Your newborn is picture-perfect, of course—but as you memorize every square inch of her, you may notice some blemishes on her otherwise brand-new skin. What gives? It’s not as if she’s been chowing down on fast food. They may be red and raised, they may be red and raised, they may be tiny and white or they may resemble the acne flare-ups you experienced in high school.
But while these bumps may be disconcerting, they’re actually not surprising, when you think about it: Just like a teenager, a baby experiences profound hormonal shifts as she adjusts to the world outside the womb, and that can manifest as baby acne. Here’s how to treat it when it pops up. In some babies, what you assume is acne may actually be an allergic reaction or eczema.
If an allergic reaction is suspected, your doctor will review ways to determine the allergen. The rash should resolve once the allergen is found and removed from your baby’s environment. Eczema can be treated with over-the-counter products like Aquaphor and Vanicream, or a mild prescription medication if the doctor thinks one is necessary, or by removing food allergens and giving probiotics daily.
is found and removed from your baby’s environment. Eczema can be treated with over-the-counter products like Aquaphor and Vanicream, or a mild prescription medication if the doctor thinks one is necessary, or by removing food allergens and giving probiotics daily. surge of Androgen hormones when they’re around a month old, and those hormones can cause enlarged oil glands and, ultimately, acne,” says Dr.
Kahn. Oxytocin and Prolactin, which are the hormones that your baby gets from breastfeeding, don’t tend to cause pimples, she adds. Your newborn is picture-perfect, of course—but as you memorize every square inch of her, you may notice some blemishes on her otherwise brand-new skin. What gives? It’s not as if she’s been chowing down on fast food.
They may be tiny and white or they may resemble the acne flare-ups you experienced in high school. But while these bumps may be disconcerting, they’re actually not surprising, when you think about it: Just like a teenager, a baby experiences profound hormonal shifts as she adjusts to the world outside the womb, and that can manifest as baby acne.
Here’s how to treat it when it pops up. In some babies, what you assume is acne may actually be an allergic reaction