Tips for Baby Acne
You’re probably completely prepared to handle acne when it pops up on your face from time to time, and if you are a new parent, you’re probably already preparing yourself for the perils of teen acne. But what happens when you look down at your newborn and discover: baby acne! That’s right, baby acne exists, and if you have a baby or one on the way, you may want to learn all about it.
What Is Baby Acne?
Baby acne is the informal name for acne neonatorum, a condition that develops in about one in every five newborn babies. Traditional acne vulgaris occurs when heavy sebum production by the body “glues” together dead skin cells, dirt and oil which is acted upon by acne causing bacteria. The reason teens are especially prone to acne is that the onset of puberty activates hormones which can increase the activity of glands, including the sebaceous gland, which produces sebum. With baby acne, it is the mother’s hormones that have stimulated the baby’s sebaceous glands, resulting in an outbreak of pimples on the face that you might expect to see on your child 14 or so years later.
What Is the Course of Baby Acne?
You will typically notice an outbreak of baby acne about three weeks after the baby is born. It is most common in male babies, and appears as small red bumps just like regular acne. The acne commonly appears on the face, usually on the cheeks and chin and occasionally on the scalp. The condition should go away after a few weeks, or at most a few months.
How to Treat Baby Acne
The best way to treat baby acne is usually just to leave it alone. It is a temporary situation that will almost always go away by itself, and your baby probably doesn’t even notice it. You should be cleaning your baby’s face daily with mild soap and water, but this is something you should be doing whether your child has acne or not. Unless specifically recommended by your doctor, pimple creams or lotions are not indicated for baby acne. If the acne is particularly severe, your doctor may decide that treatment is necessary. If this is the case, he or she will explain to you the options available. Baby acne is not an indicator of the level of acne the child may experience as a teenager or beyond.
Other Newborn Acne Conditions
There are two other conditions that are not baby acne but may be confused with baby acne and you should be aware of them. One is Milia, which are white bumps that occur when the baby’s skin is irritated by a warm incubator, occlusive dressing, or other warming of the skin. It should go away on its own in a short time. The other is infantile acne. This condition appears at about three months or later and is similar in appearance to baby acne. It usually disappears by the 12th month; so again, you are perfectly fine leaving it untreated for some time. If it does not resolve after a year, consult a physician.