Infant Acne

When we think of babies we usually picture a pink, glowing little face that radiates general cuteness. We rarely associate pimples to a baby’s countenance. However, many babies have infant acne that usually appears when the little one is between three and four weeks old and the unfortunate condition is also common in newborns.

Many new parents are a little dismayed by the little red bumps on their baby’s precious little puss but infant acne is temporary and usually does not need to be treated at all. Even though the infant acne does not typically need to be treated, it does not typically disappear completely all at once. Parents can expect to see little bumps appearing off and on during the baby’s first six months of life.

When my daughter was about three months old, she broke out in a pretty significant case of infant acne. Her adorable little face was covered in little red bumps and speckled with whiteheads. The condition was the source of some stress for me, so I asked her doctor about infant acne.

The pediatrician was very helpful and very diligent about explaining the skin condition to me. I was surprised to find out that the baby still had some hormones in her system that passed through the placenta while I was carrying her. The infant acne is evidence of the hormones and it is also evidence that the baby is working the unnecessary hormones out of her system.

The baby’s skin is going through what the pediatrician called an “awakening” that occurs as the baby’s system cleanses itself of unwanted elements. Sometimes the unwanted elements emerge in the form of infant acne. The skin’s awakening is just a natural process that just about every baby goes through. There is really nothing we can do to stop infant acne.

There is no way to really treat it, either. In fact, parents often make the condition worse by washing the baby’s face too much. This can actually make infant acne inflamed. Other things that factor into the baby breakouts include detergents, milk and spit-up. Even the baby’s favorite blanket can contribute to infant acne.

This may seem a little disheartening, especially for parents who are attached to a camera at all times waiting for that special moment that desperately needs to be captured on film for all eternity. During the first six months, parents can expect to capture infant acne along with the precious smile. Not to worry, though. The smile will make the insignificant little bumps seem to disappear.