Cradle Cap Question

Both my kids got a little cradle cap and the doctor told us to use Selsen Blue shampoo. It is an adult shampoo for dandruff. It worked great. We had to be careful not to get in the baby's eyes, but it really helped. Also, hydrocortisone cream after shampooing really helped. It is like 3 bucks at wal-mart in the pharmacy section. The doctor told us to use it so I know it is safe. You probably won't have to use it more than a few times. I used it and my kid's cradle cap cleared up almost right away. I had to scrub their heads every other day to keep it from coming back. Once it got better, I just used baby shampoo. Also, when you wash the baby's hair- scrub his scalp. Don't be afraid. Really scrub it. It helps a lot.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Little boys are the best!

Hi Amy. Where do you live? If you are in the Boise ID area, call me ###-###-####. I have something that might take care of it very quickly.

thx. M. B

My pediatrician told me that cradle cap actually forms in the presence of excess oil, so the scalp-oil remedies are somewhat misleading. Washing the hair more often will actually prevent as much scale formation. The oil treatments should only be used to moisten and loosen the flakes. Use a small tooth comb to remove flakes. Then shampoo the oil out completely (2x if necessary) and try to keep the head clean - especially in hat wearing season! I tried this and it worked very well.

Hello Amy my name is Marni i had a son who had cradle cap my ped said that when you give him a bath use a soft toothbrush and massage his scalp with a tearless shampoo and that will help get the flakes off without irritation and eventualy they will grow out of it my son is now 15 yr old since it was so long ago i'm sorry i can't tell you when exactly they will grow out if but that remedy worked for me i personally don't like baby oil or any other kind of oil as they tend to do the opposite when it eventually dries instead of making the skin soft and supple it tends dry the skin out more hope this helps and good luck

I noticed only one person said to leave it alone. I agree, the shampoos and oils can be irritating on the baby's scalp. Another reason is if you pick at it and "peel" it off before its ready to come off, it can get infected! Its almost like a scab covering new skin, its sensitive.
Both my kids have had cradle cap, and I would use a little baby oil before the bath to loosen the scales, then just shampoo their hair. Some of it came off, but I didn't scrub or pick at it. It doesn't look pretty, but it doesn't bother the baby at all. Although, it does look worse on my baldy daughter than on my son that had a full head of hair!

congratulations! Jill O said it best, it is because of excess oil, so while it is good to use oil to loosen the flakes, but be sure to wash the oil all away in the tub so not to clog the pores. for my DS i had the best results with Selsen Blue Naturals dandruff shampoo, a few times a week. start with just a dab of baby oil on the scalp before bath time then use a soft brush in the tub to gently brush away the loose flakes (not to get them all necessarily). Dont forget to check behind his ears!!! it can build up there if not treated, ick! just wash with washcloth, and you can scrub the eyebrows a bit if it is coming in there too. it will get better eventually.

Amy, we had this with both my boys. We found that olive oil has worked the best. We put a small amount on the area, let it soak for a bit, and then with the soft brush you get at the hospital, we used the edge and gently brushed the hair or head. With our second, we did this twice and it worked great for both of them. It ends up being a big mess so cover everything with a towel. It will look like it snowed flakes. Good luck!

My pediatrician had me use Selsun BLue a couple of times a week. Put a little on his/her scalp and gentle rub with a soft toothbrush. It will usually be gone in a week or two. You can always use it again if it starts to come back too.

I know how you feel--my 5 month old still has it and when she was really little she actually had it on her face too. Our doctor recommended mineral oil and we put that on before and after every bath We just put it on a baby washcloth and massage her scalp. The severity comes and goes, but our pediatrician assured us that it bothers the parents more than it bothers the babies. Good luck

Rub vaseline petroleum jelly all over his head and through his hair. Use a gently baby brush to dislodge the flakes. Wash. Yup, it's greasy and gross, but it works!

Amy,

I was told to get a cradle cap brush and use it when i gave my son a bath. I used regular canola oil on his head first thing. Then at the end of the bath I messaged it in the the brush, wiped his head then shampooed it. It always looked much better afterwards. It would be back a day or too later, and I would just repeat the process. He eventualy grew out of it. :)

We have tried the oil but what seems to work better for us is this: While the baby is in the bath soap up his scalp (hair if he has it) and take a soft bristled brush and scrub the scalp in circles. Don't be afraid to put a little pressure on it, you are trying to get the dead stuff off. Then when you get him out of the bath put some baby oil on it and do the same thing again. I then put some baby lotion on it. Sometimes while I am holding them and they are quiet I would take a comb and scrape off some more of the dead stuff, then put lotion on again. The oil works, but you need to get it on the scalp itself and can't until you get the flakes out.
J.--SAHM of 6

Amy,

You can try Homeopathic remedies. Calcarea Carbonica 30C if the scalp has a sour smell, with thick scales, and sweaty scalp. Lycopodium 30C if your baby is more of a thin constitution and also tends to be gassy. Sulphur 30C if the scalp has an odor and your little one tends to be very restless. Also I would get a castile soap and or baby shampoo with lavender or you can adda drop of lavender essential oil and use a face cloth or soft brush when washing the hair to remove flakes.

Best of luck to you,

K.

EDIT: I found the bottle and the brand is Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Care by Disney.

Hi Amy - I tried everything with my 2nd to get rid of cradle cap - the one product that finally worked was some J&J cradle cap formula that I picked up in the baby isle at the grocery store( I dont remember the name, it was in a flat light green plastic bottle).

It's very thick and creamy and it's applied in the bath and then you let it sit like conditioner for a minute or two. I used the soft scrub brush I got at the hospital and a very fine tooth baby comb to get the thicker crud out of his hair. His cradle cap was pretty bad and it was virtually gone the first time I used the product.

Hope that helps you!

C.

i used a tea tree oil, olive oil mixture and then washed with an organic baby shampoo. i also use strictly melaleuca products so i used the renew lotion and that did the trick even better! love their products.
J.

Our daughter had c.c. and we used only vitamin E. We bought the least expensive capsules, pierced them open and rubbed the oil on her scalp. We also used a SUPER soft baby brush and one of her baby socks to gently rub away the excess dry patches. It lasted only about 3 months. Try to use very little to zero soap products on his head at this time, as many soaps are drying. Our daughter has very sensitive skin issues. We have really good results with Aveeno products. Good luck! It will eventually go away!

Hi Amy,
Arbonne! Arbonne works for everything. You will be having other issues with your baby and with yourself regarding health and skin. Arbonne has botanically based products that use no chemical fragrances or dyes and is vegan certified. There is a 45-day money back guarantee -no questions asked. Their website is www.arbonne.com to check them out. Contact me with any questions.
L.

I had the same question for my daughter and the ladies on here were so helpful. We ended up using Head & Shoulders sensitive shampoo (we just got a travel size bottle) and it cleared up in no time. It didn't dry her little head at all and with a washrag across her forehead we were able to keep it out of her eyes.

head and shoulders shampoo works really well for cradle cap.

It is very normal. My daughter had it and got yellow yucky scabby patches. I bought some stuff at Target in the baby aisle, in a teal colored bottle and it worked wonders.
My pediatrician said also dandruff stuff (for adults) was okay to use but you have to be super careful it stays far away from their face. Oil can rub off and get messy and can be unsafe if they ever breathed it in. I suggest even calling your Pediatrician to see what they say is okay to use.
This stuff I found at Target, don't remember the name of it was what cleared it up. It is very normal. Try not to put a hat on his head at home while it is warm inside either.

Hi Amy,
My son (now 5 1/2 mos) had really, really bad cradle cap starting at about 4 weeks (on his head, neck, face & ears). It would itch him so bad that he'd scratch & scratch until he would get little sores on it and would bleed. I had to hold his hand while nursing to keep him from scratching. I tried 4 different shampoos, including Head & Shoulders, and both baby oil & olive oil. Nothing cleared it up. I found some stuff specifically for CC at Target in the baby isle. It is Disney Cradle Cap Care. It is in a turquoise bottle. You put it on, leave it on for a minute or two, then rub it in good with a soft brush. It seemed to help a bit. Finally at my son's 4 month appt, the Dr. said to use Hydracortisone (1%) on his head and face 2x day. His pediatrician said that it WILL clear up on its own, but it may take up to a year. His is getting MUCH better, but if I miss a hydracortisone treatment or two, his head starts to get all dry & crusty again. Talk to your Dr. to make sure your baby is old enough for the hydracortisone, but in the mean time, try the stuff from Target. Good luck!

-Shellie

My son didn't get cradle cap too bad, but from day 1, I would use a soft baby brush and my fingernails and when we washed his hair, I would scrub (a little harder than you think...it won't hurt the baby...I was doing it too soft and my mom was over and helped me figure out how hard to push) over the shampoo and then rinse and wash again. It seemed to work well! It did take a week or two to start resolving, but keep it up! Also, see if there is a baby moisturizing shampoo to use (like Aveeno or something like that). I didn't use any oil, but like I said, he didn't get it very bad!

S., 26, mom of 14 month old and #2 on the way!

I like the Gentle Naturals products, but I've never tried their Cradle Cap stuff. The rest of their products are great. For our baby girl, I just used a wet wash cloth and scrubbed until she complained. I think it took 2 or 3 baths. I think she was about that age. Once I got the scaly stuff off, it wasn't a problem any more, although I do faithfully put lotion on her head. Also, you can pick at it with your finger nails if you have a quiet moment while holding him. If you do it right, the baby responds almost as if you're giving them a scalp massage. It seems to be very relaxing if you're only picking the loose stuff. Congratulations on the little one!

When my son got cradle cap, I found that the best remedy was putting baby oil on his head in the tub, and working it in with a gentle baby brush, then 10 minutes later put dish soap on his head and rub it in with the brush. You will definitely need to watch the soap from getting in your babies eyes, but this worked wonders for my little man. I hope it works for you.

Mustella Foaming Shampoo for newborns.You can order it online.It works GREAT.

My pediatrician had me use Selsun Blue for my daughters cc. Was completely gone within a week.

Unless there is a new cure since I had kids, the only way to get it out is to comb it out. Just lift the oily flakes off with a comb. Be careful not to scratch and irritate the scalp.

I know it is unpleasant to look at, but really you don't need to do anything... it will go away on its own. and it doesn't bother them.

HI Amy,
First try not to pick at it, it tends to make it worse. Just gently rub at bath time w/ a washcloth & then apply the oil. I used Arbonne's organic ABC Baby oil. I also have many friends who use it. If you have any questions about ingredients or such please feel free to message me.

My son has bad cradle cap and his doctor said to put Cortisone 10 on it!

Dear Amy,
Cradle cap is just skin that is shelled off after the baby is born. It stays around the head area longer as it does not undergo constant friction like other body parts. It should go away by itself as you wash your baby's head and hair with shampoo. Try peeling it away just a little and you will see. It should be painless, because it is dead skin.

My pediatricians said it was fine to use dandruff shampoo (you will only need to use it a couple to three times total) and use the comb like brush they gave you at the hospital. Just make sure it doesn't get in his eyes. If you hold him in the football cradle position and hold his head with your palm while washing his hair over the bathroom sink you should have no problems.

My 3 month old started to get it when he was that age, I used drandruff Shampoo every bath day. It helped loosen it up so I could just brush it out with a tiny comb.