Acne develops itself in every chapter of life of an individual and the people prone to this skin problem are usually teens and young adults. But this acne skin problem also even develops and inflicts babies. Baby acne is also known as acne neonatorum, this is a condition that usually affects 20% of the newborn babies.
Baby Acne Face Treatment
Do you ever wonder why babies develop these skin problems? In this article, I will be discussing what are the causes and acne baby treatment. This will be able to give you essential idea on how to handle baby acne especially if you have your own baby.
In most cases baby acne develops red pimples on the baby’s cheek, forehead and the chin. These shows up directly after birth and in most cases the acne will just simply disappear within a few weeks. If in some case scenario that the acne stays for months and never vanish, you should have your baby checked up by a doctor.
This is not an alarming skin problem but you just want to make sure of the health of your little one so have it treated appropriately.
Causes of Baby Acne
If your baby experience acne problems, what do you do? Causes of baby acne are usually ill-defined since babies are not prone to any psychological traumas or triggering factors that will cause them acne. However, there could be some reasons and factors why babies develop baby acne on their skin. Just like adults, the condition can be caused by a skin irritation. Milk and medicines can also cause baby acne.
experts have suggested hormones that babies receive from their mother at the end of pregnancy as a cause of baby acne. But investigators continue to study other factors and have yet to agree on an offender. If you take certain medications while nursing, or if your child takes certain medications, they can trigger baby acne.
It could also be the hormones of the mother and as the baby grows older, it slowly loses his mother’s hormones along with the acne.
How do you treat baby acne? Of course, medications and treatment of adults are not supposed to be applied to babies because babies are very gentle and meek. Their skins are very sensitive and they require extra care when it comes to their skin.
How to Handle Baby Acne
One of the points about acne that most people do not know about is the fact that it does not only affect adolescents. It also tends to affect babies. This is what is usually referred to as baby acne. It may appear in different areas of the body and not the face alone. This is not something that one should be really worried about unless it becomes too much. Baby acne tends to disappear without requiring any treatment.
It is important to know that there is no known reason for appearance of baby acne. There is no difference in appearance to that of adolescents. It looks the same and may appear at any point on their body but in most cases it tends to appear on the cheeks and the back. In some cases the acne may be there at birth but in most cases it tends to develop after around 2 to three weeks.
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The acne may irritate the baby if placed on rough materials or if saliva stays on the pimple or acne for a long time. It is important to note that the baby’s skin is really fragile and any irritation to the acne may make the child cry. As mentioned above, baby acne tends to heal by itself. It only takes a matter of weeks for the issue to resolve itself. In the case that it takes more than a month it will be better to visit a pediatrician.
In most cases the pediatrician only recommends some acne creams. It is important to avoid purchasing the creams without seeking medical consult. As mentioned above the baby’s skin is fragile since it is not fully formed, once the wrong cream is used it may make the matter worse.
How long will it last?
Baby pimples usually clear within a few weeks, but it can last for months. If it’s not clear in three months or you’re worried about it, talk to your baby’s doctor.
Here are Some Baby Acne Treatments
1. Cleaning the face or the affected area with a gentle soap and water. To avoid any skin infection and irritation, at least clean the baby’s face twice a day. Never scrub or rub the skin as it can definitely cause skin irritation.
2. Use natural ingredients like a vinegar solution. This will also help treat the affected area.
3. Never put or apply creams or lotions on the face of your baby. This treatment is usually used by teenagers and adults suffering from the skin problem. Unless your doctor prescribes a cream, then that’s the time for you to use it.
4. The best treatment for baby acne is to refrain from treating it. Usually baby acne is untreatable. Just wait for the acne to disappear on his own.
Baby acne is not really worse at all. With proper care and prevention, baby acne will never be a problem. Maintain cleanliness with your baby’s skin and take good care of him all the time to prevent any acne problems to develop.
Some Important Points You Should Consider
As mentioned above, the acne tends to heal by itself. As you wait for it to disappear, there are some important points or factors that you should consider around the house. One of the most important things is to ensure that the baby’s face remains clean at all times. Any region that has the pimples should remain clean and dry at all times.
It is advisable to clean the baby with warm water and a mild soap. Try and choose soap that has moisturizing qualities. At times it may be beneficial to ask the pediatrician on the best soap to use while bathing the child. Cleanliness is highly important when dealing with a baby not only one who has acne.
1. Don’t Scrubbing
One of the biggest mistakes when dealing with child with acne is scrubbing. Once the baby is clean avoid using a towel like most people do. The best option is to use a soft towel that is soapy. With this, just wipe the child in circular motions when dealing with the acne region. When the child dries up, use a dry towel and pat him gently to remove the soap residue. Ensure that you do not use any form of lotion. This is why it is advisable to use soaps with a moisturizing effect.
2. Be Patience
Patience is necessary when dealing with baby acne. Do not fall into the temptation of pinching or squeezing the acne. This causes further irritation and worsens the situation. Though patience is necessary, it will be best to ask the doctor about the situation during the next visit.
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In some cases people may assume an allergy to acne. The doctor will be able to perform some test and the acne should disappear once the right allergens are used. Apart from confusing acne with allergies, it is also highly confused with eczema. The good thing is that all of these cases can be easily treated.
Baby Acne is Common.
Baby acne is very common but once it is properly handled using the above mentioned methods, it will be able to disappear. Ensure that you are not confusing the acne to any other form of disease or reaction. Rashes also tend to look similar to baby acne.
The main visible difference is the fact that in the case of rashes, it tends to look like a cluster of pimples in one red zone. For acne, it might be one or two pimples indifferent regions and tend to be a little bit larger compared to rashes.
Rashes tend to occur mainly due to heat. In this case it may appear on the joints arms chest or legs. Diaper rashes may form around the waist or diaper regions. This is caused by lack of air circulation and moisture.
Diaper rashes are easy to spot and differentiate compared to heat rashes. It is however better to avoid risks and visit a pediatrician for better advice. These are some of the most important points that you should note about acne.
Deeper research on the issue is highly important so as to be able to understand on how to address it once it occurs. It might take a while before the rash completely disappears but this should not worry you. The best part about baby acne apart from the fact that it self-heals, is the fact that it does not leave acne scars.
Precautions
It is important to take note that if one ends up squeezing or picking the pimple, it might end up causing a scar. This is why it is highly advisable to mainly practice cleanliness and avoid tampering with the pimple region. Baby acne should never be handled in the same manner as adolescent or adult acne.
These are two different things. If handled the same, it might end up being worse than it actually is and irritate the child further. In order to allow the acne to heal faster avoid taking the child out when it is extremely hot and sunny. This is mainly during noon hours. The sun rays tend to hinder fast acne healing.
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A pediatrician visit should always be scheduled in the case that the acne or rash does not seem to heal since it might be something else as mentioned above. It is always best to practice caution when taking care of a baby.
What can I do about my baby’s color in this time?
Well, there are some things you should not do. Do not put creams or oils on your baby’s skin, as these can worsen acne. Don’t use over-the-counter acne medicines. And don’t scrub. Baby acne isn’t caused by dirt.
In fact, washing too much can irritate your baby’s skin, so don’t overdo the cleanser. Wash your baby’s face once a day with mild baby soap and water. Gently pat it dry.
Patience is usually the best course of action. your baby’s acne won’t bother him in the least, so try not to let it bother you.
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