Leopard Gecko shedding problem

Question
QUESTION: My gecko has skin stuck on the top of his head.I've tried lots of things warm water bath,warm water in moss,but nothings worked its been a week and im scared!please help.The skin is very tight around his eyes and he squints.He's only like 4-5 months old.The skin is connected to his stomach its sensitive there too.Please help im so scared for him contact me as soon as possible please!

ANSWER: Hi Liv,
Are you providing a proper humid hide for your leo? If not, that is why you are seeing problems with shedding.  I am including a basic care sheet so that you can see how to set up a humid hide.
As to the stuck shed, you can apply a small amount of Vaseline to the areas of stuck shed and that will usually help loosen it. Around his eyes, do be careful as to not get it in his eyes.  You can also take a moist cotton swab and VERY CAREFULLY try to rub some of the shed loose.  Continue with the warm baths and be sure to make a humid hide (on the warm side of the cage) if you don't already have one. I like using the moss in the humid hide as that it provides a bit of roughness that the leos can rub against to help remove shed if needed.  
BASIC CARE FOR A LEOPARD GECKO
Leopards are pretty easy to care for but they do need
special care.  Here are some of the basic needs of your gecko.
HOUSING: The need to have at least a 20 gallon long tank for one Leo. This needs to have a secure fitting screen top...they can be quite the escape artists!!! They need to have a humid hide box.You can make this with something as simple as a small plastic dish with a hole cut in one side and a small mesh bag filled with some Sphagnum moss coconut bark or Peat moss that you mist.  
I made mine out of the small plastic folgers coffee containers...I cut an opening in the lid..and put the moss in..they LOVE it. I use the terrarium moss in mine.
I use that on the warm side of the tank. Be sure to provide a cool hidebox on the other end. I also provide a mid temperature hide...which is in the middle of the tank.I use the critter caves which you can purchase.  NOT the ones that have heat in them!!!!
Provide secure climbing areas for your gecko.  Fake plants, rocks and branches are all fine to use. be sure there are no wires or sharp ends to any fake plants you use.
*****SUBSTRATE:(that's the stuff on the floor of your tank) Newspaper, lizard carpet or paper towels work great and are easy to clean and are much safer than any loose substrate.  Sand or other loose substrate is not recommended as that they can be deadly to the leo when it is ingested(eaten, even by accident while eating their insects)...A very graphic site of an impacted leo surg can be seen at http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/reptile/PhotoAlbum181.html   it is very graphic!!! ******What I have found that works great for safety and heat distribution is using about 1/4 inch of childrens play sand(since the tiles fit tight together, there is no sand danger) on the bottom of the tank and on top that you place ceramic or slate floor tile.  What is nice is that the 12 x 12 squares fit perfect in a 20 gallon tank with no spaces between the tiles.  The sand and the tile distribute the heat wonderfully.  Using the under tank heater as described is what distributes the heat.  Also, overhead heat will help in heating the tiles...I've been using this set up for several years and the leos love it.  Using a tile that isn't smooth is recommended.  **********
TEMPERATURES:  They need a warm area ( on the floor) of 88-92 degrees and a
cooler area  in the upper 70s,  low 80s.   At night their temperature can drop to the low to mid 70's.  
Never use a hot rock for a leopard gecko...or any reptile.
They can severely burn any reptile.  You can use a heating
pad under the tank,under tank heater for the warm area.  You can use a regular household lightbulb in a dome fixture with a ceramic socket in it to keep the warm area at the 88-92 degree area if needed there, otherwise, placing the lightbulb about midway in the tank will give the needed temperatures throughout the tank.  You may have to play with the wattage of the bulb but generally 40-60 watts is sufficient.At night, no white light. If room temperatures stay above 70 degrees, no extra night heat is needed. The undertank heater or heating pad should cover about 1/3 of the tank....be sure to raise the tank up about 1/4-1/2 inch off the stand when using an undertank heat source to prevent heat build up which can cause the glass to break and hot spots in the glass. Be sure to have a good layer of newspaper, carpeting or, even a thin flat rock(such as tile) on top the area that the undertank heat source is placed...if you use a thin rock or tile, it helps to distribute the heat very well.
You can  use the special nighttime lights that are designed for reptiles. I like using a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat for  nighttime heat.  
DO NOT use black lights or party lights as they can cause eye damage!!!!
The wattage you use will vary based on room temperature and size of tank.  
LIGHTING:  Leopard geckos do not need UVB lighting but it does not hurt them to give them uvb.  They should have some type of light during the day, be it a uvb tube, regular florescent light, reptile day light or regular household lightbulb. NO white lights at night!!!
FEEDING: Geckos should not be fed  crickets or other insects that are bigger than the space between their eyes.  Generally, hatchlings can be fed more than once a day,juvys can be fed twice a day, adults are fed once daily or every other day, in the early evening. Crickets and other food items such as silk worms, super, and an occasional treat of a wax worm, need to be dusted with a calcium supplement two times a week and also they should have a small dish of calcium in their tank.  I use the lid of a milk jug for the little dish of calcium in their tank.  For dusting the insects, Use a calcium with no added phosphorus.  Insects must be gut loaded(fed) for at least 48 hours prior to feeding your gecko. Remove any uneaten crix or superworms after 15-20 minutes.....  Place a piece of cut potato in the tank so that if you have missed any uneaten insects, they will eat the potato instead of nibbling on your gecko!!!
*************You have to be sure to feed your crickets and insects the right foods before feeding them to your gecko.  If your crickets/insects are not healthy and well fed, your gecko will not get the nutrition he needs. You can gut load your crickets and insects greens, veggies, cereals or specially designed commercial foods for crickets or the insects you are feeding. ************
Be sure to have a small dish of clean water for your gecko at all times!!
You can offer them some baby food or fruits on occasion ...
Mine will even eat a small piece of watermelon now and then.WATER:  always provide a dish of drinking water.  If you choose to mist your gecko to drink, its best to not get the tank too wet as that they do not do well with higher humidity.  Sometimes its better to take your leo out of their tank to mist them to get them to drink!!!
HANDLING:  Some geckos enjoy being held...others prefer not to be handled at all.  Be sure to be very gentle when holding your leo and NEVER grab them by the tail!  Their tails are extremely fragile and will break.  
I do suggest finding a vet that can treat reptiles BEFORE you actually need one!!!  To find a vet that is able to care for reptiles:
http://www.herpvetconnection.com
http://www.arav.org/ECOMARAV/timssnet/amm/tnt_mdsearch.cfm
http://www.anapsid.org/vets/
For more information on leopard geckos:
http://www.drgecko.com
If you have any questions or don't understand something, please let me know.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The temperature in my geckos cage is 80 degrees all the time.My heating pad is on the side of his tank so how could i make it warmer without it being too hot cause I already have a heat pad on the side? And would the pad peel off easy so i could move it?

ANSWER: Hi Liv,
Are you measuring the temperature  on the floor of the cage?  If not, that's where you need to measure it as that is where the leo spends their time mostly. Measuring the temperature in the warm hide, on the floor is the best place.
With under tank heaters  (if that's what you mean by pad) they recommend not removing them as it can damage the wires inside them.
I do recommend that you get another under tank heater and place it on the underside of the tank...
For daytime additional heat, you can use a regular household light bulb overhead the "basking" area or, if the tank is in an area that is well lit, you could go with a heat emitter overhead, which will also work at night because a heat emitter does not produce any light. This will warm the air in the entire tank, and the "basking" area completely. Its sometimes a pain to get the proper temperatures but its very important. You may find that a 50 or 60 watt bulb is enough to get the proper temperatures, but as I said, having bottom heat is vital for them.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks but you never said what would happen if i accidently got some Vaseline in his eyes.Should i use Vaseline and then a cotton swab to rub it off?

Answer
Hi Liv,
Although the Vaseline won't hurt your leos eyes,(you still want to do your best to not get any in his eyes),Your leo may not like it very much if the Vaseline go into his eyes as it would put a film on his eyes. Remember, you are only using a small amount that you are carefully rubbing in.  I would let it go for a few hours to soften the stuck shed before using the cotton swab to carefully rub the stuck shed. Its much easier to prevent stuck shed as best we can than to try and remove it, but sometimes even with the very best of care, there will be some stuck.  Be sure to really check your leos toes for any remaining shed also.