Think babies come into the world with peaches-and-cream complexions? Not exactly. Your little bundle's largest organ — her epidermis — will more likely be blotchy and bumpy for the first couple of months. Read on to learn what to expect and how to protect your cutie's tender skin.
It won't be pretty at first
Of course she’s beautiful — but your newborn is also kind of weird, skin-wise. At birth, fine hair (called lanugo) may cover her body for the first few weeks, especially if she's a preemie.
Vernix — a greasy, cheese-like substance that protects a baby’s skin in utero from amniotic fluid — may also remain at birth. Expect it to take a day or two to wear or wash off.
Baby’s skin color may change
Another surprising fact about newborn skin: No matter your ethnicity or race, your baby’s skin will be reddish purple for the first few days, thanks to a circulation system that’s just getting up to speed. (In fact, some babies can take up to six months to develop their permanent skin tone.)
This is perfectly normal, but do keep an eye out for a yellow cast to the skin, which could be a sign of jaundice.
It's very prone to rashes
Besides being greasy and hairy, your baby’s skin will probably look blotchy, blemished and bumpy. About 40 percent of babies are born with milia, those white or yellow dots that look like tiny whiteheads and appear all over their little faces.
And more than one-third of newborns will break out in what is known as baby acne. The best thing you can do for baby breakouts is to leave them alone (no squeezing, no scrubbing) and your darling's skin will usually clear up by the time she's about 6 months old.
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There’s also a 50/50 chance she’ll develop erythema toxicum — also called "newborn rash" and "flea bite rash" — a harmless, temporary red rash that can cover her itty-bitty body, but usually breaks out on the chest and back. This condition will likely disappear on its own in about two weeks.
Your hormones affect it
Your fluctuating hormones contributed to all sorts of symptoms during pregnancy — and now they’re affecting your newborn’s skin. As your due date approached, your hormones made their way through the placenta and into your baby, ramping up her oil production. Eventually, your baby’s body will flush them out, usually between a week and a month after her birth.
Your hormones probably caused that crusty cradle cap too. Just remember those scales and flakes on her scalp may bother you, but your cutie is oblivious. Again, leave it be, and the cradle cap will go away on its own. For particularly severe or stubborn cases, talk to the pediatrician about treatment, which might include a low-strength corticosteroid cream.
Baby's skin is paper-thin
Those thighs might be deliciously chubby, but right now, your baby’s skin is ultra-thin. In fact, you can see most of her blood vessels underneath, which, as it turns out, is one way to gauge your newborn’s temperature and mood.
When her blood boils — if she’s crying, say, or hot — her skin will turn pink and mottled right before your eyes. And when your baby’s cold, her feet and hands may actually turn blue, reminding you to cuddle her close or add another layer.
Thin skin means it’s easy for babies to get chilled, so it’s always important to dress your baby in one more layer than you yourself would wear for the weather (and pop a hat on her except when she’s snoozing).
After about a year, her skin will thicken enough to keep her naturally insulated and you won’t have to worry so much about the extra-layer rule.
It doesn't need to be washed that often
If your baby’s blissed out by a nightly bath, that’s fine. But there’s really no need to wash your infant every day.
In fact, too much washing can dry out a baby’s delicate skin, leaving it more susceptible to rashes and infections. A quick wipe-down of her neck, legs, arms and diaper area with a damp washcloth is usually good enough most days — at least until she’s stomping through mud puddles and rubbing spaghetti in her hair.
When you bathe her, opt for a soap-free, fragrance-free cleanser — like a gentle-formulation baby body wash — and only use a squirt or two. And always choose fragrance- and dye-free lotions.
Baby's skin burns very easily
A newborn’s skin is a work in progress — including its melanin, the pigment that helps absorb the sun’s rays. That means a baby’s skin burns much more quickly than big-kid or grown-up skin, which is serious since sunburns in babies are as harmful as burns from scalding water.
The best way to protect your pipsqueak: Keep her out of direct sunlight as much as possible, especially between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest. If you do have to run errands during those hours with baby in tow (and sometimes you will), dress her in light clothing that covers her arms and legs.
Cover that noggin with a hat and dab her cheeks and the tops of her ears with sunscreen, even if she’s younger than 6 months. The best sunblocks for sensitive baby skin? Avoid chemical sunscreens in favor of physical barrier creams like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide with an SPF of 30.
There's an upside to all this sensitivity
Your baby’s thin skin is sensitive to just about everything, including your touch — and that’s a wonderful thing. Every time you kiss, massage or caress your sweetie’s skin, you stimulate the production of her feel-good hormones — including the “love hormone” oxytocin, which boosts the bonding process.
Most babies love a gentle rubdown, so feel free to massage your munchkin’s back, belly, arms and legs whenever you want to calm or reassure her or send her off to dreamland. (It’ll make you feel great too!)
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