My little one has it. Its not horrible, other people can't see it. I can just tell when her scalp gets scaly looking, and them if I scratch at it, it flakes up really bad (blehhh sorry tmi)

I tried scrubbing her scalp gently with a soft brush, but that just gets it wet. I tried leaving it alone and it gets thicker. The only thing that works is to loosen it with her baby comb and brush it out, but it always comes right back.

I don't want her to start loosing her lovely dark curls because of it. Advice?

I always get the best advice from you ladies

Reply

Baby oil. Massage gently into scalp, and use a baby comb to lift it up from the scalp. Don't worry about getting it all the first time. Just gently dry up what oil you can and let the rest soak in. Do this after each bath until gone.
I don't know if you are, but avoid using soap on her head for a little while. Yes, she will be a little "oily" lol but it will get rid of the cradle cap.
ETA- only use a tiny bit, and you can use a baby brush to rub it in gently if you like.

Reply

Wal-Mart sells this stuff in the baby section by the shampoo and soaps. I honestly don't remember the name of it.. but it says cradle cap on it. The bottle has Winnie the pooh on it. I used it for my ds and it worked pretty good. Will try and link a pic of it. It's pretty oily but I combed it through his hair and it helped get rid of it. Hth

Reply

olive oil works also

Reply

My daughter had it and her pediatrician said it really goes away on its own. And to wash it EVERY DAY with mild baby shampoo and brush the scales out.

After a few months if it doesn't clear up, they can prescribe a special dandruff shampoo.

My son had it too, we did the same treatment and it took a few months but it went away as well.

Don't worry though, because it generally doesn't bother their hair

Reply

Yes, apparently baby oil is no longer recommended because of the mineral base? The concept still stands though, just with olive oil.
Sigh. Gotta wonder what olive oil will do to them that is not recommended 20 years from now.
C2C is right also, though, it will go away on its own as well.

Reply

I just recently had success getting rid of cradle cap for my new little ds. I bought Cradle Cap Lotion from Little Remedies (the company that also makes the saline drops and other baby products) at the local grocery store. First, I would rub on a small amount of the lotion, then, I used an unused and soft tooth brush to brush out the cradle cap, and then washed with baby shampoo/wash. It took only 3 applications, and it was completely gone! The Little Remedies smells amazing, too- it has oatmeal , shea, cocoa and avocado butters. It was like $6 or something. Good luck!

Reply

It's been about 28 years ...but the doc gave me a scalp brush for my son's bad cradle cap. I just gently "scrubbed" his head with it and the cradle cap was gone!

Reply

I'm a hippie so I use coconut oil, the unrefined kind. I put it on all the time and then will use a baby brush or comb to gently brush it off. If it gets too thick or scaly, I would consider a doctor. They might have some extra strength type stuff. But, normal cradle cap, I deal with. Olive oil works too.

Reply

Sounds gross, but mayonnaise with a little hat on to keep her head covered. Best and fastest thing I've ever seen work!

Reply

I second everyone's suggestions related to the regular and gentle cleansing of baby's scalp, along side brushing/combing.

Reply

That's what I've been using. Do you use every day?

Reply

My mother is a hair stylist and she claims that baby shampoo aggravates cradle cap rather than relieving it. This is due to baby shampoo being pH balanced for eyes and not the scalp. Interesting viewpoint.

I used coconut oil on my babes. Same theory as baby oil, olive oil, and mayonaise.

Reply

I was just going to say the same thing!!

My kids doc told me to ditch the Johnson's and Johnson's and I never had a problem with it for either of my kids again.

Reply

Same for me. I switched to an off brand and it went away. Now that my children are older I still find that most shampoos cause build up on my son's scalp. We use a good dandruff shampoo to keep his scalp clear.

Reply

My youngest has a mild case as well. I too tried multiple things... at his 6 month well child exam I again asked the pediatrician who then suggested head and shoulders shampoo.... she of course warned us not to get it into his eyes. After about 8 baths with this I see a definite improvement and the flakes actually come off with little to no effort. He is not bothered by the shampoo topically either. I found the best way to ensure it doesn't get into his eyes at all is to do it at the very end of the bath... that way even when he splashed in the water the odds of it making contact with the eyes was slim.

Reply

DD had it really bad as in infant, we would do olive oil and a comb to help get rid of it. As she got older and her hair started growing longer I thought it had gone away, but even at 2 and 3 years old, she still had it (it was just hidden under all her hair). We switched to a shampoo free of sodium lauryl sulfate and it helped tremendously! We used Burt's Bee's baby shampoo.

Reply

I used baby oil to get rid of dd's. Put it on, let it soak in for 20 minutes and then gently brushed it. Came up easily and I haven't seen it since. I haven't heard that you shouldn't use baby oil but its always good to check with your pediatrician.

Reply