Here's a paper from dermatologists about healthy skin:
As summer peaks, so do the inevitable bug bites. However, Dr. Johnson advises that parents and children can enjoy a relatively biteproof summer by following a few practical suggestions aimed at reducing the risk for bug bites. The most common bug bites are those from fleas, mosquitoes, wasps or bees.
While these bug bites can be annoying and seem fairly harmless, it is possible to have a bad reaction to a sting. Dr. Johnson recommends having an emergency allergy kit available, which can be purchased through your doctor. Some bug bites can cause bacterial infections, such as impetigo, a superficial infection of the skin characterized by yellow, crusted, well-defined lesions. Treatment includes topical or oral antibiotics, and infected areas and lesions should be bandaged until treatment has been determined effective.
"Impetigo is highly contagious and can spread rapidly among children," said Dr. Johnson. "In many states, a physician´s note is required before children can return to daycare or school."
Before going outdoors, it is important to use insect repellents on the skin and clothing to be completely protected against bug bites. The active ingredient in most commercial repellents is either the insecticide permethrin or the chemical DEET. Repellents containing permethrin should be applied only to clothing, where the agent has a residual effect through several wash cycles, providing lasting protection against bugs. In contrast, an insect repellent containing the chemical DEET should be applied directly onto the skin to ward off mosquitoes, ticks and other insects.
