Is Baby Acne This Bad?

Updated on April 25, 2007
L.H. asks from Jefferson, GA
12 answers

I have a 1 mo son who started to get baby acne on his cheeks and cradle cap. In the past week I used Aquaphor twice on his head for the cradle cap. The good news is the cradle cap is gone. Unfortunitally his head has gradually become covered in small red bumps. It is around his whole head, covers the sides of his head, on the back of his neck, and is spreading to his collar bone and shoulder. He was at the pediatrician 4 days ago and I was told he has Baby Acne. It had gotten worse since I saw the doctor so I wonder if all of this is baby acne. Could the bumps on his cheeks be baby acne and the bumps that cover his scalp be something else? The doctor said I could was his cheeks with Dial soap because it is antibacterial and I have done this but only twice so far. He also told me I could use Cortaid on him for about a week. At first I didn't get the cortaid because it wasn't that bad and was told it would just go away, but since it has gotten worse I have used the Cortaid and it is still spreading. It is really weird and my daughter never had anything like this. Now the bumps that cover the sides of his head are dry and scaley and he now has gotten bumps that cover behind his ear and even on his earlobe. Has anyone ever seen anything like this? What can I do?

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T.M.

answers from Macon on

Have you tried aveeno? It has oatmeal in it and it really helps with soothing. They should have it in bathwash form. When I was a baby (many many years ago) my mom would put straight oatmeal on my rashes and she said it would clear it up. Hope this helps a little bit

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H.M.

answers from Atlanta on

Really don't do anything... if it doesn't hurt him and it just visually looks bad... it will get better... your hormones are getting out of his system. Time will make him look better.
Best of Luck

1 mom found this helpful
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B.

answers from Augusta on

differant approach on this one, if it is baby acne then it will go away to me since its on his head from what you describe in his hair basicly and back of his neck where if you were washing his hair the water would run off , sounds like his sensative skin might not have liked what you washed his hair with. Id use a benydryl cream / antihistamine creme on his head. but ask your nurse about it first.

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A.N.

answers from Atlanta on

My son and daughter had the same thing. It is a yeast overgrowth in their system. I gave them a probiotic...acidofilous... you can get it at the herb shop. I also bathed them in coconut oil. It was completly gone in 10 days and never returned. If you are bottle feeding put the probiotic in his bottle. If you are nursing, put it on your nipple or a pacifier. Your clean finger will work too. It is tasteless. Break open a capsule and give him a little less than half throughout the day.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.D.

answers from Atlanta on

Sometimes baby acne is that bad. Thankfully it doesn't usually last that long. My fourth son had baby acne but was also diagnosed with Eczema. It was mainly on his head, cheeks, and chin. Looked horrible but got much better after I started bathing him with Cetaphil soap and using Cetaphil lotion instead of all the baby lotions and washes. I still only use that and his break-outs are rare. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Atlanta on

My little girl was part of an infant growth study and they told me the acne is a sign of growth hormones in the body. It could be that he is getting ready for a big growth spurt.
Keep an eye on it but I wouldn't worry about it unless it seems to bother him. If you can do it, breast feeding is a good preventative for just about everything : )
Sometimes the cortaid stuff can cause an allergic reaction - it did with my sister.

1 mom found this helpful
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P.T.

answers from Atlanta on

The best thing for baby ache is to keep the area dry and don't put any creams or lotions on it, they clog the pores. After a bath just pat dry. Real constarch (baking area of grocery store) will help keep area from sweating when out in the sun. Good luck, it gets better. My 2 year old had horrible baby acne and now his skin is beautiful. It will go away in about a week or so. Keep your son's skin away from heavy creams and lotions until he gets much older. Aquaphor is great stuff, can use for everything skin related.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.B.

answers from Columbus on

my daughter had it too and my dr told me it was from an excess of maternal hormones and to keep it dry and it would go away by itself. im happy to say it did. good luck to you

1 mom found this helpful
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M.B.

answers from Savannah on

L., congrats on your baby! I just had another one too (my 5th) he is also a month old!
A lot of times when babys "acne" is that bad it is actually yeast and not just acne. go down to brighter day and get some acidolpholis and put it right on his skin. It will star clearing up super quick! In fact I was going to go there this week if you want to meet up. My older three are girls and are homeschooled and they would love to play with your daughter (we can talk about parenting stuff and you request on your dd while we are there if you want) My e-mail is ____@____.com ... I hope we can meet up!...M.

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C.H.

answers from Augusta on

My first son had what the doctor called milk bumps all over his face but I don't think my son's were as bad as you are describing your baby's are but if your doctor doesn't seemed concerned then it's probably nothing to worry about.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.M.

answers from Atlanta on

Hello,

I am not sure if baby acne is considered the same as Eczema. My son had eczema and his pediatrician told me to use hyrdocortisone 1%. It started around 2 months old, and lasted for 6 months or more. I used it twice a day, it took a while for it to clear up completely. As it was healing his skin tone where he had the eczema was lighter than the rest of his face. After applying the hyrdocortisone, I would also use an over the counter moisturizing cream. I think vaseline would work too. Also, I use Dove soap for baths. Not sure if this will help you, but it worked for me.

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R.P.

answers from Atlanta on

Sounds like another trip to the doctors office is needed.

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