How to stop infant acne?

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Are there baby acne solutions?

 

picture of infant acne on
baby's cheek

Is it necessary to treat and stop infant acne? Most mothers are worried  when all of a sudden baby acne pimples appear on their precious baby’s face.

The appearance of acne will probably bother you more than your baby.

Infant and new born acne  (acne neonatorum) is very common and affects about 20% of all babies.

It usualy occurs as small whiteheads surrounded by red or inflamed skin on baby's cheeks, forehead and chin.

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What causes infant acne?

When mother gives birth her hormones are allowed to pass through the placenta to her baby. Theses hormones are important for the development of vital organs in baby's body. They also are responsible for increased levels of oil in your baby's skin causing infant acne.

Fortunately it is harmless and lasts from a few weeks to a few months.
No need to try and stop infant acne because it will eventually clear up on it’s own.

Infant acne treatment.

There are a few things you can do to stop infant acne from getting worse.

• Wash baby’s skin once or twice a day with a mild soap for sensitive skin. A moisturizing cleanser will prevent the acne from getting infected,
• If you are breastfeeding watch your diet and avoid fatty foods. Add fresh fruit to your diet and drink plenty of water.
• After feeding your baby clean his face. Saliva and milk spit up can aggravate baby acne.
• Avoid using creams and baby oil on baby’s sensitive skin.
• Wash all baby’s clothes and bedding with a mild detergent. Harsh detergents may be the cause that hair follicles get infected leading to inflamed baby acne.
• Keep baby’s face out of the direct sunlight. Overheating is also making your baby’s acne worse.

 

 

Infant acne home remedies.

There are a lot of acne products to stop infant acne on the market containing vinegar. They claim vinegar absorbs excessive oil secretion and kills bacteria.

You can make your own vinegar solution for baby acne by mixing one part of vinegar with ten parts of water. Apply with a cotton swab or cotton ball to the affected area.
Stay away from baby’s eyes.

Another home remedy to treat infant acne is to mix 1 tsp of honey with 1tsp of lemon juice. Leave this for half an hour on the affected area and than clean with warm water.

Some mothers say that applying a bit of breast milk to the acne for about 15 minutes works wonders.

Please remember , infant acne should not be treated with medication for adult acne. This medication is far to harsh for baby’s sensitive skin and will not stop infant acne but probably cause irritation and aggravate the acne.

 

Photos of baby acne

Photo credit: Spyfree	Photo credit: Hawi Stecher
Photo credit: Beth Nazario	Photo credit: Yorkes

Baby acne and breastfeeding.

Not only in the last stage of pregnancy but also during breastfeeding mothers hormones are passed to the baby. Even though breastfeeding may stimulate infant acne, the benefits of breastfeeding are far more important than the red pimples on your child’s face.

 

Severe infant acne.

Sometimes infant acne can be more severe and we see yellow pus with baby acne.
Keep your baby's nails short so he can not scratch the acne.

Consult your pediatrician before you use treatment with benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol or sulfur.

In severe cases of infant acne or when the acne is infected your doctor may prescribe treatment with topical or oral antibiotics.

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