Baby Acne: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

You can observe red, white, acne-like small acne on the face, forehead and nose of most newborn babies. Read on to learn more about baby acne.

What is Baby Acne?

You can observe red, white, acne-like small acne on the face, forehead and nose of most newborn babies. This situation, which is called baby acne, can sometimes cause some concerns for mothers in the newborn period.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 20% of newborn babies have baby acne. Let’s examine together the issues such as why baby acne occurs, what is the treatment, and in which cases it should be shown to the doctor.

As we mentioned above, the appearance of acne in different parts of babies’ bodies, especially their faces, is called baby acne. Baby acne, which is usually harmless and disappears on its own without leaving any trace, usually begins to appear in the 2nd or 3rd week of babies.

Baby acne, which lasts up to 2 months on average, usually heals spontaneously afterwards. This period may be extended in some babies for different reasons, and in some cases, baby acne can be seen up to the 3rd month.

While baby acne, which is generally not to be worried about, makes families worry in some cases, in some cases, different skin problems that are thought to be baby acne can be taken seriously and cause bigger problems. In either case, if the family suspects that there may be a problem with the baby’s skin, they should consult a doctor immediately.

What Causes Acne in Babies?

As a matter of fact, baby acne is a skin change experienced by the baby’s skin in the process of getting used to the outside world. The baby, who is in a completely isolated and sheltered environment in the womb, causes some reactions on his skin when he goes out to the outside world where there are all kinds of environmental effects and stimuli.

Especially the temperature change of the outside world compared to the mother’s womb is a high exchange area for the baby’s skin. When baby skin, which has not yet reached maturity, encounters this change area, its skin reacts to the change with a skin condition consisting of red and white spots, which we call baby acne.

How Long Does Baby Acne Last?

Acne usually begins to appear within 2-3 weeks after the baby is born. In some cases, the appearance of acne may appear and disappear with a short-term effect. Or the acne appearance that you think has gone may recur on your baby’s skin in a few days.

In some cases, lesions can be observed for a long time. Long-term baby acne should be observed well, and a doctor should be consulted in case of any problem other than the appearance of acne.

If your baby’s acne has lasted longer than 3 months, keep in mind that there may be other skin problems that need to be investigated. In such cases, if your doctor deems it necessary, some local treatments can be applied.

Types

There is a significant difference between acne seen in newborn babies and acne seen in older babies.

Unlike newborn baby acne, infantile acne manifests itself in babies 3-4 months old and lasts much longer than newborn acne. Although it is not as common as newborn acne, this type of acne can also be seen in babies.

While both types of acne can be harmless, they must be monitored. In some cases, infantile acne can be observed as more serious skin problems than newborn acne. Infantile acne can last much longer than newborn acne. This period can extend from a few months to several years.

In Which Situation Should You Go to The Doctor?

Generally, baby acne does not cause problems for you to worry about, but in some suspected cases, a doctor’s control is required without wasting time. If you observe that your baby has acne and are experiencing one or more of the following conditions, it is a good idea to see a doctor without wasting any time.

• If discharge and excessively reddened acne appearance are observed,
• If the baby has uneasiness such as fever, insomnia, trying to scratch the face, which you think is caused by acne,
• If the appearance of acne is close to acne, that is, it has a yellow tip, you should definitely take your baby to a doctor’s control without waiting.

Remember that while baby acne appears as simple skin problems, it can be caused by some bacterial problems. Or the skin problem that you think is acne can be different skin problems such as eczema, and if you do not observe this, it can cause bigger problems.

Treatment

If you have any doubts about one or more of the above symptoms, you should take your baby to a doctor immediately. However, some small but effective methods that you can apply at home for simple baby acne can relax your baby’s skin and reduce the appearance of acne.

• Cleanliness is very important in babies, as you can imagine. Especially the baby, who is introduced to the outside world from an isolated environment such as the mother’s womb, can react to many different factors. Therefore, cleaning of babies is very important. Make sure to keep your baby’s face clean at all times. You can wash your baby’s face every day with warm water and reliable baby soaps.
• Never leave your baby’s face wet or damp after washing. Always dry your baby’s skin gently and make sure it stays dry. The appearance of acne will increase on moist baby skin.
  Be careful not to use products such as baby lotions and baby oils on your baby’s face as much as possible.
• Never irritate acne, even try not to touch it as much as possible. If your baby is irritating with his hands, try to prevent irritation by putting soft-surfaced gloves on his hands. Irritated acne can carry the risk of infection.
• Never touch your baby’s skin unless your hands are clean in order to ensure that the baby who has come out from an isolated environment such as the mother’s womb does not come into contact with more bacteria.

You can prevent simple baby acne, which usually does not require treatment, with these recommendations. But in no case do not apply any medicine or cream on your baby’s face that your doctor does not recommend. Since baby skin is extremely sensitive, you may encounter different and irreversible skin problems.

Your baby’s acne has lasted for a very long time and if you do not observe any changes despite following these recommendations, you should definitely take your baby to a doctor’s check-up.