Baby Acne – Find Out Why Your Newborn Baby Has Acne
Acne among babies is more common than it used to be. If your infant is suffering from breakouts of red bumps then chances are it is probably baby acne. Acne can appear when babies are first born but typically it is not usually seen until babies are about the age of three or four weeks. Baby acne is mostly found on the cheeks but can also sometimes be found on the forehead and chin, it can also sometimes even occur on the back, chest and arms. Baby acne usually continues to occur until four to six months of age. It becomes more noticeable when your baby gets fussy or irritated. This is due to the blood flow to the skin. However baby acne is harmless and in most cases temporary.
Baby acne is caused in most cases due to the mother’s fluctuating hormones during pregnancy. In rare occurrences it can also be caused if an infant has some sort of hormonal imbalance. Baby acne can also become irritated from things like milk, formula, spit up, or rough fabrics coming in contact with the skin.
Tips for dealing with baby acne
Male babies are usually affected with acne more than female babies. There is nothing you can really do to prevent baby acne from occurring however cleansing your babies face with warm water and mild soap should be helpful. In order to make sure that your baby has baby acne and it is not just a rash of some sort or something else such as eczema, it would be best to probably have him or her see a pediatrician or a dermatologist. Also keeping the infected area clean and dry has been proven to be helpful in most cases.
In the winter baby acne can worsen so it is very important to cover your baby up well and layer their clothing and then make sure that you remove some of the layers of clothing once they are indoors. Another important thing to keep in mind is not over dressing your child. If your baby becomes too warm he or she will most likely break out into a heat rash which than will worsen acne. Baby acne may also worsen if an illness occurs.
Other things to know about baby acne
Most parents worry a great deal when they find out that their baby has acne. This is something that parents should try not to do. In most cases the acne will go away after a few weeks or months. Just because a baby has acne now doesn’t mean that they will necessarily get it again in their teenage or adult years. In fact there have been many cases where a baby is diagnosed with baby acne and then has flawless skin later on in life.
It is highly recommended that parents not try to cure the baby acne with medications or oils as this could aggravate it and make the acne become more severe. Another thing to watch out for is when washing the baby’s clothes, bibs, or blankets. Never use any type of detergent that is very strong. Mild or natural detergents seem to work better and irritate acne less. It has been proven that breast milk can also help work wonders on a baby’s acne. This is due to the natural antiseptics that the milk contains. Most parents tend to freak out when they see that their baby has a case of acne but rest assured that in most cases the acne will resolve itself in a matter of weeks without needing any kind of treatment.
