Help! My newborn (1 1/2 month old) has cradle cap? What do I use?

Question

I keep her very clean, I use dermatologically tested products such as wash and lotion but its getting really icky anyway. I dont know what to do. I used some Denorex this morning on her, I heard that worked. Any suggestions?

I have tried the baby oil and the baby oil gel..its not working...

Answer 1

This is directly from my pediatrician who is wonderful. My son had cradle cap severly on his head and forehead. His doctor recommended Selsum Blue shampoo. Put some in your hands and rub wherever the cradle cap is making sure not to get it in baby's eyes! Once you have got it all over the cradle cap use a warm wash cloth and wipe the shampoo away. The area where you applied the shampoo will look a little red afterwards, which is completly ok this tells you that it is working!! Good luck and I hope this works as well for you as it did for me. My sons cradle cap was gone within a day or two!

Answer 2

Generally, cradle cap does not need to be treated as long as it doesn’t bother you or the baby. Sometimes it itches.

The gentlest treatment is to simply rub a small amount of baby oil or olive oil onto your baby's scalp. Wait several minutes for the oil to soften and loosen the scales, and brush them away with a soft brush or a dry terry-cloth washcloth.

If the cradle cap is especially pronounced, or if your baby is over six months old, you could also wash the hair with a seborrhea shampoo, such as those containing selenium, salicylic acid, or tar. These shampoos don’t have the "no tears" factor, so be careful or your child may not like bath time as much as they usually do.

If the cradle cap is especially reddened or inflamed, a small amount of over-the-counter cortisone cream may help.

These measures may be needed, off and on, until your baby outgrows the condition. Nevertheless, if the cradle cap does not respond rapidly to these treatments, be sure to inform your pediatrician.

I hope this information helps. Take care.

Answer 3

My baby also got cradle cap when she was about that old. It is slowly going away and she is almost 3 monts old. I just use one of those baby brushes that they give out at the hospital with the sponge on the other side. When i give her a bath i put some head and shoulders on the brush part and i scrub/massage her head with the soap, after the bath i put lots of baby oil gel on her scalp and then take a dry baby brush and brush and massage the oil into her scalp. I leave that in her hair until her next bath, that seems to be working. Over a little bit of time that will go away. THe doctor also told me taht it would be alright to put a little bit of olive oil in her hair.

Answer 4

I have 4 children & they all had cradle cap when they were babies. It is a normal thing that just happens so don't think that it is because you did something wrong. Johnson's has a new thing out called a cradle cap brush, it actually works pretty good. You can put the baby shampoo right inside the brush & it has two different sides to it. I used this on my youngest daugter. But for my other three this brush didn't exist yet. So I used just a regular soft bristled baby brush & when I gave them a bath I scrubbed their head with the brush & baby shampoo. It works but nothing is going to make it go away instantly. It takes awhile just keep scrubbing it with the brush & baby shampoo.

Good luck & congrats on the new baby.

Answer 5

First of all, try not to keep your newborn squeaky clean. Too much soap will destroy the natural oil that protects your baby's skin against the elements. Secondly, baby oil or mineral oil will cause flaky skin and dryness. There is a possibility you used too much shampoo (however mild) or baby oil on your darling. Use Olive Oil instead to moisturize your baby skin/scalp. It has no additives or chemical and is absolutely odorless. If you dare try this: soak facial cotton with white vinegar or even apple cider vinegar and gently rub into baby's scalp, then rinse off quickly. Dry and apply Olive Oil. Do it once a day until healed. Word of caution though: Make sure you squeeze cotton off vinegar so that vinegar will not drip into baby's eyes. VINEGAR STINGS THE EYES & CAN CAUSE BLINDNESS.

Answer 6

Try some mineral oil. I would try that before the Denorex.

Edited to add mineral oil worked better than baby oil if you have tried that & it doesn't work.

Just keep brushing, and remember that cradle cap doesn't mean she's dirty! I am sure how clean you're keeping her head helps it from getting really thick though. Don't worry about it.

Answer 7

Cradle cap is normal in infants, just use baby oil and a comb or brush on the scalp to loosen and exfoliate the area ,, the baby oil makes it easier for the loosened pieces to come away from the hair,,,good luck

Answer 8

I tried baby oil and it just made my daughters hair look dirty. Now I wash her hair with baby shampoo on a washcloth and comb her hair with a fine tooth comb before I rinse it out. Then i wash her hair again to make sure I got all the flakes out. I have been doing this for a few days and the spot is clearing up quickly! Good luck!!

Answer 9

put baby oil on her head, let it sit for 1 or two hours, you may want to put a hat on her, then use a baby comb, and start from the front and comb back, do this a few times, then give a bath, and comb again without baby oil right after a bath. do this until gone. also nothing can make it go away in just one treatment. but make sure you do try now, the longer you wait, the harder the scales get, the harder it is to get off. this is what my doctor had me do with my baby.

Answer 10

doesnt matter how clean you keep your baby this usually crops up at some point so dont feel your neglecting your baby. Use warm olive oil ( check its warm and not hot for obvious reasons ) leave for a few hours or better still put it on after their bath and put a cotton hat on for bed (baby that is) rinse thoroughly in the morning and just use a comb after- this should release the skin.