My three year old has developed these patches of large, dry flake-looking dandruff on his scalp. Luckily it's not peeling off or really visible unless you look through his hair. Obviously he needs some type of conditioning treatment, so I was wondering if any of you had ideas or experience with this in a toddler. It doesn't seem to itch. He never scratches his head. My husband said he had that problem in an area on his chest and had to get a prescription, but that seems a bit over-the-top to me for this. Let me know your suggestions! We don't wash his hair every day, so I don't think that's the issue.
I know this is late, but just wanted to say thanks! Olive oil has really helped and I'm getting the Gentle Naturals for regular washing! I wanted to try a few things before the doctor, and it seems to be working!
You do need to see the pediatrician. It could be anything from a fungal infection like ringworm to psoriasis. Just using a conditioner or OTC stuff can make it worse.
Treating it like cradle cap can make it worse as well, if it isn't cradle cap and by trying to remove it you break the skin, you may end up with a bacterial infection on top of whatever it is.
Good luck!
I don't see a need to see a pediatrician at this point. She would most likely give much of the same advice that many of the moms here have given. Your husband may have had a patch of dry skin that his dr gave him a prescription for. My daughter had a patch of dry skin on her back when she was about 6 months old. Her pediatrician simply gave her a prescription for Eucerin cream. An 1/2 vinegar 1/2 water solultion is extremely helpful in restoring the ph balance on your sons scalp. Believe me it really helps. Just place said solution in spray bottle and spray his scalp thouroghly. Have his head leaned back on a towel so that it doesn't run in his eyes. Use a fine tooth comb to gently help loosen the flakes as they come up. Just go slowly because if it is cradle cap, it can be painful. You won't have to use the vinegar solution again until or unless it comes back. I am betting that it doesn't return. Of course you will want to shampoo and condition his hair after allowing the solution to remain on his scalp for about ten minutes. You can research the type of dandruff he has by simply googling it. I would be careful about starting a dandruff shampoo until you know the cause for the flakes. I may be wrong but nothing you have mentioned sounds like ringworm. And I would not be concerned about psriorias unless there is a strong family history. Also you didn't mention if he has curly hair> Because curly hair really sucks up the oil from the scalp. If his hair is not too thick you will want to use a natuaral boar bristle brush for him. This stimulates oil production on the scalp and also hepls move it down to the hair where it is often needed.
Have his pediatrician check it outor call the nurse line.. I know this sounds weird but when my daughter was 3 she got ring worm on her scalp.. Probably from preschool. It doesn't look like the normal ring shape on the skin.. Maybe google it.. But what u are describing sounds similar to my dd. Also once we had prescription went away in a week.
Best of luck
L.
My DD would get it when she was younger. I'd gently work it with my fingernails while I was shampooing and then condition her head really well (we use Dove). She seems to have outgrown it.
However, I'd wonder if it was cradle cap or whether it was something else. If your husband needed an Rx, find out what it was about.
Try treating it like cradle cap. I use Olive oil. I saturate the area let it soak in for like 15 mins go over the area with a fine tooth comb and then go scrub in the tub. Good luck!
My now four year old gets the same things sometimes. I actually notice it happen when I don't wash his hair everyday, so if everything you try doesn't work you might want to try washing it everyday. When it does happen this is what I do. I wash his hair with his normal kid shampoo, be just a little more aggressive when you wash his hair. Don't hurt him of course but give him more of a scalp massage while washing. Then I rub a very little bit of adult conditioner into his hair. Let that sit for a minute and rinse. I've never had it sting his eyes, but be careful you never know. Then after he's done and toweled dry, use a very, very fine toothed baby comb and brush through. Some of the loose stuff will come off, and the rest will in couple of treatments. After it's gone, just keep an eye on it. If you think it's coming back do another conditioning treatment.
Since birth, every time I washed my kids' hair (about 2 times weekly), afterwards, I would rub about a dollup of lotion on their heads, then brush their hair out. I still do this today and my kids are now 8yrs and 5yrs. My kids have never ever had a problem with cradle cap.
What sort of brush are you using on his head?
Shampoos and conditioners can build up on the scalp making it hard for dead skin cells to naturally release. When my son had this problem I took a good stiff brissled brush and brushed his hair for 15 minutes a day. It cleared up in 2 weeks and have not had it come back so long as I do a few second brushing of his hair every day.
There is a hair and body soap that is made by California Baby, it is Tea Tree & Lavender. You can find it at Target. The tea tree oil in it does wonders to clear up dry skin and other skin aliments. It is all natural and tear free.
My daughter had cradle cap for a while, she has thick hair (since birth) and I had the hardest time washing her scalp.
Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Care is the best I've found for dealing with this. (My bottle also has Winnie the Pooh and "Disney Baby" on it.) I massage it onto the affected area, let sit, and then gently comb to remove the flakes from the scalp. It takes a couple of washes that night to get it completely out of the hair, but it's worth it.
For prevention, I use regular dandruff shampoo (I have 4 and 6 year olds). It doesn't seem to cause them any problems once they've learned how to keep the soap and water out of their eyes.
