What is Baby Acne?

Newborn babies will often develop a form of acne from the maternal hormones that linger after birth. These hormones, transferred from the placenta, stimulate the infant’s sebaceous glands. Approximately 20% of all newborns are affected by this form of acne, known as acne-neonatorum, or “baby acne”. It’s nothing to worry about. Here are some of the peculiarities concerning baby acne.

First, you can’t treat infant acne the same way you treat teenage or adult acne. Baby acne is based, usually, on gender, with males being more affected than females. The acne usually starts at 3 weeks of age, although some babies are born with it. The acne-neonatorum usually manifests itself in the form of papules and pustules. Pustules are whiteheads that often will have pus in them, while the papules are little red bumps. This acne will even be present on the baby’s scalp. However, baby acne doesn’t require treatment.

Although it will take about 4 months, the lesions will go away on their own, leaving no scarring. In some rare cases, the acne lasts up to 3 years, but in almost all cases it’s gone in at least 12 months.

While you don’t treat the acne itself, you can keep the baby clean and avoid excaberating the condition. Wash the baby using mild soaps manufactured especially for babies’ delicate skin, and gently clean the infant’s face every day with plain water. The use of other methods, such as oils and lotions, may actually make the condition worse. The delicate skin of an infant is easily irritated and damaged, allowing bacteria to settle in if you work too hard to reduce the acne.

While it’s really tempting to cover the acne with makeup for those baby pictures, try to depend more on photographic touch-ups to remedy the problem with photos. If you feel the acne is extreme, talk to the pediatrician. He can tell you if it should be treated. Usual treatments will include benzoyl peroxide, retinoids in the form of topical creams, or keratolytic agents. While you may have a history of acne, or your family members do, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby will have acne-neonatorum. And, even if your baby is born with acne, it doesn’t mean that the child will be plagued with it for its entire life. Some say the use of colon cleanse tablets by the mother will reduce the incidence of baby acne.

While it’s really tempting to cover the acne with makeup for those baby pictures, try to depend more on photographic touch-ups to remedy the problem with photos. If you feel the acne is extreme, talk to the pediatrician. He can tell you if it should be treated. Usual treatments will include benzoyl peroxide, retinoids in the form of topical creams, or keratolytic agents. While you may have a history of acne, or your family members do, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby will have acne-neonatorum.

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Category: Parenting
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