Care for Baby Acne

What Baby acne is all about

Although teenagers are often the ones attacked by a bad case of acne, adults can have it as well and surprisingly so do infants, more frequently than you’d think.

Baby acne is really a quite common condition in newborns and it’s really normal. The condition is characterized by red bumps that may initially appear as rashes. Often, baby acne begins about three to four weeks after birth and may last until he or she reaches about four to six months old. Still, there are some babies that develop baby acne at birth.

There is no clear reason of why baby acne develops, but experts often suggest the role of the hormones that mothers pass on to their child during the last stages of pregnancy could lend to the condition. These hormones babies get from the womb and sometimes from the breastmilk play a role in the growth of the acne condition. As your baby matures, these hormones slowly disappear from the system. When this happens, the problem acne also disappears.

And since baby acne is caused by the body’s chemical make up, there’s really nothing you can do to prevent it from coming about. The only thing perhaps that parents have a power on is to make your baby as comfortable as possible. The problem will not become worse because of irritation.

Although baby acne is actually not a reason for alarm, as it is quite common for babies to develop it. It is still important that parents become aware of the condition so as not to worsen the case and increase the irritation. Symptoms of infant acne include red bumps that are commonly found on the cheeks. The bumps may also appear on the chin and on the forehead.

Baby acne is frequently irritated and baby becomes hot or fussy. The stress produced by these conditions will often irritate the case. Saliva and even milk may also worsen the problem, making it more noticable than before.

There is actually no treatment available for baby acne. As mentioned before, the condition will go away on its own once the hormones vanish from the system. Most doctors would recommend gentle washing of the face with a very mild cleanser to remove the oils. Vigorous washing is a bad idea as this can irritate the skin all the more. Remember that baby acne is not caused by germs or dirt but rather hormones so no amount of washing can make the condition go away. In addition, too much washing may also remove the natural oils of the skin, resulting in the increased activity of the oil glands. Like all other things, too much is also not good.

Another reminder for parents is to lessen or avoid altogether the use of oils and lotions on the skin as this can add up to the grease that are already acting up on the acne. Never ever put any skin ointments and other facial products as this can aggravate the matter. Using topical medicines on the problem areas may only make it worse especially if your baby’s skin is ultra sensitive. Before you do anything about it or apply anything, make sure that you have consulted your pediatrician or a dermatologist about it.

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