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QUESTION
"My 11 week old daughter has some serious cradle cap. We've been trying to get rid of it for a few weeks already, but it only seems to be intensifying. We've been applying olive oil to her scalp each night (followed by a gentle shampoo), all to no avail. We have to swaddle her at night (something she didn't need before the cradle cap emerged) to prevent her from scratching her scalp and her face all night long. For the past few nights, she's spent most of the night fighting her way out of the swaddle (a tight miracle blanket swaddle at that) so she can attack her scalp! Please help!! Has anyone else dealt with a seemingly severe case of cradle cap? What have you done to (a) provide your baby with some relief, and (b) make it go away?"
ANSWERS
1) Babo Shampoo:
"I've found the Babo shampoo works wonders to curb the cradle cap that kept popping up when our daughter was younger. We've been using it exclusively since I found it, and we've seen no further problems.""My sons both had cradle cap for an embarrassingly long time. Finally, when my older son was 5(!) I tried the Madela product for cradle cap. It worked almost immediately! "
2) Mustela Foam Shampoo:
"I loved Mustela Foam Shampoo for Newborns. Worked like a charm. I've tried olive oil when my daughter got older." and another member similarly recommends: "I use the Mustela anti-cradle cap shampoo. It's basically a no-tear dandruff shampoo, and it's foamy and fun. I tried the whole vaseline/oil/comb solution for her flakey scalp and to me it seemed there was an endless supply of flakes, the more I combed the worse it got and the gunk stayed in for days making her hair look crazy. The Mustela shampoo just kind of washes the flakes away and that's it for awhile." "At 2-years old my son had cradle cap and I was informed by my pediatrician that the best solution (and cheapest)solution is olive oil massaged into the scalp during a bath and when the hair is wet so as to better see and apply to the scalp/hair. Then you GENTLY comb the scalp and/or use your finger nails to scrape off the scale. It worked within two days...It moistens the cradle cap scale and allows it to fall off without the difficulties of the shampoos that are marketed. The oil is washed out of the hair with your regular cleanser or shampoo. It was the best and least toxic solution!!"
3) Baby oil:
"We literally just had this with our three year old. We put baby oil on his head, let it sit for 20 minutes, then brushed his scalp in the tub. A lot of scales came off, and his scalp looks much better now. We washed his hair once we were finished combing, with a little extra soap to get the oil out. This treatment worked great - just as well as when our son was an infant! I read online that toddler cradle cap is not as common, but not uncommon either. If a simple treatment like this doesn't work, it's probably worth talking to the pediatrician."
4. Olive oil:
"We did the olive oil thing a few times, and coupled that with a new infant shampoo by cetaphil, it's gone! Plus, bc our son has eczema, already we were only shampooing 2-3 times/week.""You can coat her head with olive oil and comb through. I did this with my infant and it worked like a charm. You may want to brush her hair out first to get the knots out. And, you may want to put on a video during the whole debacle! My 3 month old did not have much hair (or much of an ability to get away!) at the time so it was a bit of a different situation."
5. Tea tree oil:
"I also found this article interesting (it talks about both tea tree as well as dandruff shampoo). Good news is that they say you can wash your baby’s hair less!"
6. Coconut oil:
I use coconut oil rubbed onto the scalp and a soft bristled brush to brush it away. Works like a charm and smells yummy too!
7. Calendula oil:
"Calendula oil helps. It can be purchased at any health food store. It was very effective in combating my son's cradle cap."
8. Dandruff Shampoo:
"Dandruff shampoo works, but there isn't one that is "no tears" so it depends on if she will close her eyes when you rinse it because it will sting if she gets it in her eyes. But it will get rid of the cradle cap."
