What causes baby acne?

Is Baby acne different from Adolescent Acne?

Baby acne is not a baby specific type of acne. What causes baby acne may also cause acne in any other age groups, for example the hormonal imbalance may cause acne in any age group. Hormonal imbalance is of different types and be on account of low or high level of Estrogen, low or high level of progesterone and low or high level of Androgens. High level of Estrogen normally causes Acne and oily skin due to excessive production of sebum or skin oil.

What causes baby acne?

Answer to this question is yes and no. Yes, it causes baby acne because the hormonal balance is quite disturbed immediately after delivery and excess hormones are passed on to the baby through breast feeding.
This excess of hormones, in return causes, excessive production of skin oil that blocks hair follicles and appears as acne. Right hormonal balance is restored in young mothers; soon afterwards with consequent clearance of baby acne.

Why breast feeding does not cause Baby acne?

From another point of view the answer to this question is no. Some people think and new mothers assume that breast feeding causes baby acne due to possible infection during feeding. Quite a few mothers get upset with this thought which comes into their minds due to some misinformation.

Fact is that mother’s milk is sterile in nature and contrary to the foresaid thinking, is antiseptic in nature. In case of sore nipples, it is recommended that no extraneous topical creams should be applied. Smearing of mother’s own milk, on and around the nipples resolves the problem, prevents infection and soothes sore nipple.

Are there some other causes of Baby Acne?

Unlike the adults, dust particulates or allergy do not cause baby allergy, as the baby is not exposed to the harsh environmental conditions. Acne is also not an infectious disease. Being cautious is good but being overcautious is sometimes not as good. Some mothers try applying different oils and creams to comfort the baby and in fact they do more harm than good.

Acne, itself is the consequence of excessive skin oil production and the added external supply of oil, simply aggravates the condition. It is important for new mothers to learn to relax in this situation and know that about one fifth of all the new born, show the symptoms of acne after two or three weeks and that  almost in all cases acne disappears by itself ,as soon as the right hormonal balance is restored in the lactating new mother.

How to treat Baby Acne?

Contrary to one potential cause of acne being infection by pathogens in adults, infection is rarely an assignable cause of Baby Acne. It would be therefore, just superfluous to try applying some topical antiseptic creams or lotions. Use of any OTCc (Over the counter drugs) is also not recommended. Just wash baby face with water every day and pat dry, taking care not to wipe for drying.

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