How To Stop Skin Infections

How To Stop Skin Infections

There are some simple steps you can take to prevent your child getting a skin infection.

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Simple steps to stop skin infections

Wash and dry your hands throughout the day to stop germs spreading.

Wash your face and body every day to wash away germs.

Graphic of child washing and drying hands and washing face and body

Cut and clean under your finger nails to stop germs living under your nails.

Stop insect bites and skin injuries because bites and injuries get infected.

Every day clean and cover insect bites, cuts and sores to wash away germs and stop them spreading.

Graphics showing various ways of stopping skin infections

Find and fix infections

Every day check sores and cuts for signs of infection - are they red, warm, sore?

See a nurse or doctor if the infection is bigger than a 10 cent coin, or you are worried.

If you get medicine or cream, use it as instructed to kill germs in the body after the skin has healed.

Graphics showing ways to find and fix skin infections

Check some resources you can print in English, Māori, Samoan and Tongan.

Acknowledgements

The content on this page is based on the Stop skin infections poster (PDF, 2.09MB), developed by the Northern Region Skin Prevention Group with support from Health Literacy NZ, KidsHealth, Procare Charitable Foundation and Starship Foundation. 

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Skin

This page last reviewed 15 August 2023.

Call Healthline on 0800 611 116 any time of the day or night for free health advice when you need it