How to Treat Baby Acne

Baby acne is a condition that many infants suffer from weeks to months. Most doctors agree that the best treatment for baby acne is to leave it, as it is natural and will disappear quickly as long as the baby's face is gently washed. But in severe conditions, the pediatrician will suggest a stronger treatment. Here is what you need to know about treating baby acne.

1. Home Care

Wash baby skin with water and mild baby soap. Wash baby's face with warm water every day. For severe baby acne, a mild soap can also be used.

Use a soap made specifically for the baby whenever possible. Soaps made for teens or adults may be a little too strong for baby's skin.
If you can not use a baby's special soap, use a soap with a soft moisturizer, or soap with lots of emollients .This kind of soap is usually soft enough for most babies, but you should stop using it immediately if the baby's skin changes color to red or the acne gets worse.
Do not wash baby's face more than once a day. Too often washing baby's skin can cause irritation, so the oil glands produce excess oil and eventually aggravate baby acne.

Do not scratch the skin. When you wash baby's face, do it with a gentle pat or wipe it gently.

Because baby acne is caused by overactive glands, and not dirt, rubbing baby's skin will only cause it to irritate and produce more oil.
Use a soft sponge or a terry washcloth to wipe the baby's skin.

Rub her skin gently until dry. Use a terry hand towel to gently tap the baby's skin until it is completely dry.

Do not wipe or rub baby's skin until dry, as this can cause skin irritation and more oil production.

Do not use oily lotions. Avoid using lotions on the face, especially the acne, because the lotion can aggravate the problem.

Although the acne may appear dry, the fact is that the condition is caused by overactive oil glands. Adding oil on the face will only aggravate it.
If you are worried that your baby's skin is dry due to acne, use a baby soap with a moisturizer when you cleanse the skin to prevent it getting dry and pat dry until soon.
If your baby's skin looks dry, you can also apply a non-greasy cream instead of an oily lotion. Just apply cream to a small portion of skin and watch carefully to ensure that acne on baby's skin does not get worse. If this cream shows improvement, you can apply it to other acne parts.

Do not squeeze baby acne. Under no circumstances, do not try to solve baby acne, as this does not help and can even be dangerous.

Squeezing pimples will irritate the skin. Irritated skin will make the oil glands produce more oil. The more oil will be the more severe the baby acne.

Be patient. The appearance of baby acne will usually disappear within a few weeks to several months without special care.

Although the baby's skin condition looks bad, the acne rarely causes pain or discomfort in the baby. But if the baby shows signs of discomfort, you can visit your doctor for more professional treatment.
Infant acne usually appears first at age 2 to 4 weeks, and can last up to age 5 to 6 months. Infant acne is usually the most severe at an age between 6 and 12 weeks.
Note that baby acne is usually the most severe occurs when the baby overheats and moves a lot.
Infant acne generally takes longer in breastfed babies, because the excess oil-inducing hormone that remains in the baby's body from the mother's womb, can also enter through breast milk. As a result, baby acne often disappears when breast milk is stopped. But baby acne can also disappear faster if the baby's oil glands are old enough to overcome the hormone before.

2. Medical treatment

Do not use over-the-counter acne medicines for teenagers. Creams and ointments made for teenagers or adults are too hard for sensitive baby skin.

Using acne free medicines can irritate the skin so that acne will get worse. This drug can also cause the baby's skin is too dry. The worst thing is the baby's skin becomes too dry so that he feels pain.

Only use over-the-counter medications with your doctor's permission. In most cases, the cream that is sold freely will only cause infant skin irritation and should be avoided. However, in special cases, your doctor may recommend the use of a light 1% hydocortisone cream or an ionic colloidal silver solution.

The hydrocortisone cream will deal with dry skin, itching and painful skin due to severe baby acne. With soothing skin, this cream reduces oil production, and ultimately overcome baby acne. Note that this cream can also hurt the baby when it comes to the eye or mouth.
Ionic colloidal silver solutions are generally considered safer than hydrocortisone creams. This cream kills the bacteria that live in oily skin and soothes itchy skin.
Just apply a little of this product to baby's skin, and use it at most twice a day for two days.

Ask for a prescription cream. If baby acne seems to cause pain or discomfort to the baby, or there are more than a few months, your doctor may prescribe acne cream to help clean baby's skin.

Creams prescribed are almost always retinoid creams. Retinoids are a kind of chemical compound that regulates the growth of skin tissue.
Retinoid cream that is usually used to treat baby acne is Adapalene, Tazarotene, and Tretinoin.
Apply this prescription cream as directed. Usually this cream is topically applied on top of acne-prone skin once a day, about 20 to 30 minutes after you wash your baby's face.

Ask about dietary changes and other possible causes. Some conditions may be disguised as baby acne, when in fact there is something else entirely.

If the baby is older than four to six months, a lump on the baby's skin may not be a pimple.
Eczema is the next skin condition that the baby may experience.
This lump is also likely to be a mild allergic reaction to the new foods you introduce in a baby's diet. If you are just beginning to introduce a new food or drink, stop and report the progress to your doctor.

Things You Need

Towels and a soft washcloth
Soft baby soap
Warm water
Hydrocortisone cream or ionic colloidal silver solution
Retinoid cream prescription