Cradle Cap - Las Vegas, NV

Hi C.,
My daughter had cradle cap bad too. The doctor said to ignore it, but I would wash her hair and brush it with soap in it. I would brush the opposite direction of the hair. Some people said to put baby oil in it, but it was really messy. I would then comb it out really softly. I hope that this helps.

I've heard you can take care of it by rubbing baby oil into your baby's hair and then combing the flakes out. I've also heard you can use something like Head N Shoulders and it will work (you'd have to be really careful not to get it in your baby's eyes). Fortunately my son had a really mild case of it. Baby oil cleared it right up. Good luck!

Morning,
I found this at ivillage. Hope it helps.

Parents should keep in mind that this condition is not caused by poor care or poor hygiene. In fact, the cause of this condition is not completely understood.

The sebaceous glands of the skin produce oils, and the glands are stimulated by hormones. The infant is exposed to high levels of hormones in the womb, and these hormones linger for some time after he is born. It is thought that this exposure to these hormones makes it more likely to develop cradle cap in those prone to do so.

Cradle cap will eventually go away on its own, however, there are a few things you can do to help with the baby's appearance and keep the area of involvement in check. The basic strategy is to gently loosen the scales so that they may be easily removed:

If the scales are dry, rub mineral oil into the scalp prior to washing. This will help loosen the scales
Wash your child's head with a baby shampoo daily.
Massage the scalp with a toothbrush to loosen the scales.
Brush your child's hair gently to help get rid of the scales.
For the most part, the above suggestions -- plus the tincture of time -- will allow for cradle cap to subside. Some physicians and parents have suggested rubbing mineral oil into the scalp even after shampooing the hair. And some suggest using a dandruff shampoo when the cradle cap does not seem to be getting better.

If your baby's scalp seems to be significantly irritated, your physician may prescribe hydrocortisone ointment. Be sure to contact your physician if you notice any:

Redness
Irritation
If the cradle cap extends to cover the skin of the face, neck or trunk
If the condition seems to worsen, despite your best efforts

Jen

C.,

We used Neutrogena medicated shampoo for our daughter. Hers was not that bad just lots of little flakes. It worked great. It comes in a clear bottle and the shampoo is brown in color. Our pediatrician recommended it. Target has these little green scrub brushes that are battery operated (we never put batteries in it) with soft bristles on one side and a sponge on the other and that helped scrub the scales off of her head. Good luck!

B.

My daughter got it at 8 mos. Don't buy "cradle cap kits", they're a waste of money. A little baby oil (or creamy baby oil will work) massaged into the scalp just before a bath. Work it into the scalp an brush with a baby comb (if he'll let you) and then wash out. I had to use my nails a little bit.

Hi C.,
I've just joined Mamasource. Realizing your son is about 15 months old now, did you ever resolve the cradle cap condition?
My second child girl who is now 27yrs had it so bad when born. within the first month I cleaned her head 2x a day with warm soft cloth and baby shampoo. I massaged her head gently to work the dead skin off but never peel. She never had the problem again. 2 out of 5 kids had dry scalp as well as waxy ears and ear aches.The head produces a lot of oils in the hair, but dry scalps. now they use head and showlders about once a week. check his ears are they constantly needing cleaning? we eventually used warm peroxide to break down the waxy ear problem and never had the problem again.

they have some great over the counter stuff and also, when you bath him, scrub his head really good with a soft brush.

Hey C., My daughter had it pretty bad, and unfortunately, it's one of those things you just have to wait out. You cn research online for remedies (which I did), but you really just have to be patient. Try not to pick and the dry little scabs, because it just seems to prolong the healing process. I was told to apply extra virgin olive oil on her scalp, not to cure, but to help moisturize b/c dry skin does itch and sometimes babies can't tell you when and where to scratch to sooth their itch. Hope I helped a little & and stay strong and patient...this phase will soon be over!