Retouching Newborn Skin: The Art of Creating Perfectly Polished Newborn Photos

When it comes to newborn photography, the delicate beauty of a baby’s skin is often one of the most captivating features. However, newborn skin is far from perfect. From mild redness and jaundice to acne and peeling, there are several factors that can affect the appearance of a baby’s skin in their early days. At Elizabeth Lang Photography in Surrey, near Vancouver, we understand the importance of preserving the authenticity of your baby’s features while ensuring the final images reflect their pure beauty.

Newborn photography requires a careful and thoughtful approach to retouching. We aim to enhance, not erase, the natural characteristics that make each baby unique. In this post, we’ll take you through the detailed process of how we retouch newborn skin to achieve those perfect, timeless photos that parents will cherish forever.

Understanding Newborn Skin: Common Concerns

Before we dive into the specifics of retouching, it’s important to understand the typical skin issues many newborns face in the first few days and weeks of life:

  1. Bruising: This is common after delivery, especially if the baby experienced some form of pressure during the birth, such as from the use of forceps or a difficult delivery.
  2. Purple Hues and Redness: Newborns often have patches of purple or red skin, especially around their face and limbs. This is typically due to the way blood circulates in their tiny bodies.
  3. Jaundice: A yellowish tint to a newborn's skin, jaundice is common in the first few days and results from the breakdown of red blood cells. It’s usually temporary but can be more noticeable in some babies.
  4. Newborn Acne: Also known as "neonatal acne," these tiny pimples can appear within the first few weeks of life, typically on the baby’s face, due to the hormonal changes after birth.
  5. Dry, Peeling Skin: Babies often have dry, peeling skin after birth, especially if they were born past their due date. It’s a normal part of the skin's adjustment after leaving the womb.
  6. Milia: These small, white bumps appear on a baby’s face, particularly around the nose, chin, or forehead. They occur when dead skin cells become trapped in small pockets near the surface of the skin.

Now, let’s explore how we use retouching techniques to subtly correct these issues while maintaining the natural beauty of your baby’s skin.

Preserve skin texture and enhance natural newborn beauty with Elizabeth Lang Photography Surrey Newborn.

1. Correcting Bruising and Purple Hues

Bruising from birth can sometimes leave faint, blue or purple marks on your baby’s skin. While these bruises usually fade away on their own, retouching can help to reduce their appearance in photos.

  • Color Correction: Using professional editing software, we carefully adjust the skin tones by gently shifting the color balance. Purple or blue hues are corrected to create a natural, healthy skin tone, making sure that the bruise doesn’t stand out too much.
  • Blending and Softening: After correcting the color, we apply softening tools to make sure the edited areas blend seamlessly with the surrounding skin, preserving the soft texture of newborn skin.

2. Reducing Redness and Jaundice

Newborns often have an initial reddish or flushed appearance, especially on their face, or even some yellowish tones due to jaundice.

  • Skin Tone Balancing: By using targeted adjustments, we can reduce the redness in areas like the cheeks or around the nose. We subtly balance the overall skin tone to give a more even complexion without losing the soft, tender look.
  • Jaundice Correction: For babies with jaundice, a slight yellow tint can sometimes appear on their skin. With a precise adjustment in color grading, we can gently remove the yellow tones, restoring the skin to its more natural, healthy hue.

3. Smoothening Newborn Acne and Milia

Newborn acne and milia are completely normal, but in photographs, these small imperfections may distract from your baby’s overall cuteness.

  • Smoothing Acne: Neonatal acne typically consists of small pimples or bumps on the face. We use a light touch to smooth out these areas, reducing the appearance of acne while ensuring the skin texture remains realistic. My goal is to correct the skin to the point it would naturally be after the acne clears up, rather than over-smoothing it to look like plastic. The natural texture of the skin is important, and we aim to preserve it, avoiding the "perfectly flawless" look that can come across as artificial.
  • Milia Removal: Milia can look like tiny white dots on a newborn’s skin. Using delicate techniques, we can gently remove these bumps without affecting the surrounding skin texture. The goal is to leave the skin looking clear and soft, but still natural. Milia is considered a special newborn feature and many photographers leave this. I only remove if parents ask me to.

4. Addressing Dry, Peeling Skin

Newborns often have dry, flaky skin, especially around the elbows, knees, and on the face. While this is completely natural and temporary, it can sometimes make babies look more irritated than they actually are.

  • Hydration Effect: We use subtle retouching tools to smooth out the dry patches and give the skin a more hydrated, even appearance. The peeling is gently softened, and the skin looks fresh and dewy without making it look too “perfect” or artificial.
  • Preserving Texture: It’s important to retain the natural texture of a newborn’s skin in photos. Rather than erasing every tiny flake, we preserve the softness while reducing the severity of dry patches, so your baby’s skin looks healthy and radiant.


Newborn Skin retouching aims to correct tone and remove blemishes while preserving their unique newborn features and natural skin texture.

5. Enhancing Overall Skin Tone and Texture

After addressing specific skin concerns like bruising, redness, or acne, we give the skin a final touch-up to ensure everything looks harmonious.

  • Skin Smoothing: Using professional tools, we subtly smooth out any rough patches in the skin’s texture while avoiding over-editing. This ensures your baby’s skin maintains its natural soft, flawless look without any artificial airbrushing effects.
  • Final Skin Tone Adjustment: Once we’ve smoothed out blemishes and imperfections, we apply a final touch to make sure the overall skin tone is consistent. This includes subtle adjustments for warmth, ensuring your baby’s skin has a soft, natural glow that reflects the joy of this special moment.

Why Retouching Is Important in Newborn Photography

At Elizabeth Lang Photography, we understand that retouching is an art form that requires precision and care. The goal isn’t to make your baby look "perfect" in an unrealistic way—it’s to enhance their natural beauty and create timeless images that reflect their innocence and tenderness.

My approach to retouching is always to preserve the true texture of your baby's skin. I aim to correct skin imperfections to the point where they would naturally heal, like acne or redness, while maintaining the natural skin texture. I don't want to simply smooth the skin to a plastic-like finish—it's about subtle enhancements that highlight the raw, beautiful qualities of your baby’s skin.

Our retouching process ensures that each image maintains the natural textures and tones that make your baby unique while removing minor imperfections that could distract from their adorable features. We believe that the best newborn photographs are those that make parents smile every time they look at them—photos that capture the joy and love of their newest family member, without being overly edited.

If you’re looking for a newborn photographer in Surrey or Vancouver who will take the utmost care in crafting beautiful, natural images, get in touch with Elizabeth Lang Photography. We would love to capture the first moments of your little one’s life with photographs you’ll treasure forever.

Contact us today to book your newborn photography session and learn more about our editing and retouching process!


YOUR NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION WITH ELIZABETH LANG PHOTOGRAPHY