When your baby has acne, he or she has ‘acne vulgaris,’ a condition that is caused by too much oil in the skin. Oil combines with bacteria, is trapped in the hair follicles, and develops into pimples.

We normally associate acne with teens because of their increased hormones. Some say that hormones also cause most of the acne in babies. New babies have high levels of hormones received from their mother. Hormone levels affect glands, including the sebaceous glands that cause oil in the skin. As described above, this contributes to acne.

When a baby is upset, or when his or her skin is irritated by soaps or clothes or washcloths laundered with irritating soaps, acne can get worse. Allowing milk to sit on the skin can also cause a breakout. Try to keep the face clean, and use gentle products whenever possible.

Baby acne is more common in boys than girls, and generally crops up somewhere between 4 weeks and 4 months of age. You may see the pimples on the face – chin, forehead, cheeks – or on the back.

Baby acne is only one skin disorder found in infancy. Don’t assume all breakouts are baby acne! It is often a good idea to have a new skin issue checked out by a doctor, to get a reliable diagnosis.

Some bumps aren’t even breakouts per se. Some babies are just born with little bumps on their skin. Expect that these types of bumps will fade within a few weeks after birth.

Another possibility is that your baby may have eczema. Eczema is treatable, your doctor can diagnose this or other irritation or allergy and tell you how best to manage the condition.

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