look similar enough to cause confusion. This walks through what actually distinguishes them, why this location is so prone to impetigo in the first place, and when the sores warrant a same-day visit.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Long Fade of a HemangiomaThe question every parent of a baby with a hemangioma eventually asks is simply when it ends. The honest answer is that it's a years-long process with two distinct chapters — rapid growth, then a long, uneven fade — and knowing which chapter a hemangioma is in explains most of what a family sees month to month.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Mole a Baby Is Born With: Congenital Nevi ExplainedCongenital nevi — moles present at birth — are common enough that most pediatricians see several a year, and the overwhelming majority never cause a problem beyond their appearance. What determines the plan going forward is almost entirely a question of size: a small brown patch is handled very differently from a nevus that covers a significant portion of the back or limb, and that distinction shapes everything from how often it's checked to whether removal is ever discussed.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Pale Patches of Pityriasis AlbaA parent who spots pale, faintly scaly patches on a child's cheeks — sometimes barely visible until summer tanning makes the contrast obvious — is usually looking at pityriasis alba, a common and benign condition. This article covers what causes the pale patches, how to tell them apart from two other conditions that can look similar, vitiligo and tinea versicolor, and what actually helps while the skin evens back out on its own.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Picking Habit and the Scars It LeavesA parent watching a teen pick at their skin often assumes it's about vanity or carelessness, but it usually isn't — it behaves more like a habit loop than a choice, similar to nail-biting. That distinction matters because it changes what actually helps: not lectures about scarring, but treating the acne itself, making picking physically harder, and handling the conversation without adding shame to a habit a teen may not fully control.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Pink Spitz Bump and Why It Gets CheckedA new pink bump on a child rarely causes alarm on its own, and most turn out to be a Spitz nevus — a benign mole that shows up disproportionately in children and grows quickly for a few weeks before settling down. The catch is that Spitz-type lesions are notoriously difficult to read, even for pathologists, which is why dermatologists take a closer, more careful approach to them than to an ordinary childhood mole. Here is what a Spitz nevus is, what gets watched for, and what a biopsy involves.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinThe Truth About Food and Baby EczemaParents are often told that cutting dairy, eggs, or gluten will clear their baby's eczema. The research tells a different story: eczema is driven by a leaky skin barrier and immune signaling, and diet is rarely the trigger. Here is what actually explains flares, why the food theory persists, and when a genuine food allergy is worth checking for.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWet Wraps: The Overnight Reset for a Bad Eczema FlareA flare that's disrupting sleep and shrugging off the usual moisturizer-and-cream routine sometimes calls for something more intensive, and wet wrap therapy is the technique pediatric dermatologists reach for in that moment. Layering a damp covering over moisturizer, then a dry layer on top, sounds almost too simple to matter, but the occlusion does real work on hydration and the itch-scratch cycle. Here's how a session goes, whether medication belongs underneath, and how to tell a flare from something needing a clinician's look.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWhen a Child's Hives Come and Go for DaysParents often describe a child's hives as coming and going, and in most cases that description is exactly right: each individual welt fades within a day, while new ones keep appearing elsewhere for a stretch of days to a couple of weeks, usually trailing a viral infection. A smaller number of children go on to develop chronic urticaria, where the pattern repeats for six weeks or more and a different approach to treatment applies.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWhen a Diaper Rash Blisters or BleedsMost diaper rash is uncomfortable but unremarkable: red, a little shiny, and gone within a few days of more frequent changes and a thicker barrier cream. Blisters, open sores, or crusted patches are a different picture, and they usually mean a fungal or bacterial infection has joined the irritation. Here is how to read the pattern and know when home care is no longer enough.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWhen a Hemangioma Breaks Down and Needs AttentionA hemangioma that starts oozing, crusting, or bleeding looks like an emergency to most parents, and the pain it causes a baby makes that reaction understandable. Ulceration is well known to pediatric dermatologists as a complication of a rapidly growing hemangioma, with its own wound-care routine and, in more painful or slow-healing cases, its own treatment adjustments.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWhen Baby Acne Comes Late and Needs a DoctorAcne on an older baby isn't the same as the fine newborn bumps that clear in weeks — it behaves more like a small-scale version of teenage acne, driven by the same infant hormone surge that briefly ramps up around this age. This covers what actually causes it, how to tell it apart from cradle cap and other look-alikes, and the small set of signs that mean it's worth more than a wait-and-see approach.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWhen Eczema Shows Up on a Baby's CheeksA baby's cheeks are frequently where eczema shows up first, and parents often mistake it for a rash from drool, teething, or something in the diet. This article explains what makes facial eczema distinct from its common look-alikes, why moisturizer is the real first-line treatment, which triggers are worth addressing and which are usually a red herring, and the signs that call for a same-week visit.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWhen Eczema Turns Into an Infection: Eczema HerpeticumA flare that suddenly looks different — uniform blisters instead of the usual patchy redness, a feverish and miserable child — can be more than a bad eczema day. Eczema herpeticum is a herpes infection that takes hold in skin already weakened by eczema, and recognizing it quickly changes how fast a child gets treated.Children's skin | educationChildren's skinWhy Scalp Ringworm Needs Pills, Not Just CreamA patch of hair loss with scaling on a child's scalp is one of the few rashes where reaching for an over-the-counter cream is the wrong first move. Scalp ringworm sits inside the hair follicle itself, out of reach of anything applied to the surface, and it is one of the small number of childhood skin infections that genuinely requires a prescription taken by mouth. Here is why, how doctors choose between the two standard pills, and what the weeks of treatment actually involve.Children's skin | education