Baby Acne: No Reasons to Worry

Though most people think of acne as something that can affect the skin during teenage years, there is actually no age that is completely safe from this skin condition. Acne even happens to babies, although it usually occurs in mild forms. Most of the times, acne can appear around the age of 3-4 months as small rashes or white heads. Pimples are much less common.

The roots of baby acne can be traced back to the prenatal stage and they are, as usual, of hormonal nature. When the mother's hormones go through the placenta and get to the fetus, they can trigger the secretory activity of the babys sebaceous glands. This can result in minor acne problems on the new born babys skin.

Still, acne doesnt last by far as long in the case of children as it does with teenagers and adults. If it does occur, it rarely persists beyond the age of nine months and it normally doesnt create discomfort.

Even though it is mild and lasts very short, some precautions are necessary to prevent the acne problems from becoming more serious. As in the case of teenagers and adults, the skin can become more irritated if it is touched often - not to mention if it is rubbed. You should dress the baby in clothes of a delicate material.

Saliva and milk can also increase irritation, so you should make sure that your baby's skin stays clean. You can wash the baby and then use a soft towel to gently pat the skin dry. As for moisturizing solutions, water- or glycerin-based moisturizers are the best; creams can worsen acne due to their oily composition, so they are not recommended.

Moisturizers are especially useful in winter, when the skin can become dehydrated due to the cold. Dry skin is more prone to acne than hydrated skin, as it creates favorable conditions for bacteria to multiply and, thus, for acne to develop into more serious forms.

There are some remedies that you can find in drug stores too. Ionic colloidal silver solutions are the best, due to their cleansing and toning effects. Herbal treatments are not recommended, because you cant know for sure what the baby might be allergic to.

In no case should you try to squeeze the white heads, as that may leave behind scars that take long to heal. The most common treatment, however, is patience. As long as you keep the babys skin moisturized and clean, acne should go away relatively quickly and painlessly.

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