**Warning** If you are a first time mom or first time pregnant mom, please note that not all babies have baby acne, and most babies who do have baby acne are nowhere near as bad as my babies.  Do not let the photos below scare you.

Jett is my second child to fall prey to the baby acne plague.  Baby acne usually pops up right toward the end of your babymoon (3-4 weeks) and it can last up to six months!! It can appear on his/her face, back, and chest, but no worries, it doesn’t hurt!

I remember when Hawk was one month old, he had such terrible baby acne, that his entire face became scaly and I’m fairly sure, infected.  I actually had to warn my BFF whom I met right after Hawk was born that his case of baby acne was NOT normal. I honestly can’t remember when it finally went away, but I can tell you that it didn’t last much longer than two months, because I have photos of him around 2-3 months with no irritations at all.

Hawk’s Baby Acne
(he was sound asleep in this picture!)

Jett’s Baby Acne
(I haven’t been able to get a GOOD open eyed shot of him yet!)

Here’s a laugh!  I showed Andy (the hubs and baby daddy) Hawk’s acne photo today…… he thought it was Jett!  Our boys look so much alike!

Please do not try to TREAT your baby’s acne.

What is the worst part of baby acne?  The appearance. I really don’t want to take Jett anywhere right now, because I hate having to explain to people that baby acne is normal, just more prominent in my babies! With Hawk, we attended a family funeral right around the time his acne was at it’s worst, and it was uncomfortable for the entire family to meet him for the first time in his “crusty” phase.  At times, I felt like I was the one on a first date with a bad outbreak and a huge zit right on my nose!  But no worries.  It doesn’t hurt or bother the babies at all.

So what did you do to cause baby acne? Nothing.  Baby acne is believed to be cause from a hormone transfer from mom to baby at the end of pregnancy.

How do you get rid of it? Time. There’s nothing you can do to make it go away any faster than it is.  Be patient.  Before you know it, it will be gone!

The only things you can really do for baby acne is keep it clean, cool, and use these guidelines to keep it less irritated!

  • Keep your baby’s face clean with water or a mild natural baby soap.
  • Don’t use acne medicines or treatment!
  • Make sure your baby is not overheated.
  • Keep irritable, scratchy fabrics away from your baby’s face, chest, and back.
  • Make sure you’re using mild or not scented detergents.
  • Don’t scrub or pick at your baby’s face.
  • Be patient.  It will go away.
My mother-in-law told me today that a case of baby acne means they’ll have great skin later on in life!  I hope that’s one old wives tale that’s true!!!