My baby has acne: Should I reschedule my Brooklyn newborn photography session

It’s a few days or even the night before your baby’s Brooklyn Newborn Photography session. You have been planning out this session with your photographer for weeks or months and you notice that your baby has developed acne. Oh no what should I do! Should I reschedule his newborn photography session? Please don’t worry. This is completely normal and nothing that I have not dealt with before. In fact, almost all the babies that I have photographed have some form of acne or other skin condition that usually occur a few days after birth. It is not unusual for a baby to have jaundice, blotchy redness all over their bodies, purple feet, baby acne or even scratches from their own nails. We will just go with the flow of what baby comes along with

What is baby acne and what causes it?

At around 2 to 5 weeks old you may see small pimples on their face, it usually starts off on the cheeks, forehead, and nose. It can spread to all over the face, neck, and body. Baby acne is common and about 3 in 10 babies get it.

Experts are not exactly sure what causes baby acne, but it could be due to one of the following:

• An inflammation caused by yeast on your baby’s skin
• Overstimulated oil glands in your baby’s skin caused by coming into contact with hormones in the placenta during your pregnancy.

How to get rid of baby acne?

Sorry to say there aren’t any home remedies that will quickly clear up baby acne. You just need to wait for it to go away on its own. Baby acne typically sticks around for about three to four months and then goes away with no scars.

While your baby has acne you can care for it to keep them comfortable and clean.

• Place a clean, soft receiving blanket under your baby’s head when he’s awake to shield his skin from any laundry detergent residue on sheets or clothing
• Gently wash his face every day with warm water and a mild baby soap and pat it dry
• Avoid irritating the acne by pinching or scrubbing the pimples as this may cause more harm or even lead to an infection Avoid moisturizing his face with lotions or oils.
• If you breast feed put some breast milk on the affected area for about 15 minutes. Take a soft washcloth and clean water and wipe the area after that and pat dry. No this hasn’t been scientifically proven to work but you know old wife’s tales that has been passed down for generations.
• Also, along the lines of nursing. Mommy needs to eat a healthy diet while breastfeeding. Avoid meals with high fat content.
• Do not squeeze or pick at your baby’s acne. Touching the acne with your bare hands can do more harm than good. It is best to leave it alone.
• If for some reason you notice things getting worse, it looks too red or begins to itch you should touch base with your baby’s pediatrician just to check if there is anything they can prescribe to help.

Is it baby acne or a rash or something else?

As I mentioned earlier babies can develop various skin conditions during their first few weeks of life. Baby acne looks like red pimples, while milia are tiny white bumps or whiteheads. Both conditions are treated the same keeping it clean with washing and just waiting for it to go away.

There are, however, several other skin rashes or other skin conditions that may show up on your baby. These are usually itchy and uncomfortable for the baby and usually need topical or other treatment to help ease the discomfort or to clear them up.

Diaper rash: This rash is caused by moisture, irritants, and too little air. It appears as red irritated skin in the diaper area.

Infant eczema: The skin will appear dry, flaky, and red, usually starts off in patches around the cheeks, scalp and then spreads to elbows and behind the knees. It can become fluid -filled pimples that pop. This form of skin condition needs to be treated because it can lead to scabbing and oozing.

Cradle cap: This shows up as tiny red bumps smaller than acne and many times is accompanied by yellow, flaky skin that looks like scales. It normally appears on the head, but you might see it on eyebrows or upper body too.

Baby heat rash: This usually occurs when it’s hot outside. You will see clusters of tiny, moist red bumps that look like baby acne on the arms, legs, upper chest and even diaper area.

Baby Acne and your Brooklyn Newborn Photography session

Now that you know about all these different skin conditions with the most common one being baby acne let me tell you do not need to reschedule your Brooklyn Newborn Photography session. First of once it starts it just stays for up to 3 or 4 months and we all know the small window we have to get these newborn baby portraits done. In some cases, if your baby does seem uncomfortable that day or their skin is red, I totally understand you rescheduling the session to another day when baby is feeling better.

I have worked with babies that have jaundice, dry skin, bruising, acne and eczema. I’ve learned different editing techniques that allow me to remove these blemishes so that your photographs show your baby without these annoying but normal newborn skin conditions. Don’t let these skin imperfections stop you from bringing your baby to their Brooklyn newborn photography session.