Acne Treatment Page

Suddenly your beautiful baby's face is covered with baby acne, and your heart sick. So what is the best acne medication for infant acne, or should it be treated at all?

 

More than 35% of all babies develop some form of baby acne. It is perfectly normal and it will pass in almost all cases. Although there is no concrete proof of why babies get acne, it is believed to be caused because mom has passed hormones onto baby through the placenta before birth. These hormones are responsible for stimulating the oil glands on your baby’s skin. The development of these glands is responsible for your baby’s acne.

 

Red pimples can occur at birth, however most of the time they can develop around one month of age. They usually occur on the cheeks, but are also seen on the forehead and chin. Infant acne tends to appear and disappear until around 6 months of age.

 

You will normally see baby acne emerge during periods when your baby is too warm or fussing. It will also occur if the skin is irritated. The irritation can be from exposure to a detergent, from diaper rash, or from spit up sitting on the baby’s skin. It can change in intensity, sometimes looking worse, other times looking much better.

 

Do not use any type of medicated treatment, unless directed to do so by your pediatrician. In almost every case of baby acne the best treatment is to gently cleanse the baby’s face twice a day with a mild baby soap. There are many baby soaps to choose from.

 

Do not apply oil or acne creams to the acne area as they can irritate it. Make sure you remove any spit up or other fluid that contacts baby skin as soon as possible. If your baby’s acne lasts longer than 6 months your pediatrician may prescribe something.

 

If you have a winter baby and have to deal with baby acne,  it is important that you still keep baby’s skin moisturized by using a light, non oil base moisturizer. Just as our skin dries out in the winter so does baby skin.

 

In the winter you also need to watch for heat rash which might be mistaken for acne. Parents don’t think about heat rash in the winter months, but baby can still overheat and will show discomfort by breaking out in a rash.

 

So in the early months of your baby’s life don’t be surprised if you see a few zits here and there. Think of it as their trial run for those teenage years. If all goes well the next time you’ll see acne on your baby’s face is when they are a teen and the only thing baby left about them is their face.