Acne is a condition only affecting teenagers, true? False. Acne is a condition which can affect people of any age, hence baby acne and adult acne are common. However acne is more common in teens. Acne is the number one skin problem in the world and affects huge numbers of people worldwide. And baby acne, although not common, can be a cause of some angst amongst parents.
What is baby acne? Acne is not totally understood, including baby acne. The cause of acne is not agreed on amongst the scientists. However the general consensus is that acne, including baby acne, is a condition caused by changes in the bodys hormones.
And when are the bodys hormones changing? Well certainly in the teenage years. But also at some other times in life. Like birth. When a baby has been separated from its mothers body by birth and it is living on its own for the very first time. And when it is also getting some supplies of hormones from its mothers milk at the same time.
Baby acne can occur in very young babies of 2 or 3 weeks, more commonly boys, up until around 6 months or so. It appears on various parts of the babys body such as the forehead, cheeks and chin, or more rarely the bottom or back, and appears as small white spots on the skin. Or it could look like a red rash with raised bumps.
The good news is that baby acne is not serious and very rarely requires any treatment, so refrain from rushing out looking to buy baby acne remedies. In fact you should refrain from any baby acne remedies until you have seen your doctor and usually your doctor will not prescribe any medication at all.
Baby acne usually goes away by itself. It is sufficient in most cases to do some gentle facial cleansing once or at most twice a day using a mild baby cleanser and clean water. Do not scrub babys face, this will not help and may be counterproductive. Dont apply lotions or potions or oils. Dont look for fancy baby acne remedies, dont try applying vinegar solution for baby acne as some do.
It will all go away in time. When attending one of your regular baby check ups ask them about it. Chances they will tell you its just baby acne, dont worry about it.
