Overview | What is Baby Acne On Face | Types | Causes | Symptoms | Prevention | Treatment |Do’s And Don’ts |
Overview
Baby acne on face also known as acne neonatorum is a condition that affects 20% of the newborn babies. You see red pimples on the cheek mostly but also on the forehead and chin.
It can happen after birth but in most cases, you will see the baby acne on face appearing within a few weeks after the birth.
Mostly baby acne on face disappears after three or four months. If baby acne on face not disappear you should inform a doctor about it.
What is Baby Acne On Face?
Baby acne on face is a skin disease, characterized by inflamed red pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. Baby Acne On Face also called neonatal acne, baby acne is a skin problem that is manifested by small red bumps that look like a rash on the nose, cheeks, and occasionally on the chin and forehead. At times, it could also appear as small whiteheads that are surrounded by flushed skin. This condition may be present at birth, but most often it appears sometime after delivery.
Types of Baby Acne On Face
There are three different kinds of acne that occur in infants and newborns.
Types of acne are Neonatal milia, neonatal acne, and infantile acne. Neonatal milia are similar to whiteheads; this is commonly found in newborns and infants. Neonatal acne with typical pimples appears at birth or after birth. Infantile acne appears in babies at the age of 3-4 months. It looks like pustules, blackheads, and pimples. It is not spread from one person to another person.
Causes of Baby Acne on Face
Baby acne on Face is developed by bad nutrition, oily or greasy skin, and changes of hormones. Changes in levels of hormones are the main cause of acne. Hormones are passed by the mother to her newborn baby, before birth. The acne usually occurs at 4 to 6 weeks old.
Sometimes, overdress, the baby, in order to fight off cold during winter, can associate acne. In some cases, acne comes into contact with clothes that do not wash properly.
researchers are saying that there are several factors that could trigger this condition. This includes maternal hormones received by the infant during pregnancy, allergies, and skin irritation after childbirth.
Hormonal Changes
The appearance of baby acne is commonly being related to the hormones being passed by the mother to the child through the umbilical cord during pregnancy. When the baby receives the hormones that lead to acne in adults, the skin problem also manifests on their bodies before or after birth. There are also some babies that are allergic to certain foods or infant formula. These factors trigger or flare-up their acne problem.
During the end stages of pregnancy, the mothers’ hormones can enter the babies’ body through the placenta. As well, they can be passed to the baby after birth via the mothers’ breast milk. These new hormones being introduced into the infants’ body can cause hormonal shifts, resulting in overstimulation of the oil glands. Overstimulated oil glands can lead to acne.
Skin Sensitivity
In addition, babies have very sensitive skin. They can get easily irritated with certain types of detergents that are used to wash their infant’s clothes. Neonatal acne may also be caused by frequent contact with dirty hands or the baby constantly brush ing up his face with irritating objects. In comparison to acne in adults, acne on infants is indefinitely caused by a variety of factors other than clogged pores and stress.
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Such breakouts may be seen at birth, however, it can take up to six weeks after your baby is born before you begin to see red patches or bumps. This condition may continue with sporadic outbreaks for the first six months of the infants’ life.
Symptoms of Baby Acne On Face
Blackheads
Cysts
Whiteheads
Pustules
Inflammation and redness around the skin eruptions
Scarring of the skin
Diagnosis
Baby acne may diagnose by the appearance of acne in the skin. Laboratory tests are not necessary for diagnosing the acne. In some cases, a physical examination will be performed by the doctor to determine the acne.
Prevention From Baby Acne On Face
Do not touch, squeeze, dig, or pick the acne.
Children should sleep on clean pillows.
Use only paper towels to pat the face dry and throw it.
Drink lots of water and fresh fruit juices.
Treatment
Baby acne is not cured, but treatment can remove the baby’s acne in the skin. For the best treatment of acne, wash the affected area various times a day with mild baby soap and lukewarm water. Do not use other soap than mild baby soap. Baby’s skin is very sensitive, so use acne remedies or cleaning solutions after consulting the health care providers or pediatricians. Creams or oils will not be preferred by the pediatrician to treat the acne.
Baby acne is not dangerous, but it can be very comfortable among infants. Sometimes, it is coupled with colic-like symptoms, which can make the situation worse. To ease up the irritation, gently wash the face of your baby with mild soap and water at least once a day. There is no treatment required for this condition.
Avoid putting baby oils or any kind of creams since they can aggravate the condition. Also, do not use anti-acne treatments or any over-the-counter treatments for adult acne. Most importantly, do not scrub the face of your child since baby acne is not caused by the build-up of dirt on their skin. Some infants may have on and off episodes of this skin condition for up to 6 months. But, more often, it will just clear up in a matter of weeks.
DO’s And Don’ts
It may surprise you but oil and lotions do not help to treat baby Acne On Face. Cleaning the face of the baby three times a day with water or you can use baby soap.
Don’t scrub the soap on the face of your baby, scrubbing soap can cause skin irritation.
- Use a product with a vinegar solution to make sure you buy a product with all-natural ingredients.
- Keep in mind that it is not a good idea to put creams or oils on the face of your baby. This treatment can work with teenagers or adult acne but it will not help with baby acne on face.
- If you see that your baby still has acne on face after a period of three months then it’s time to talk with your doctor about this problem.
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