Advice on Cradle Cap on a 4 Month Old

Olive oil is great at bedtime and then to comb it off in the AM with a fine tooth comb. It works wonders!

My 9 month old had it for a while pretty bad. She still has cradle cap, but, it is not as bad. The thing that worked the best for us was to comb, not brush her hair, when she was in the bath and her head was wet. After her bath, we would put baby oil on her head and then brush it out. Also, another thing we tried that worked was to put the baby oil on her head about 30 minutes before the bath, just enough to get her head moist, we would let it sit and then comb through her hair, that would get what was loose off and then give her a bath. We would then brush her hair after the bath. This has all seemed to help.

I used olive oil and comb with my son and it worked great. I tried so many shampoos specific for cradle cap, and nothing worked and lasted like the olive oil. I put it in his hair before bath, let him play in the bath for about 10 minutes, then used the comb to comb out the flakes. Then washed with his regular baby shampoo. I only had to do that a couple times, and it went away completely and never came back.

A little baby oil (shea, jojoba, etc) with a few drops of lavendar essential oil will help. After the bath, while baby's hair is still moist rub gently while the baby is nursing or asleep (if the rubbing bothers baby) and wipe with a soft cloth. I've been doing this with my 2 month old and his head is cradle cap free. My mother (now in her sixties) told me that she gently rubbed oil on all of her children's heads and we never developed crap. There is some advice that is timeless.

Olive oil worked for us. I massaged into my (can't remember, but less than a year old) son once in a while and it cleared up.
Good luck.

Hi S.,

My son is now 2, but when he was about 3 or 4 months old he had cradle cap. Our pediatrician recommended using a soft toothbrush with baby oil on the affected areas and it worked wonders for us. Hope that helps.

L.

I did what the nurses told me to do with both of my kids and that was to use a nail brush to exfoliate the area. It worked for me...good luck!

I used baby shampoo on our first child, and that is what gave her the problem to begin with. I bought something with more moisture to it, and it went away. The baby shampoo tends to be very drying, and it stings if it gets in their eyes anyway. I also had my husband hold her head
while I rinsed and ran my fingers through her hair while I
rinsed at the same time, like I was massaging her scalp.
She had a ton of baby hair. Hope this helps, it did take about a week to 10 days to clear up. Good luck

Gentle Natures for cradle cap works very well also during bathing scrub the baby's head with a soft bristle baby brush(as was recommended by my Pediatrician) it worked for me.

I use vaseline or vitamin E oil applying 2 hours before the bath time. It makes the scalp softer so that I can take it off after washing.

Hi S.,
Jafra makes a product called Precious Protein Oil that has worked well for clearing up cradle cap in one of my grandchildren and the children/grandchildren of numerous clients. The primary ingredient is sesame oil. It's a totally natural product. The price is $20 (plus tax) for an 8.4 oz bottle. As a Mamasource member you could take advantage of the 50% off first purchase coupon I offer.
L.

California Baby Calendula cream is great for cradle cap. Massage it in, let it sit for a few minutes, then massage the area with a brush or comb. Give baby a bath and wash hair several times to get the cream out. You can do the same with calendula oil or olive oil.

You can try olive oil or baby oil. Leave it on for a 1/2 hour and then use baby shampoo and rub the flakes off. We used olive oil on our son's cradle cap and it worked like a charm. If the cradle cap is really thick and hard-like pie crust- you can use selsum blue-but be careful not to get it in the eyes. Only use the adult shampoo if it is severe because it can have a drying effect.

Our doctor recommended Head and Shoulders, and it worked great.

I used a drop or two of lavender essential oil and massaged it into my sons scalp and then brushed his hair with a lice comb. A couple treatments and it was gone. The lavender is anti bacteria and and antifungal(yeast is usually the cause of cradle cap). Olive oil can also be used which is probably more common to have at home. The lice comb really helps get the flakes out and well worth the the few dollars. Lavender oil (find it in health food stores) is also well worth it to have on hand because it is great to put a drop on cuts and burns (helps take away the pain). It also smells nice and some people find it relaxing and or use it for perfume. The price of the lavender, $8-12, may seem steep for a little bottle but it will last you for a long time.

Rub olive oil on the baby's head and comb it through. It's safe and natural. My son had cradle cap- not very bad, but it worked. It might take time. It has to be done regularly so it doesn't build up.

A little baby oil on the scalp gently scrubbed with a clean soft toothbrush worked wonders on my son, I only had to do this twice and the cradle cap was gone for good!

What worked for mine was baby oil, on the head, then brush the hair with a soft brush or comb. Scrubing with soap only upsets the baby and baby oil can sooth the itch too. I does leave hair oily but if you leave it on for a little while before brushing it seems to soak in and make it easyer to brush out. I hope it helps good luck!!!

hi my son had cradle cap too when he was younger and the best thing that worked was rubbing olive oil on the area and letting it soak in for 10-15 min, then shampooing it out, you may need to repeat it once or twice again over the next few days
good luck

I have successfully used Burt's Bees Avocado Butter. I put it on, let it sit and then use a very gentle fingernail brush and give it a good scrub. I did this maybe twice and it was gone. My 7 year old still has a spot that this happens to and we do the same thing. Best of luck.

Hi,

When my son had cradle cap, our pediatrician recommended massaging with olive oil when in the tub, letting it stay on and soften and then gently massage the loose scales off with an extra soft toothbrush.

He had the real thick and crusty type of cradle cap not the soft flaky kind, and it worked pretty well. We just had to keep on doing it.

When I went to the pediatrician's office, he just went at it with his finger nail with no lotion or anything and great big chunks would come off and my son was just fine. Sat there like nothing was happening!

(I could not be so aggressive, but even with using the oil the night before, I could still keep on gently picking it off during the day too. Sounds gross to some, I know, but it got the job done!)

Good luck,
S.

Usually what is recommended is using a dandruff shampoo. It helps loosen the dead skin and the cradle cap should flake off. It does tingle, so the baby might not like the feeling. Hope this helps.

L.

Hi there! I have three boys who all had minor bouts with it. This is what worked wonders for me. I would lay them back in the bath and then saturate their heads with olive oil and leave it on a good 5-10 minutes. Then take a really soft toothbrush and just gently rub the scalp. Then finish up with washing the whole hair/scalp with Head and Shoulders....be very very careful not to get in babies eyes. Then rinse. I would do this once a day and in about a week it would be completely gone. I can't remember the active ingredient in the head and shoulders, but it works really well and this advice was given to me by a pediatrician. I hope it helps!
J.

Try applying breastmilk...many breastfeeding mamas swear by it.

Good Luck! It will pass.

When my little one had cradle cap I used the Burt's Bees Apricot oil on her head. I would put it on at night and put a cap on her (the one the hospital gave us). In the morning I would give her a bath and wash and brush her hair. It would not fully take all of it away but it stopped her from being bothered by it. Plus she would smell so yummy.

Chances are, you will get the same advice from everyone, but this is because it really does work. My daughter had it very thick. We put baby oil on her head, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then massaged her scalp with a baby brush. It would come off in chunks! Then use an extra gentle shampoo to wash out the oil and cradle cap. I have also seen cradle cap wash at drugstores although I have never used it. It will take a few tries so don't try and get rid of all of it in 1 day or his scalp will get irritated. My doctor said every other day until it is gone.

Both my kids had/have it and we use oil and a comb. Just rub the oil in, grape seed oil is light and not as oily as olive oil or those. I bought a little 'brush' from Target made by The American Red Cross and it is just for cradle cap with little soft plastic like tips that help loosen the chunks. Just be sure not to pick or make them bleed as that can lead to an infection. I oil my daughters head about once a week and then wash it the next day. You can also just rub the oil in and use a baby comb, the longer the oil sits, the better the crusties come off. Gently rubbing the head in little circles also promotes circulation and can help to reduce the recurrence.

Hi,

My 6 month old had the same problem. After I washed her hair, I brushed her hair and scalp with a small plastic fine toothed comb. After the first two times it was almost completely gone. I have also heard that you can use olive oil on the scalp, but I have not tried it.
Good luck.

Apply apricot oil (Trader Joe's has it inexpensively) and let it set at least an hour, Then wash off gently with a gentle shampoo. Rinse thoroughly with vinegar and then water. Your baby might smell a little salad-y but the vinegar will kill off the bacteria and fungus which cause the problem, and the apricot oil will lift off the crusts and nourish the scalp.

Repeat every other day until all pink irritated spots are gone from scalp. In between washings, you can spray a dilute vinegar solution on, let it dry and leave it in. Once the crusts are gone (usually after the first or second oil/vinegar treatment), then only vinegar rinses are needed.

Johnson's makes a cradle cap kit! I found it at Long's & it was around $10 and the shampoo and oil lasted a month or so. It smells nice (our Dr had suggested using stinky Selsun Blue) and works really well. My son had awful cradle cap!

Olive oil! It is gentle and natural and would be a much better solution that a mineral oil like baby oil. Also, be careful with applying pure essential oil (like lavender) as they can be very strong and could really irritate baby's soft skin!

a natural approach...put a bit of olive oil on the scalp and after about 10 min use a baby brush and wash his head using the brush with whatever they use for shampoo.

Hi- My baby had it when she was 3 -4 months old too. We used the baby oil and a soft bristle brush followed by her normal baby wash in the tub. She just started getting it again and I used baby oil tonight...shoul dbe gone by tomorrow. Poor little sensitive skin our little ones have. Good luck!
M

My baby had cradle cap and we bought an expensive cradle cap shampoo. Then the Dr. said we could have used Selson Blue and brush the hair while you wash it. His was gone in a couple of days.

Hi S. - I would recommend changing shampoo/ soap that is being used to wash the baby. Little babies aren't really "dirty" so a gente cleaning is all they need. I use "Earth Mama Angel Baby" Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash (www.EarthMamaAngelBaby.com) and Charlie only had cradle cap twice. This was when I used a regular soap on his head. The EMAB shampoo is very gentle and not drying. It is so gentle that Charlie's long hair on top of his head was a little greasy looking after his bath and that is why I used regular natural soap to try and "strip" the oil out of his hair. His scalp became flaky and dry after only one wash! Yes I tried soap again and the same thing happened again. So I was willing to deal with his hair looking a little greasy in place of him having a dry flaky scalp. At 6 months old he got his first hair cut to remove the long hair on top of his head (he looked like he had a comb-over) :) After that the greasy look was gone. At 11 months old we still use the EMAB shampoo every night and his hair is so soft and smells great. They also have a nice lotion we use every night and morning to keep his eczema away. Good luck and I hope this helps. D.

I use Head and Shoulders on my daughter. It works great and was OK'd by my doctor. The only negative thing is you have to make sure it doesn't get in the babies eyes.

My son had bad cradle cap too. Dr told us to use vegetable oil to massage it in, then comb out after about 10 mins. It did help and he eventually grew out of it. I would say if it is bad, see a Dr. My son is now 4 and got it again when he was 3. This time, we took him to see a dermatologist who diagnosed as eczema.

When my son had cradle cap, we would wash his hair with baby oil and scrub it with a soft brush. That always seemed to help.

M. *~

Hi S. ,
My grand mother and my mother and them my sisters and my self we used to use the same thing .
we put olive oil in the baby head 10 min before the bath and we comb it .
then when we are giving the baby a bath we add a little water and we comb the hair for another few min , then we add the baby shampoo and we comb the hair. with combing the cradle cap area all the time .
if it is not that big cradle cap it will go from the first bath . if it is big one it will take few times before you get rid of it .
it is a trick we use in the family since my great great great grand mother and we all love it .

she have to add a good amount of olive oil to the area so it will get wet very good with it . not to the point that the oil is dropping from the baby head but enough to make it very wet .
good luck ,
Arij

We used Burt's Bees dandruff shampoo. The natural oils in it work the same as most of the other suggestions here, but without the harsh chemicals of other shampoos and without trying to corral an oil covered baby for any period of time. The trick really is to leave it on - I would lather her up first and leave it on for most of the bath. Follow up with a thorough brushing. Frequent brushing will help remove it faster, and also help prevent it from recurring! I have to confess to being one of those parents that would also gently pick at it whenever she'd let me (which wasn't too often). It takes a little while, two to three weeks, but as long as they're seeing improvement then they will know it's working.

About 15-30min before giving him a bath rub baby oil on his head and let it soak in. Then when you give him a bath put baby shampoo on his head and rub his head with a soft bristle baby bush. Repeat the shampoo to make sure all the oil is off. This did wonders for our son. Repeat with each bath as needed. Good Luck.

Ibeji Body Care Cradle Cap Elixir worked wonders on my sons scalp in his infancy. (www.ibejibodycare.com)It was gone in about three days after we started using it.

When my older son had cradle cap the only thing I could find that worked to get rid of it is the Mustela foaming shampoo for newborns. It definitely did the trick.
Hope that helps!

So, both my boys had it. I used my grandmother's remedy and others too.
Olive oil once a day. Massage in and leave it. Later on in the day, get a fine baby comb and comb through to get as much as you can. It is a drag I know. It drove me nuts more than anything. Doesn't bother the babies. Also, if you don't want to smell like a salad, try sesame oil. It is a little more mild. Don't use baby oil. Mess! Not much else. Sunshine is good too. Can't come soon enough.

S.,
My son had cradle cap as well, I tried all the over the counter stuff, that are for baby cradle cap, didn't work. I have been told to use little bit of oil and little comb to loosen the flakes.
I was also told and tried it myself and it worked, but it's only a preference on the mother if they want to try, I was told to use LITTLE LITTle amount of "Netragena T-Gel" and the scalp, Careful not to let it get in the babys eyes. But it worked 1st time.
Good luck

Wash hair daily, but first gently massage baby oil onto scalp, comb through lightly with infant brush, then shampoo. It worked immediately when my son had the first signs and I have not had a problem since.

I have the same problem and am curious as to what others say. I know that with time it goes away on its own....

My daughter had a bad case of cradle cap too. We tried several over the counter products and the only thing that worked was Mustela Bebe Foam Shampoo (it has to be the foam not the regular shampoo). Mustela costs a bit more than the other products but it is worth the money. The bottle lasted a long time too. The cradle cap cleared up within a couple of weeks of using the product.

Hi S.
I bet the old time remedies are much more effective than today's "progressive"! What simply and effectively worked for my children was advice from my girlfriend who's been my hair dresser for years. When she looked at my babies scalped, she nearly freaked. Needless to say, she simply washed her hair (baby shampoo) and then kneaded olive oil into her scalp...took a fine tooth baby comb and it all flaked off. Just like that and my baby had a shiny, beautiful scalp!! It may take a couple sittings, depending how patient the little one is!!! Try it!!

LO

My son had it very bad when he was younger the doctor recommended selsun blue and a soft toothbrush. Sounds harsh but it does work i was desperate i tried everything. I'm a mom of two boys wife and daughter taking care of elderly parent..

I have a 3 month old who got cradle cap when he was 5 weeks old. All you have to do is buy T-Gel shampoo and use it once a day for 7 days, lather and then rub gently with a soft brisel brush. It worked great and within 2 weeks he was all better

Try putting baby oil or lotion on it for a few minutes before you give the baby a bath, then when you wash baby's hair, gently scrub with a washcloth or brush. You could also try the Cradle Cap Treatment made by Gentle Naturals (I think I got it at Wal-Mart). Those things have worked on my babies. Good luck!

My pediatrician has alwasy recommended Sebulex shampoo for cradle cap and it works great. You can get it at most stores with pharmacies in the dandruff shampoo section. I laid my baby on the counter in the kitchen and used the kitchen sink (with either a cup or pull out sprayer) to keep the shampoo out of their eyes. I also wrapped the baby up in a towel to keep them from squirming too much while doing this.

MUSTELA makes an infant foam shampoo that helps cradle cap.
Just google "Mustela" and you can order it online, or some baby stores carry Mustela products as well.
-Wendy

Try Neutragena T-Gel, a mild tar shampoo.

Head and Shoulders INTENSIVE shampoo (dark blue bottle) to shampoo DONT get it in his little eyes!! followed by a 1% hydrocortisone (like cortaide)....works like a charm!

There is an over the counter medicine in the baby isle. Also you can put baby lotion on her/his head and with a soft brush like a baby brush, gently brush. Hope this helps.

I am a customer of Melaleuca products (877-791-3098) and all I can say is that they have a lotion that is good for both any dry skin conditions as well as ezema - just absolutely wonderful to protect & heal any skin irritations. Feel free to call me for more info, S.. I too am a grandma and my 4 grandkids run to me after a bath to get this lotion rubbed all over their bodies - first thing that goes on MY skin as well after a shower & during the day. Take care J A C K I E

Hi Shelly,

I have a 3 month old baby boy who during his first and second month suffered from cradle cap. Really, what worked best on him was good old fashioned baby oil. I massaged about a dime sized amount onto my hands and then rubbed it into his scalp. I left it on for no more then 10 minutes, then took one of those super soft infant hair brushes and started to brush through his hair and scalp. I was gentle with his scalp when brushing, but still applied enough pressure to get it off. It came off in big flakes like dandruff ... something about the baby oil softens and loosens it, making it easier to brush off the scalp and out of the hair. It was pretty gross but it came off.

After that, I would give him a bath and washed his hair with Burts Bees shampoo for babies. This tooks several weeks; I bathe him every other day or every three days ... depending on need. Eventually it all came off and he now has a beautiful, kissable head!

Good luck!

hi S.. Tell your friend to use baby oil and a baby brush/comb. My daughter had it really bad too during her first few months. The doctor told me to use baby oil and just brush it out of the baby's hair. :) it's messy, but it gets the job done! good luck!

I'm not sure who said it down farther, but the California Baby Calendula Cream is amazing! I used it on my son for about a week and it was all gone! Great stuff and it is all natural and gentle!

Good luck

Hi S.,

My 11 month old son had cradle cap as an infant. I used
a creme called Stelaker by Mustela (a baby line of bath
products). This worked amazingly and within a few weeks
time the problem had virtually cleared up. Hope it will
help your friend.

M.

oh my doctor told me hyrocortoone cream, i tried it and it was gone the next day! it looks kind of greasey at first so i put it on before bed so that it would have time to absorb...

Hi S.,
My daughter (now 9 1/2 Months) had cradle cap for a long time! My mom suggested rubbing a little baby oil on her head and combing it through - it seemes to comb/fall right out. I did this right before her bath so I could immediatley wash her hair afterwards. It did leave her head a little oily, but not bad and it worked pretty good.
Hope it helps!!

My son had really bad cradle cap and I tried many products with not much relief. I finally decided to put baby oil (I applied it 1st to the worst spot) and let it soak into scalp and as it began to dry up I applied more. I waited until the area was very moist (not dry and flaky) maybe a few days a week before I tried to comb/scrape the cradle cap off. And, it was amazing how much it helped and how easy it was to get it off and was not discomforting for him at all.. Just apply enough to cover the area (if is mainly in one area) and let it soak in. My son had it very bad mainly around the crown area (top in back) and that is the area I started at first.

Hi! My son had a bad case of cradle cap and I bought Mustela foam shampoo for newborns - it washes away flakes associated with cradle cap. I was told that kids just out grow the cradle cap and that you shouldn't do anything at all - but I bought the shampoo and within a couple of week it was 99% all gone. While he is in the tub, I run his little comb through his hair to pick-up the loose flakes and it seems to work.

When my son was little we used Tea Tree Shampoo and it worked wonders, he still uses it and he is now 8. It also keeps lice away! Which is another added bonus! Good luck, L.

"Cradle Cap" can be such a difficult thing because it can make you feel like you're not keeping your baby clean enough. Avoid anything that will dry the scalp further. Keeping the head oiled and gently exfoliated will do the trick.

The oldest home remedy still works even generations later. Baby oil is the best recommendation. That is what I was told.

My baby's pediatrician recommended olive oil. put it on the scalp for a half hour or so, then brush and then shampoo with a mild baby shampoo. Also, i personally LOVE California Baby's Calendura cream. i put that on my son's head and face almost daily and it seems to really help keep him moisturized and looking adorable! :)