Neonatal cephalic pustulosis is a dermatosis arising during the first days of life. Pustular lesions appear on the face and/or the scalp. There are not comedones (whiteheads/blackheads).

Some authors report that the causative factor is Malassezia colonization and find a correlation between the severity of the disease and nonlesional skin colonization or lesional culture positivity for Malassezia.

Other researchers do not validate this correlation. So the role of Malassezia in this dermatosis in unclear and needs more extensive studies.

Newborn skin is sterile at birth, but resident flora may be detected within the first hours of life.

The disease settles spontaneously within a few weeks without scarring.  However a topical antifungal cream may be helpful.