Yes, forceps marks go away. Most minor marks from a forceps delivery disappear within 48 hours, according to the NHS. Bruises, bumps, and slightly deeper marks typically heal within a few days to a few weeks. For the vast majority of newborns, these marks leave no lasting trace.
That said, not all forceps marks are identical. The type of mark, its depth, and whether it involves skin, bone, or nerves all affect how quickly it fades. Here’s what to expect for each kind.
What Forceps Marks Look Like
Forceps are metal instruments placed on either side of a baby’s head to help guide them through the birth canal. They commonly leave red or pink pressure marks on the cheeks, temples, or sides of the head. These are by far the most common result: one study found that about 61% of babies delivered with standard forceps had minimal markings afterward.
Beyond simple pressure marks, you might also see:
- Bruising: Purple or blue-tinged patches, especially around the eyes or cheeks, that look worse than they are.
- Superficial scrapes: Small abrasions or scratches on the skin where the forceps made contact.
- Swelling: Puffiness on the scalp or face from pressure during delivery.
All of these fall into the category of minor birth injuries. Swelling and bruising of the scalp is common in many vaginal deliveries, even without instruments, and generally resolves within a few days without treatment.
Healing Timeline by Mark Type
Light pressure marks, the kind that look like red streaks or indentations on the skin, fade fastest. Most are gone within 48 hours of birth. Your baby’s skin is remarkably good at bouncing back from this type of compression.
Bruising takes a bit longer. Expect it to shift through the usual color progression (purple to green to yellow) and resolve within one to two weeks. Swelling around the eyes or face follows a similar timeline. Neither requires any treatment at home beyond gentle handling.
Scrapes or small cuts are uncommon but do happen. The study mentioned above found that only about 4% of babies delivered with regular forceps had abrasions severe enough to need adhesive strips or stitches. Minor scratches heal within a week or so, just like any small skin wound.
Deeper Injuries That Take Longer
Skull Indentations
In rare cases, forceps can cause a depressed skull fracture, sometimes called a “ping-pong” fracture because the bone dips inward like a dented ping-pong ball. This sounds alarming, but the prognosis is generally good. A large French study covering nearly two million deliveries found only about 1 in 26,000 resulted in a depressed skull fracture of any kind.
Many of these depressions resolve on their own within four months, with no cosmetic or developmental consequences. Doctors often recommend simply monitoring rather than intervening, as long as there’s no underlying brain injury. Long-term neurological problems occurred in only 4% of instrumental cases in that same study.
Facial Nerve Weakness
Pressure from forceps can sometimes affect the facial nerve, which controls the muscles of the face. The most common sign is that one side of your baby’s mouth doesn’t move symmetrically when they cry. The lower lip may not pull down on the affected side, or one eyelid may not close fully.
This typically resolves on its own within a few months as the nerve recovers. In rare instances, the weakness on one side of the face becomes permanent, but most babies regain full movement without any intervention.
Rare Cases That Leave Lasting Marks
The overwhelming majority of forceps marks heal completely. However, there are a small number of situations where marks can persist. If bruising over a swollen area is severe enough to damage the underlying tissue, it can occasionally lead to scarring or a small patch of hair loss on the scalp. This is uncommon and usually associated with more significant birth trauma rather than routine forceps use.
Deep lacerations that require stitching may also leave faint scars, though infant skin heals with remarkably little scarring compared to adult skin. These marks tend to become nearly invisible as the child grows and the skin stretches.
What to Watch For at Home
In most cases, there’s nothing you need to do for forceps marks other than wait. You don’t need to apply creams, ice, or bandages to routine pressure marks or bruising. Gentle handling during feeding and bathing is enough.
Keep an eye on any marks that seem to be getting worse rather than better after the first few days. Signs worth noting include skin that looks increasingly red or warm around a scrape, any foul-smelling discharge from a wound, or swelling that grows rather than shrinks. If your baby seems to be in pain when a mark is touched, that’s also worth mentioning to your pediatrician.
For facial nerve concerns specifically, watch how your baby’s face moves during crying. Asymmetry that doesn’t improve over the first few weeks, or that seems to involve the entire side of the face from forehead to chin rather than just the lower lip, may need evaluation. Most pediatricians will check for this during routine newborn visits, but it’s helpful to know what to look for between appointments.