Any Suggetions About Dandruff on a 2 Year Old?

Hi M., I had a dandruff problem as a child and my folks tried tar shampoo and other nasty stuff. I am now 46 years old and still have the same condition and even gave the condition to my 2 sons. We have all found relief with a shampoo in the dandruff isle called Nizoral. It is an antifungal shampoo that used to be only from a Dr. I need to use it about 2x week. Let it sit on the scalp for a couple of minutes before rinsing off. I know I need to use it when my scalp begins to itch again. Hope it helps.

Nizoral may work. You can get it at a grocery store over the counter. Wash it in and leave it for 5 min. and then rinse. You should notice an improvement. I have the same problem with my 2 1/2 yr. old. However, I think his may be something a little more aggressive than dandruff.

Head and shoulders. Cradle cap and dandruff are pretty much the same and are treated teh same. My 3 year old daughter gets her head washed with dandruff shampoo at least once a week to prevent it from coming back.

Arbonne has a fabulous Tea Tree Oil Shampoo for when you get it under control...I'd love to send you a sample. FYI, tea tree oil is also a natural preventative for head lice if anyone has had that in their schools or day cares...

L. ###-###-####

How often do you wash her hair? I would suggest to only wash it once or twice a week until you get it under control. I've always heard that baby oil works great for cradle cap since the scalp is dry and needs to be moisturized. Good luck.

Dandruff and cradle cap are the same thing. They just call it cradle cap on babies. My 1 1/2 year old daughter has it too. For her, it comes and goes. I wash her hair with Selsun Blue shampoo and brush her scalp when it gets really bad. That seems to do the trick. Our pediatrician also suggested using tea tree oil, but I've never tried that.

My daughter is about the same age and our beautician said she has a little "cradle cap" even now. Try talking to your beautician or a local health food store about shampoo for it. They should be able to help find something that will clear it up well. We have just started using the shampoo from Arbonne to see if it will help since it is all natural.
I hope you find something that works well.
J.

My son had cradle cap for a very long time too. Shampoo and gentle massage is fine, and it will eventually go away, but if it bothers you, the doctor can prescribe a special shampoo that works better.

My name is K. S from Alabama. It definitely could be cradle cap or even psoriasis. Alot more and more children are being affected with adult issues than ever before. It is because of all of the chemicals that products contain that we are using. What do you bathe her in? Soap is loaded with animal by products. I own a business called Arbonne and we have all natural lotions, bathing gels, etc. I would suggest the baby wash and the skin conditioning oil. You can check out my website at www.successfromtheheart.myarbonne.com and/or give me a call ###-###-####. Thanks, K.

My daughter also had cradle cap. Her pediatrician said to use Head and Shoulders. It worked! I still wash her hair with it once a week.

my two year old had cradle cap too! our ped. reccommended Head and Shoulders and it worked! we only used it once. you have to be careful not to get it in her eyes, because it does burn.

My 3 year old had this problem lately around her ear and the pediatrician said it is like cradle cap on babies or dandruff on adults. I was told to put head and shoulders or selsum blue on it in the bath. He said it was fine for my 3 year old, but if you're not sure you could ask the pharmacist.

Hi M.,

I hope by now maybe you have found something to help your precious daughter with the dandruff issue. I have learned that trying different things is the only way to go. Being that I treat my 4 year old with holistic medicine, my suggestion would be for you to try a shampoo made of tea tree oil, or go to the nearest health food store and ask a nutritionist for help. Secondly, I just read an article on mercola.com, that this sort of thing MIGHT be a result of a condition called "Hypothyroidism" (hope I spelled it correctly) and if you try and find a specialist (of course he should be a "holistic" one) my advise would be, get her tested for that. Also, There's a COD liver oil supplememnt, that you get at the health food store that works VERY good. Not that it only helps with the development of your child's brain, but also the many other benefits of it is that it moisturizes the skin :-)

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Chris

buy the shampoo you bought for cradle cap as a baby
it should clear it up and use a toothbruch on the head and it might look worse before it gets better but that work for a friend fo mine
do it every other night with a tooth brsh but every night for about 2 weeks and see what happens

You should have that checked by a doctor. In the meantime try using a vinegar rinse after washing her hair. In a regular plastic drinking cup put about a 1/2 inch of vinegar and the rest warm water. Of course do not get into the childs eyes but massage it into her scalp. DO NOT RINSE it out. Her hair may be a little harder to comb out but it should help the scalp and if she says it burns it will not do any damage to her skin. It sometimes burns if the skin is irritated but eventually it will take away the irritation. And her hair will no smell like vinegar once it dries but will be squeaky clean. Good Luck
B>

Hi M.~
Well yes a two year old can get cradle cap. Actually my daughter was about 18 months old when she got it. I washed her hair with a different shampoo and also put a certain type of oil that I massaged into her scalp and left it. Of course her hair was very greasy, but we were only at home. However, it only took a few days and it was gone and back to normal. I would just make sure that what ever you do leave on her hair is safe for her. Good Luck!! Let me know if you have any questions!!
C. Stork
www.forourkidz.fourpointmoms.com

My daughter's pediatrician recommended Selson Blue when she was younger (she's 2 yrs old now). Just make sure it doesn't get in her eyes. It's the Selenium Sulfide solution that works well.

What your kiddo's have is a fungal infection closely related to athletes foot. I've had to deal with it for years. Some people are just more suseptable than others and have to deal with it. I use a shampoo called Nizoral, over the counter it is in a 1% solution. Prescription is 2% and its 80$ without insurance.
Tea Tree is fab. once you have it under control.

The only real "cure' for the stuff because it is systemic is like a six month regimen of antibiotics and then there is no reassurance that it won't come back. My thought is, use the N.
Luck to you,
R.

My hair dresser says olive oil and or seabreeze, both work well. I have to use both on my scalp still to this day. I actually like the seabreeze better it is easier to get on with my day than olive oil.

I had the same problem with my daughter, and my peditrician told me to try something called Sebulex. Walmart pharmacy had to order it for me, but it seemed to work pretty good! Good luck!

The best thing for cradle cap is Head and Shoulders Shampoo. Just make sure that it doesn't get into the babies eyes. It works with just one washing.

One of our children went through this and our dr. said to use a regular dandruff shampoo and after a couple of uses .. no more problem. Of course, it's not tear free so you just have to be careful but this was not a problem for us.

All of my kids had/have "cradle cap" - but since it never went away, we have taken my 11 yr old to several dermatologists over the last few years and finally came up with a diagnosis of psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. Apparently this is NOT dandruff - NOT dry skin - so dandruff shampoo does not work. The doctor we are working with now prescribed a special shampoo - and there are several types of shampoos and treatments that they can prescribe. Find a dermotologist that is kid-friendly and will spend time figuring out the right treatment. The same thing does not work for everyone. I hope this helps ... my son still has trouble with the flaky skin on his scalp, but only when we are not consistent with the shampoo treatment. My other two children (3 and 5) have the same issue but it is not as bad and their hair covers it so I haven't taken them to the doctor yet.

My son had cradle cap when he was an infant and the doctor suggested to massage baby oil on his head and then put a warm washcloth on his head afterwards. It worked well, but he was an infant and didn't have any hair to get in the way.

She also suggested selsum blue but we didn't use it...

Good luck!

Alternate between Nizoral, Head and Shoulders and a tar shampoo such as T-Gel. Use each 1 week at a time starting w/ the Nizoral. My Dr. suggested this, and it worked. Good luck.

My daughter is 5 and still had cradle cap on and off. It seems to be worse in the summer - I guess because the sun may dry it more. I use Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner - they have this brand just about any salon type place - I know they carry it at the salon inside Walmart and at Sports Clips. You just have to be careful not to get it in her eyes. I had a friend who used a little baby oil with her shampoo and that helped loosen it so she could comb it out but then the baby's hair looked greasy. I've also heard of people using dandruff shampoos like Head n Shoulders, etc. Hopefully one of these will help her out. Good luck! :)

My daughter had the same thing. The doctor recommended dandruff shampoo but I was constantly worried about getting it in her eyes as well as the chemicials. I tried Dr. Bronner's soap (available at Whole Foods) and the oils in it helped the situation considerably -- and it smells good.

Good luck!

http://neworleans.savvysource.com/

try the suggestions listed on this site (this is the best info on the subject I've found so far...)

www.yeastinfectionadvisor.com

My daughter had cradle cap from the time she was an infant until she was over 2 yrs old. It was kind of yellow and crusty on her head. I asked the lady who cuts her hair, she suggested putting a tiny bit of olive oil on a washcloth or finger and gently rubbing the areas on her head and then washing it well and combing it out. If it is stuck to her head you may have to pull it away, but with the oil on there it should come off easily and not cause her any discomfort. This is the only thing that worked for my daughter and the cradle cap hasn't been back since! If it is dandruff and not cradle cap, my Dr. suggested Selsun Blue, you just have to be super careful not to get it in her eyes. And also don't wash her hair unless it is dirty-like has jelly in it or sandbox sand. (That's what my girls get in their hair)

I have suffered with this for years. T-Gel by Neutrogena works wonderful also.

I agree with the moms who said it is fungal infection. It will never be cured--only controlled. The suggestions are correct and I will add a couple: castor oil is antifungal and can be used anywhere--even IN eyes! I have done it for years. I am diabetic and prone to fungal infections. I use a Tea Tree shampoo from Sally's Beauty Supply.

ALOE VERA GEL: can get at Walmart.(use the ones without coloring) Rub into scalp and leave. Can be used with olive oil or castor oil. That is what I used for diaper rash. Can be used on anything anywhere.

ALSO DIET: give her acidophilus (it's what makes yogurt). Give her yogurt and also chewable form (GNC has a good one). Sugar feeds fungus so stay away from "the goodies".

Good Luck and God Bless, M.

M. - without seeing the scalp ... any type of dandruff is the direct result of a candida infection. If your daughter consumes the assorted processed foods that most children eat, then chances are pretty good that she has this. The candida is a topic all on its own, but, instead of continued usage of Selsun Blue, go buy some good old fashioned vaseline and smear it all over her scalp the next time her dandruff returns (no matter what age - adults too). Have her sleep with a cap on (it may get warm - but it works. adults use a plastic shower cap). When you wash it out (not with Selsun Blue - use something more natural and gentle), the dandruff will be gone. Hope this helps. Cathy, NHP

I am glade you found something that works but would you please look at these two site and put in the product you are using. It will show you some very interesting findings. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm
If you need help finding more information please let me know.

Oh! I'm sorry I just have to add my thoughts on this!

My 2 1/2 year old also has flaky skin on the head- and if it really bothers him, I put olive oil on it about an hour before bath time, and then gently rub it out with a wash cloth, or use a baby comb to comb it out. With the goal of providing a gentle massage and increasing blood flow to the scalp to help his body deal with it.

I just looked up the shampoo you used. The little bit of research I was able to do gave me some discomforting results.

Selsun Blue is all chemicals, and the primary drug in that product is totally toxic on such a small person. I know there are doctors recommending it- but all my research shows that this is a really bad idea. While you may never "see" the effects - the skin is a massive conductor- and over time this can produce allergies and other "side effects".

Look it up yourself:
The first 2 ingredients are SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS) and SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES). Read here what they say about this stuff - http://www.healthy-communications.com

I don't mean to be a bummer. And I can guess you are so glad to see the flakes gone. I am a mother of 2 boys. I've battled chronic illness in my children which I was able to trace to household chemicals- cleaning supplies used in the bath tub, for example. That is when I turned my houshold upside down, and taught myself what I could about researching and using organic materials whenever possible. I was excitied to learn I could use olive oil on my second son's skin (born with a weathered tough peeling skin cndition, which broke open and left tender or even bloody spots) after he was born, instead of the cream the hospital gave me.
I know there are different mind sets - each with a battalion of proof for their way of treating our health issues.
So, take my mine with a pinch of salt, if you will. But please, please read the ingrdients. Underneath the dandruff is a little girl who will outgrow the dry scalp, or need some extra care over the course of her lifetime to deal with it.

best,
M.

Hi M.,

If it comes back, she probably needs vit B- skin issues like dermatitis and dandruff are a deficiency in vit B.
When I looked at blood reports, about a third of the poulation is deficient.
Wallmart carries b complex sanguineal liquid that you give under the tounge 3 times a day.

if it's cradle cap when you give her a bath and your washing her hair take a comb and try to comb her scalp and see if it comes out. If not my only advice would be to try and keep her hair moisturized(?).Hope this helps.

Hi M., there are lots of good responses to your question. The best ones are those that advise to avoid the nasty chemicals in most shampoos, like Selsun and the most of the ones the doctors reommend have the harmful chemicals in them. The thryoid panel should be checked by your doctor, and yeast infections could be a problem. I have been using a line of products without harmful chemicals or carcinogens from Neways Int., Generations line of safe and healthy products, 20 year old company.
They are safe, healthy and affordable to consumers and do not contain harmful chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, cocoamide DEA, TEA, triethanolamine, pg, propylene glycol, polyethylene glyocol (PEG), tricolsan,, mineral oil, no parabens. www.healthy-communications.com, www.1000moms1000dollars.com/positivehealthyliving

Hi M., I'm way behind on replying, but I thought you might like another alternative. I must confess I didn't read all of them, just saw that you used selsum blue. My daughter also has what we call 'gunk' ;). we tried the dandruff shampoo but given that she hates having her hair washed and the fact that it is not tear free - we all weren't very good about it. Instead I took a little olive oil and massaged it into her scalp. Left it there for a few minutes and washed it out with her tear free shampoo. It takes one or two washes to get all the oil out, but the results are great! You only have to do it once (I think we repeated it once six months later) and her scalp will be dandruff free in a couple of washes. Hope that helps!