Infant Acne Since 8 Mos. of Age -- Not Your Garden Variety Newborn Acne

My son had baby acne for few months after birth, his face was covered with little red bumps! My ped told me to absolutely NOT putting anything on it because it was caused by hormones that I transferred him and it had to clear out by itself. She told me that it came from the inside of his body not from the outside and that anything we'd put on his face would irritate the delicate protective film that needed to be left alone. Try NOT to put anything for a month or so and pat the irritation with bags of chamomile previously boiled (and cold obviously). Hope this helps, good luck with the little one!

It might be Keratosis Pilaris. Big word - but not really scary - just irritating!!!!! My daughter has this and wasn't really diagnosed until she was 7 or 8 - at first they said exzema, then acne (but treatments didn't work). She has it on her cheeks and on the upper outside of her arms.

The wiki pic is more red than my daughters - hers were the color of her skin, but she would "sunburn" on her face very easily (but not anywhere else).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratosis_pilaris

Every doc we took my daughter to all said DON'T put anything on it (after they realized it wasn't acne). You can have Microdermabrasion when they are older (which is why the zinc oxide stuff is working where nothing else is) but that's really it - other than avoid the sun (nearly impossible) or use OTC exfoliating moisterizers that are hypoallergenic but will sluff off the skin cells that build up.

If you pick at the bumps they will scar.

Hope that helps!

I'm sure you've considered all possibilities, but I thought this just worth a mention... have you considered the possibilities of food allergies as a cause for the rash/acne?

My son had what I thought was infant acne, a red pimply rash all over his face and head. Took him to his ped who suggested I eliminate dairy from my diet (I was nursing). And within a couple days, the acne was completely gone.

What you describe does sound like acne vs. an allergic rash, but I thought I'd mention it, just in case because it was such a simple fix for us...

Best wishes... hope you find a solution.

My ped suggested hydrocortisone. I'm think that is your mild steriod?