Teens and adults alike suffer from acne but who would have thought that an innocent infant could also be a target? It’s true. Baby acne is fairly common and like its older version, can be pretty unsightly on the complexion. Find out what signs and symptoms you should be on the lookout for and what actions you need to take, if any, in case your newborn ends up with a slight case of baby acne.

The most common areas that baby acne appears are the chin, forehead, and cheeks. You’ll be able to tell if your infant has a case of baby acne if he/she has small red bumps in the areas mentioned earlier. Each time your baby cries, gets fussy or becomes irritable, the baby acne tends to worsen but in general it will just appear as patches of bumps. Some babies also develop small white bumps on the chin, cheeks and on the nose. These white bumps are known as milia and are a part of the baby acne.

Most baby acne cases show up within the first three to four weeks after birth. Medical experts say baby acne occurs as a result of the hormonal changes that take place within the mother’s body during pregnancy, but does not mean that the baby itself has a hormonal problem. Surprisingly enough, baby acne targets boys more than girls.

While baby acne can be pretty unsightly on your infant, the good news is that this condition is only temporary and usually clears up within three months. However, in rare cases the acne can get worse or persist for a longer period of time. If this happens to your infant, make an appointment to speak to your doctor. Unlike teen acne and adult acne, there are no special acne creams, scrubs, or ointments that you’ll need to invest in. The best treatment, according to medical experts, is to actually do nothing at all. Because baby acne is common and harmless to your infant, no special actions are needed. With time, the acne will fade away. However, there are some steps parents can follow to make sure their newborn’s skin is in its best health and able to combat the baby acne sooner.

It is important to keep your baby’s face and complexion clean. Gently wash your baby’s face two to three times a day with warm water. When drying your baby’s complexion, remember to pay it gently and not rub. Rubbing can irritate the skin and make the baby acne flare up. Don’t be tempted to scratch, pick, pinch, scrub or disturb the acne in any way. Not only can this cause scarring, it can also make the condition worse, irritate the rest of the skin, and can make your baby vulnerable to infection. In more severe cases of baby acne, your doctor can prescribe a special medical ointment or cream.

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