Infantile acne

[Scot1]

Hi I really don’t know how to add thread in a more suitable category but can anyone relate. My ds is 6 months old. He developed ‘baby acne’ at around 8 weeks old. I went to gp and was dismissed. They said it was just baby acne and would clear on its own. My Hv agreed. I left it 2 weeks and took him back as I had googled baby acne and this didn’t look that bad only on the cheeks but more like teen acne and blackheads. They prescribed me an antibiotic lotion for acne and I took him privately to see a consultant dermatologist who confirmed it was infantile acne. The acne itself cleared up but has left lots of red marks and a few little indent/pin prick holes. I’m just so upset about it all that his little cheeks are now permanently scarred. I just don’t see the red marks going away and I feel like I’m hiding him away. I feel so awful and has caused me to have anxiety (as if covid wasn’t enough).
Please can anyone tell me they have experience this and his skin will get better? My dermatologist said to use dermol emollient on the cheeks to cleanse and moisturise. I only stopped treatment 2 weeks ago as his skin cleared up.
Thanks in advance

Can I also add that my anxiety may have started from picking up his prescription at the pharmacy and was told that they had never seen a baby get prescribed this before and proceeded to call the gp for clarification in front of me as well as well as looking it up in a huge book and making a laugh that surely this can’t be for a baby!

I had it as a teen. Nothing really works, certainly not the stuff you buy in the shops. Changing my diet helped a bit - no sugar or greasy foods.

Bumping for you.

My baby had acne prwtty badly and I felt awful. For some reasonI felt it was all my fault, since she was breastfed. But it did clear up. She's 2 now and has perfect skin.
Keep going with an emolient cream and I'm sure the marks will go away. Baby skin heals well.
And babies have all kinds of eczema, rashes and spots so nobody will look strangely at him I'm sure he is gorgeous.

Hi, I know this was a year ago I'm just in a similar situation with my boy he's 15 months now but had acne since about 6 months he's under the paediatrics at the hospital but they just keep telling me to not do anything and it will go on its own they haven't actually seen him for months as they always ring me, but its affecting me now when people make comments I feel like it's all they look at. I'm just wondering how your baby is and if you found anything that worked.

Hi @Scot1 @Sarahann01 i am in the exact same situation now.
@Scot1 how is your dc skin now do you mind me asking?
Did either of you find anything good that worked?

The dermatologist gave him zineryt and if that failed to use differin. I didn’t have to use it but he has many little small scars now. Like little needle pin sized holes and 2 small red marks that never went away. I have used everything under the sun to try to reduce the scarring: derma e scar gel, silicone gels, h scars oil nothing entirely worked but I saw improvement within a few weeks of using each one. I really hope your little ones face doesn’t scar like mine.

My son is nearly 5 months and has been suffering with the same thing. GP said ‘infantile acne’ but won’t prescribe him anything. I have had to push and push for a referral. everytime a spot appears it is leaving behind red marks!
Did this ever resolve itself? have the marks disappeared? What have you been using to help them go? I have dermol 500 at the moment but i am reluctant to use it as I am worried it will make the spots worse until i see the dermatologist

any update sarah? my boys currently suffering with it now, waiting to be referred to dermatologist!

Hi, I would keep pushing for a referral to dermatologist, my boy is 3yr his skin is absolutely fine now think they do grow out of it but it's not a nice you feel like everyone is looking at his skin. we ended up getting referred in the end and he was given zineryt and dermol it did work he had red marks for a while were the spots had been but they have faded now. I hope you get sorted and I know it's hard to keep pushing but it's worth it. Your boy is beautiful by the way 😊

Thank you so so much for replying!! this gives me so much hope things will get better! i’ve been told the wait for a dermatologist would be around 6 months so i’ve booked to go private instead so he can be seen in 2 weeks! i’ll definitely push for the zineryt sounds like it’s worked wonders for you both! and hopefully the red marks clear up over time! yes your right it’s so hard feeling as if your being judged and having people look and make comments on their skin, makes you feel as if it’s your fault it’s happened! did they ever explain what causes it? i’ve read it’s genetic but his dad didn’t get acne until he was a teen so not sure why my babies can suffer so young! sorry to ask a million questions but do you use dermol as a moisturiser, we have that already but i don’t know how often to put it on his face, just once a day after his bath or morning and night?
thanks again for your reply! so happy everything was sorted for your boy he’s so cute!! glad it’s all gone away!