6 week old with baby acne that is very red and dry

[laura325630]

Hi, my 6 week old dd has had spots for the last week. The hv told me on Tuesday that they are normal but yesterday her cheek started to become very red and dry and its worse today. Does anyone if there are any creams that are safe to use, is it best to go to the doctors or should I just continue cleaning it with cooled boiled water?

Many thanks, Laura.

i started with vaseline initially, but the gp prescribed low level hydrocortisone - ds 1 looked like a real red scaly monster... cleared up fast x

I don't know if you are breast feeding or what but I had this with my last child (have 3). She's 10 now but when she sees photos of herself at that stage she goes 'ew ew I was so spotty'. I was breast feeding her only and the Dr (who was a pediatrician and specialized in allergies) said that I was to cut out acidic things like tomatoes and oranges (I was eating a lot of those things). He said then that it is quite common and it takes time for it to pass. I stopped all those acidic things from my diet, and within about a week 10 days no new spots appeared and her skin cleared right up. Everyone used to ask me what it was, I remember feeling that saying 'allergies' was a stupid thing to say since breast milk was considered best... but there you go. I didn't put anything on the spots, not advised I think their little pores can't cope with ointments etc... but it did clear up quite quickly once I eliminated those foods.

My dd had the same spots. I put breast milk on them (it has antiseptic properties apparently) and they cleare up after a few weeks. I suspect they would have done anyway no matter what I did.

If her skin is dry and flakey maybe it is eczema - worth getting looked at by a gp?

IME the dryness precedes the clear up. I'd give it a day or two, leave it alone and just wash with cotton wool and water. Then if it gets worse go to the GP.

my vaseline and hydrocortisone thing wasn't for the spots - that was all normal stuff for all 3 dcs - ds was the only one that was fiercely red and dry with no end in sight - it looked really sore but cleared up v quickly with cream. it was his whole face, poor sod.

Both mine had spots at that age. I used to put breastmilk on them too, otherwise just leave them alone and they'll clear up pretty fast.

Some babies are just prone to them!