Experience with Baby Acne?

Updated on September 11, 2009
L.C. asks from Miami Beach, FL
26 answers

Hi All,

I have a 1 month old beautiful baby boy that seems to have a mild case of baby acne... I've researched online and it says this is a normal occourance to about 40% of newborns (especially boys). The best advice I've read is to just wash his face once a day with mild soap and water...and that it will disappear within 4-6 months... Just wondering if any of you can give me any advice or have had experience with the same thing...Thank you so much :)

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B.K.

answers from Tallahassee on

It disappears within a couple weeks. the cause is interenl, just processing leftover mama hormones from the birth. don't over-wash the face, or you may exacerbate it. It's not a big deal and will go away soon.

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K.T.

answers from Tampa on

My grandson had this problem and my DD used Johnson and Johnsons bath soap on his face... this is the bar of soap not the liquid soap. It dried it up and helped significantly.

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D.C.

answers from Miami on

My youngest daughter was born with it 15 years ago. It is Milia(According to the doctors at the time) and it went away soon after we left the hospital. I did not do anything different(per Dr's instructions) and it wasn't an issue, however she also suffers from acne as a teenager...

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S.W.

answers from Miami on

Ask your ped about vitamin e oil. I wouldn't use too much soap, just warm water on a soft cloth or cotton ball.
And don't get too worried about it. It's a phase, like the rest of his life will be.

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J.K.

answers from Miami on

Hi L.,

My grandson also had it and we used ABC Wash by Arbonne. It's Pure Safe and Beneficial. No chemicals like no more tears has.
You can find it here: www.J..myarbonne.com click shop online click ABC BABY

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T.F.

answers from Miami on

It's very common and no big deal - follow the advice you got and do not be tempted to squeeze any whiteheads you may see! It will go away in a few weeks. Make sure you're not bundling him up too much - being too warm can perpetuate the acne.

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T.A.

answers from Tampa on

L., my son had that when he was a baby, and i was told that some soaps, etc, could make the acne worse. so, if it gets worse instead of better with washing more often, then you might want to slack off on that, as much as possible. you can also talk to your pediatrician and see what they recomend. i hope i have helped some. good luck! mom of one toddler son.

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M.C.

answers from Gainesville on

My doctor told me to use white Dial. I wiped a little bit on a warm washcloth and gently rubbed it over my baby's face being careful not to get it in her eyes. I did this 2-3 times a day and the acne cleared up in only a couple of days.

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C.B.

answers from Daytona Beach on

Hi there. I have three boys. My youngest is almost 2 1/2 months old now. When he was roughly a week old, he got baby acne. I did wash his face with baby soap once a day and it was gone by the time he was three weeks old! I was so happy because he is so handsome that it just didn't seem fair that he would have baby acne!

Don't worry, I'm sure it will go away soon!

Congrats on the new baby!

PS = We are not vaccinating because my middle son has autism triggered by vaccines. Please research before you make that decision. The flu shot has the most mercury of all the shots, by the way...

www.vaccinetruth.org

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G.M.

answers from Sarasota on

Hi L.~

In Chinese Traditional Medicine, the face has many points for the stomach and spleen. Acupuncturists never use needles for babies and small children because these are not necessary. Just some mild manipulation of the correct points will be enough. (And these will not be on the face but elsewhere on the body.) The East West College of Natural Medicine on Tamiami might be a good place to start. Or call Dr. Shao, who is one of the best in the area.

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K.K.

answers from Orlando on

I'm a nurse. Many babies get this and Moms (especially new Moms)are timid about washing the baby's face but trust me (my granddaughter had it bad)if you take a soft wash cloth and mild soap it WILL go away. Remember these are brand new little skin pores and they secrete and are just starting to do their job. So keep them clean. You sound like a great Mom. :)

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I've always been told that it is a post-birth hormone thing. My son had it too, at the seemingly "traditional" one month mark... just in time for those 1 month baby pictures... :(

It does go away.. but it didn't take anywhere NEAR 4-6 months! More like one month. No real need for treatment. It is just your hormones coming out...

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J.A.

answers from Jacksonville on

It's very normal and more babies get it than not! I was always told to just use plain water on my kids faces, no soap, so I did and it was always cleared up in 3-4 weeks tops. Hang in there, it will be gone before you know it.

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S.T.

answers from Tampa on

I have three boys (the youngest is just two months) and I have used the following method with all three when they got baby acne:

Wash his face daily with Dove soap. It's mild and not drying. Pat dry and apply a good moisturizer. Eucerine is the one I would recommend. It is rich, but good for sensitive skin and not greasy. If he is rubbing his face against you, like his face is itchy, you can apply OTC hydrocortizone cream 2-3 times a day. His skin should be cleared up in a week at the most. Good luck!

Oh, and I didn't come up with this on my own. it was recommended by one pediatrician and then when I ran it by two other pediatricians over the years, they both agreed that this is a good method to use.

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E.D.

answers from Albany on

Wash with a mild soap is in fact the best advice. A great one to try is Arbonne Baby Hair and Body Wash. It is a botanically based wash that actually corrects the skin's pH level. Check it out at www://emilydemund.myarbonne.com.

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L.D.

answers from Tampa on

My daughter had this on her cheeks and forehead and her pediatrician recommended some mild over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. I would check with your own pediatrician before using this, but I used it once and it immediately cleared up her skin (within hours). The dr had told me to apply it twice daily, but literally after one application she was so much better I didn't need to continue. When it came back (months later), I did the same thing and it cleared up quickly again.

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C.S.

answers from Lakeland on

yes, it's such a bummer when your beautiful baby has acne. Both of my girls had it, and since I am a picker it was all I could do not to try to pop them. But don't. It will go away. If I remember correctly, they had it at 2 months and it was gone by 3 months. Enjoy your new baby!

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R.C.

answers from Orlando on

Hi L..

My son had a really bad case of it. The Pediatrician told me to not use any soap on it and for the areas that were getting dry looking, to put Aquaphor on it which is an ointment. It cleared up about 6 weeks later. Granted, it was a bad case. It goes away and it looks bad. Soon you will have a clear faced baby staring back at you. Hang in there. Check with your Ped too.

S.Z.

answers from Boca Raton on

My baby had the same thing happen at that age. It started at his head and worked it's way down his body. It went away natural. I did not do a thing.

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D.G.

answers from Boca Raton on

Hi L., My son had acne when he was an infant. Best thing I found was just a warm wash rag, no soap.

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S.M.

answers from Miami on

Hi, L.. The standard advice is correct, although it did not take so long for my son's baby acne to go away. Make sure his face doesn't come into contact with any fabric softeners, perfumes, bleached fabrics, or anything that might irritate his skin. Normall, I recommend aloe vera for adult or teenaged acne, but I would hold off on putting anything like that on his skin until he's a few months old.

The South Florida heat doesn't help the acne, either. I would dab his face with clean water in between the times that you wash him with soap, just to keep sweat from building up and clogging his pores. Don't worry, this too shall pass.

Peace,
Syl

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R.C.

answers from Sarasota on

My daughter had a terrible case, my son not so much. We didn't use soap on their faces and in both cases they went away just fine. My daughter's was worst at one month and was gone by six weeks (we cheated and used a six week picture for her one month old one :-)).

I understood from my pediatrician that it is indeed a hormone thing--more to do with YOUR hormones than theirs--and very normal. It passes on its own.

Congratulations!

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D.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

There's nothing really you can do. DON'T POP THEM and they'll go away...promise!

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K.D.

answers from Dallas on

Actually my daughter had a little of that too. I left it alone, and it went away on its own. Don't pick or squeeze the blemishes, as horrible as it sounds it may be tempting..that will just spread the bacteria and oil. I let it run its course, and it was gone before we knew it.

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S.A.

answers from Tampa on

Yes, just leave it alone and will go away. Don't use soap, just a wet washcloth. As a matter of fact, when my daughter was a newborn, I only bathed her like once a week.

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N.H.

answers from Tampa on

Both of my baby boys had acne issues, but they didn't last that long. It did come and go, but outbreaks would only last 4-5 days at a time. I didn't wash their faces everyday, but at least every other day. He should be handsome and blemish free soon

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