How to Get Rid Of Baby Acne

Baby acne is a common problem among babies several weeks to months old. Don’t get all worried it if happens to your baby but it is always good to know how to get rid of baby acne beforehand. It is a normal skin problem that’s common in infants and newborns. This article is everything-under-one-roof for baby acne problem. How will this article add to your knowledge?

  • What is Baby Acne?
  • Causes of Baby Acne
  • Symptoms of Baby Acne
  • How long does baby acne last?
  • Baby acne treatment
  • Ways to Get Rid of Baby Acne

What is Baby Acne?

Baby acne is also called neonatal acne and it inflicts newborn babies particularly infants who are about 2 months old. It is not a very serious problem that you should go all cranky about. It starts subsiding with time. About 20% infants are inflicted with baby acne which appears on the skin in the form of pimples that are red, white and tiny. The region of the breakouts may be cheeks, forehead or the nose but not leg, chest or arms. They often appear to be rough red rash.

Mostly pediatricians believe the best treatment is nothing. It is a natural condition that goes away on its own as long as you take care of cleanliness by gently washing the baby’s face and keeping it clean. It is only in case of a severe condition that the doctor will start a stronger treatment.

New mothers usually get easily worried on seeing the break outs on their newborn’s face and immediately consult a doctor. A doctor may only recommend some topical treatment. There is no need to get all anxious over baby acne. It will naturally go away. If you still want to do something about it, go for a home remedy because don’t forget babies have extremely delicate skin and you wouldn’t want to expose your baby to concentrated medications at such a young age.

Causes of Baby Acne

A new mother already has so many things to deal with when it comes to her baby. Like constantly changing nappies and sleepless night weren’t enough, some babies get acne as a result of hormone transfer from the mother to the baby. Although the real cause of baby acne is not clear but the hormone transferred from the mother to the baby in the latter stages is believed to be the major cause. The transfer takes place via placenta. It usually breaks out few weeks after the birth of the child because of the hormones that pass from mother to the infant in the last stages of pregnancy. Hormones indeed play an important role in the development of organs. However, they cause an increase in oil content in the skin. When the amount of sebum increases, it eventually ends up in neonatal acne. It is after 4 weeks of the child’s birth that baby acne appears on the newborn’s skin and it reaches its peak when the child turns 2 months old.

If the baby wears rough clothes or his clothes are washed using a strong detergent, this may also result in baby acne. Some drugs and medications can also trigger baby acne.

Symptoms of Baby Acne

Red and fleshy pimples appear mostly on the cheeks but can be found on chin, nose and fore head too. They can also be described as tiny red bumps on the skin. In severe cases, there are white bumps too called as milia. Baby acne gets worse when your baby cries or gets fussy more than usually. The red pimples are more prominent when the baby is irritated or hot. This is because of the increased flow of blood on the skin. The cloth washed in harsh detergents or milk or spit-up saliva comes in contact with the skin, the condition just gets worse. It will continue for many days.

How long does baby acne last?

Most of the time, baby acne subsides in few weeks but at times it continues for several months. A baby can suffer from this condition even till six months. Although baby acne doesn’t pose any kind of risk to the baby but mothers get concerned when it is taking a lot of time to clear up. If the acne continues for three months and feel worried because it keeps becoming severe, you can consult your baby’s doctor in order to confirm whether it is really baby acne. If the baby acne lingers, the doctor will prescribe a topical medication to slow it down. One thing for you to mark is that if your child has acne that is persistent, he may go through it once he is a teenager as well.

How to Get Rid of Baby Acne at home

If your baby is suffering from baby acne, then home remedies are the best thing you can do to treat him since medical treatment is usually considered the last resort and mostly efforts are made to avoid it. These natural remedies with natural ingredients don’t have any kind of side effects and helps to soothe the baby’s skin and eventually clear it up.

1. Soothing Power of Coconut Oil

The soothing effect that coconut oil has on the baby’s skin remains unparalleled. Coconut oil is a great hydrating agent for the skin which works wonders on the baby acne. Make sure you buy organic coconut oil as it is unrefined. It also comes by the name of extra virgin coconut oil.

All you have to do is take some cotton wool and put few drops of coconut oil on it. Gently apply it on the baby’s skin. You can do so without an inch of worry since it is free of chemicals and completely natural. You will notice improvement in few days itself.

2. Cornstarch with Natural Drying Qualities

Cornstarch with Natural Drying Qualities

There is no kitchen that doesn’t have a cornstarch in it and even if it doesn’t you will easily find it in any nearby store to treat neonatal acne of your baby. Cornstarch has the ability to dry the skin naturally.

You just have to combine it with little water in order to make it a paste. Then apply it over the affected site. It will efficiently work on the sebaceous glands of your baby’s skin. Make sure you just apply a thin layer and allow it to dry. Then rinse the face using warm water. Do it once a day for 2 to 3 days to see the results.

3. Breast Milk

Breast Milk

There is no replacement for breast milk to date. Nothing can make built your baby’s immunity like breast milk. It helps your baby to combat different ailments and make him strong. It also aids in combatting baby acne. This is in fact the most natural way there can be of treating baby acne.

Take a cotton ball and soak it in some breast milk. Apply it over the affected site 3 to 4 times every day. Many mothers are known to have spotted the difference instantly after applying the breast milk.

4. Vinegar Treatment

No list of home remedies is ever complete without vinegar and so it is with baby acne. Vinegar possesses antibacterial quality which quickly kills the bacteria that’s there on the skin and absorbs the unwanted oil. Fortunately, you can find pre-made vinegars available in the market. You have an option of either buying that or making a solution yourself at home.

When doing it at home, make sure you don’t use concentrated vinegar because your baby’s skin is very sensitive and delicate. It can burn the skin of your baby. Therefore, keep in mind that you combine one part of vinegar in ten parts of water. Don’t directly apply this solution on the face your angel. First check it on the patch of your baby’s skin preferably inner part of the wrist to see if there are any negative reactions. If you notice the skin becomes inflamed or red, avoid using this home remedy on your baby’s skin.

5. The Miraculous Honey and Lemon

The Miraculous Honey and Lemon

Honey and lemon are long known for their miraculous effects on the skin. They are in fact known to be among the best treatments for a delicate skin. Nobody has a skin more delicate than your baby. Combine one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey. Take cotton swab and use it to apply it over the affect site of the skin. Let the mixture stay for up to half an hour and then using a wash cloth you can gently wipe it off. you can even use a clean cotton swab in order to clean the skin. Lukewarm water is considered the best for this purpose.

6. Change in Diet of Feeding Mothers

If you happen to be a mother who is breastfeeding, then there is one thing you should know and that is the fact that whatever you eat ends up finding its way to you breast milk. In other words, whatever you eat really matters. If your baby has got baby acne, it might have been caused by your diet. For example, many new mothers actually found out eating fruits results in baby rashes. You will have to sacrifice some taste for your baby.

Make some amendments in your diet by cutting down on dairy products, sugar and citrus fruits along with keeping away from dandelion tea. These food items are known to adversely affect the skin of your baby. Minimize your intake of any food item that is either too sour or too sweet. You will eventually notice you baby’s acne clearing up.

7. Avoid Moisturizing the Affected site

Baby acne mostly occurs on the baby’s face particularly cheeks, chin and forehead. As the skin already contains a lot of oil, it is useless to apply any oil based moisturizer. What you should try to do is keep the skin free of oil by frequently cleaning the face using cotton wool that is soaked in warm water. Maintain cleanliness by giving your baby a bath on a daily basis but avoid using any moisturizer on the skin.

8. Avoid Using Chemical Detergents:

Avoid using chemical detergents or any kind of fabric conditioner. Rather clean your baby’s clothes using natural organic detergent. Sometimes the most overlooked reason is that the clothes can also adversely affect the baby’s skin. Try doing it if you haven’t yet. You will probably notice the difference in your baby’s skin condition.

Baby acne treatment

Most of the time the baby acne subside on its own especially when you have taken care of your baby using the discussed home remedies. Sometimes it does take several months even six months’ time dues to which many mothers get really worried. If you seem to have doubts about the acne your little angel has then you should definitely take him to a doctor for proper diagnosis.

However, no matter what the situation, you should never use over the counter medications for your baby’s red pimples or skin rashes without consulting a doctor. Creams and ointments that are made for adults are really harsh for the angelic sensitive skin of your baby. If you use over the counter acne medication on your baby, it will irritate your angel’s skin and make it even more worse and that’s something you don’t want for sure. In the worst case, it will make your baby’s skin so dry that it will result in pain for your baby. The best method is to make use of the home remedies discussed for baby acne and not distress yourself with getting your baby some sophisticated treatment.

If the doctor finds the condition of your baby really severe, he will possibly prescribe some medicine for treating baby acne. The common treatment is topical acne creams or Benzoyl peroxide. Your pediatrician will recommend mild doses of these medicines in order to completely cure neonatal acne. Medical treatment is usually the last resort and that too when baby acne persists for more than 3 months.

If the case is severe the doctor may recommend just 1% ionic colloidal silver solution or hydrocortisone cream.  Ionic colloidal silver solution is normally thought of as a safer option that hydrocortisone cream. It aids in soothing the itchy skin and kills bacteria present in facial oil. Hydrocortisone cream aids in treating itchy, dry and at times painful skin in case of severe neonatal acne. It reduces the oil production by soothing the skin and gives a clear skin eventually but beware that this cream can hurt your baby just in case it gets into mouth or eyes. Use only very small amount of these products on your baby’s skin and only use them for maximum two days. Always consult a doctor before using such medications.

Resources

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/baby-acne/basics/definition/con-20033932
http://skincare.about.com/od/productsforbabies/f/babyacne.htm
http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/baby-care/baby-skin-care/infant-acne.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/197614-how-to-get-rid-of-newborn-acne/
http://hubpages.com/family/The-Best-Way-To-Treat-Baby-Acne-In-Natural-Way

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