Apply ointment

#ointment#skin#self-care

Ointment feels cold, greasy and can sting for a second before it soothes. When the child sees the whole sequence ahead of time, it is easier to stay still and let it be over quickly. The steps are below.

A woman squeezes ointment from a tube onto her wrist.

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Applying ointment

A woman squeezes ointment from a tube onto her wrist.

A woman rubs ointment from a tube onto her hand.

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Using ointment

A woman rubs ointment from a tube onto her hand.

About this visual support

What makes ointment hard is rarely the scrape or the rash itself, but the feeling on the skin: something cold and greasy that cannot be wiped off straight away, maybe a short sting, and then a sticky hand the child has nowhere to put. All of it arrives at once if nobody has explained the order.

The visual support breaks the moment into small, clear parts. Wash hands first, then a small dab on the finger, rub it in with light strokes, wait while it soaks in and finally wash hands again. The child can see that there is an end, and that the sticky feeling disappears in the last step. That matters for a child who would rather pull the arm away than stand still and wait.

A practical tip is to let the child squeeze the ointment onto your finger. Having control over the amount reduces the worry that there will be too much. Then count out loud to five while you rub it in. If the ointment is needed several times a day, you can put the visual schedule into Routined and try the app for 14 days at no cost.