How to deal with cradle cap in infant?

Updated on July 29, 2007
K.S. asks from Howell, MI
32 answers

Please help! What is the best sure-fire way to get rid of cradle cap once and for all?? My daughter is 5 months old and has is on the top of her head. I've bought special cradle cap shampoo, but it really doesn't seem to be working. Help!!

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Summary

Some parents suggested put baby oil and use a tooth brush to remove the extra oil, while some parents suggested to use cradle cap shampoo. The best way is to consult with your pediatrician.

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S.F.

answers from Grand Rapids on

baby shampoo, olive oil rub in as needed, a baby comb or brush to break up the crusty areas. Avoid mineral oil products or harsh drying agents with alcohol.

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T.D.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Here is what I did. My daughter had it horrible, so every night before she went to bed i put a little bit of baby oil on her head and rubbed it in....in the morning, i put a little more on and used a soft comb to get the yuck off.....and then i used johnsons baby shampoo and washed her hair....it took about a week, and i never saw it again, she had small patches here and there once in a while, but those went away with a washing.
Hope this helps.

T.

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K.

answers from Detroit on

washing hair with baby shampoo and also baby oil helped my son and was recommended by his daycare teacher. Good luck!

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N.G.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Dear K.,
When my twins were three months I used a combination of Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Care and Burt's Bees Shampoo and Wash for babies (you may find this product at Natural stores). The cradle was gone within two weeks and did not have to use the Cradle Cap product again. They are seven months now and they have not have any sign of it. I still use the Burt's Bee products to wash them because they are very natural.
Hope this works for you too.
Good luck!
N..

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L.H.

answers from Detroit on

Hi, my daughter had it for a little while when she was younger too. I put a small amount of veg. oil on her head and used a comb to softly scrape at it, this came from her DR. She didn't have it bad, but after that it was gone. I think they told me not to wash her hair so much too. Good Luck

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C.J.

answers from Detroit on

You can try a tiny bit of head and shoulders do not get it in her eyes.

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E.S.

answers from Detroit on

I had bought expensive cradle cap treatments and they never worked for me. I tried baby oil, someone recommended it, rubbed in and gently scraped the skin away with a comb. It worked wonders! Within just a few days of doing it, the cradle cap was almost gone! Our doctor also told us that a shampoo like Selsun Blue would help keep it from returning. I just used a very small amount and it was good at getting rid of the greasiness from the oil as well. Hope this helps. Good luck!

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R.W.

answers from Jackson on

soak her head in Olive Oil let it really soak in then brush it to loosen the scales (on stubborn spots I will actually use a soft comb to scrape the scales away) Then wash with gentle soap and rinse very very very well.

Sometimes cradle cap gets worse the more you wash the hair. So you might want to cut back on the shampoos.

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M.

answers from Detroit on

I was told to try mineral oil when my son had cradle cap so i saturated his head with mineral oil then i worked the oil into his head for few seconds and then i rinsed it out and it actually worked. Good Luck

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L.W.

answers from Detroit on

this is what worked for us. take baby-oil and put it in her hair/on her scalp, then take a fine toothed comb and gently comb and scrap the dead skin off. do it once a day until its gone. it takes about a week to be all gone because you have to be careful to not hurt her little scalp. her hair will be greasy for a few days after, but no more cradle-cap! good luck.

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

Did you try the cradle cap shampoo made by orajel, I think it is called Gentle Naturals, you can get it at walmart or riteaid or target. My son had horrible cradle cap for a long time and that was the only thing that got rid of his cradle cap.

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D.R.

answers from Benton Harbor on

Soft baby brush and baby oil is what I've always heard!! Brush and rub gently til the scales come off!!! Good Luck!!

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D.N.

answers from Detroit on

I used Gentle Naturals by Baby Orajel specifally labeled for Cradle Cap along with the cradle cap brush made by First Years(?) The Gentle Naturals can be found everywhere I use the excema wash too because her skin was dry and I bought it from Target it is a light green bottle. It was recommended to me by a friend who also had success with it. The cradle cap brush is just a little brush with soft firm plastic bristles on one side and a soft sponge on the opposite. But you can really use any soft baby brush just to gently brush away the flakes. I dabbed a little on her head and just brushed the flakes off and gradually it went away. I don't remember it taking very long and probably still have at least 3/4 bottle left. Good luck but it does go away.

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D.M.

answers from Detroit on

My daughter is now 7 months, but had cradle cap really bad when she was younger. I used the olive oil and let it sit on her head for about a hour. Then I used head and shoulders to and a soft brush and brushed her hair. I did this like every three days. Also, I recommend that you keep her hair really oily for a while. I know that it is not really cute to llok at, but this will help the crust not stick to her scalp so much.Hope this helps.

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N.K.

answers from Detroit on

Baby oil worked great on my son - I put it on for about 10 minutes right before his bath. Don't put it on the rest of her body, though because it closes pores and can suffocate you.

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A.M.

answers from Grand Rapids on

The only thing I have found to get rid of cradle cap is right at your fingertips....literally. I've only ever been able to get rid of it by washing baby's hair and the scalp soak under a warm washcloth to soften the scales, and the gently scratch the flakes away with trimmed fingernails, and then comb the flakes out with a baby comb.

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S.T.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K., I now this may sound funny, but it worked for my son.
Try using some olive oil and a very soft baby brush. Take and rub a small amount on your daughters head and then rub the brush in circles on her head. You may have to do this several times, but it worked for me. Good Luck. S. T

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T.N.

answers from Saginaw on

I have use olive oil like the others said plus baby oil. My son had it when he was first born plus his skin on his face peeled like 5 times. I knew their skinned peeled but he did alot. I use baby oil and it helped with both. Plus the little hospital comb they give u when u go home ( fine tooth baby comb) worked to comb it out after i put the baby oil in.

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J.C.

answers from Detroit on

i'm sure you've received a million suggestions, but i wanted to let you know that our pediatrician recommended neutragena t-gel when my daughter had cradle cap. it is a little expensive but works like a charm! oh, and don't be afraid to gently scrape the scalp with your nails, too. sounds gross but helped us a ton! good luck!

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E.C.

answers from Detroit on

Hi,

I just covered my son's head in baby oil for about 20 minutes then started combing. After I got most of it off we did a real good wash and it hasn't been back in 1 year.

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C.T.

answers from Detroit on

both my kids had it. my doctor recommended(which worked)was head shoulders shampoo. put it on ,lather then use a soft brush to losen the scales, rinse well, brush again. it works!!!

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C.G.

answers from Detroit on

i know this sounds weird but it totally works but baby oil in her hair and get a brush that has rubber on the tips of the brissles and just brush if they're real stuck and she holds still carefully scratch lightly with your finger it worked with my daughter the first week

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A.W.

answers from Detroit on

What worked for us was adult dandruff shampoo! Good luck!

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K.P.

answers from Detroit on

My little man had it BAD! I tried every cream and special lotion on the market $$$ what ended up working...$1.97 bottle of target brand dandruff shampoo and $1.99 target brand cortizone cream (1x per day) Go figure!
Good luck!

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R.M.

answers from Detroit on

Dear Kim,

I work for a company that sells an amazing hair & body wash that get amazing results. It sells for $12.50. Here is the description - A gentle, ultra-mild, tear free, and helps replace the skin's natural oils.

If you are interested, email me at ____@____.com and I will give you more details.

R.

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J.W.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My second had it really bad. I too used a special shampoo....selson blue with sellenium. But nothing seemed to work. I finally read that you could put hydrocortozone cream on it. I did and it went away really fast. It's just the anti-itch cream. I also read that you can break open a vitamin E capsule and rub that on. I never got around to trying it. Hope that helps.

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L.M.

answers from Detroit on

The best thing is vasoline-- try and rub it on the area --then take a rat-tail comb and scrape the area free---it will be greesy but once you complete this a couple of times the problem will be solved.. afterward wash the hair once-- it will be greasy for a day or so --you will not be able to scrub the hair free of the vasoline so don't worry about it so. goodluck

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H.W.

answers from Grand Rapids on

To get rid of current cradle cap, I put olive oil on my daughter's head and let it soak in for a while, then I use a baby hair brush and brush in round strokes to remove the scales. I also have stopped soaping up my daughter's hair when I give her a bath. Instead I just use the bath water which has a little soap in it, to wash her hair. My daughter had cradle cap very bad and after doing this a few times it cleared up.

I have also noticed that the baby wash makes a difference. My daughter tends to get a recurrence if I use anything with a lot of perfume in it, even if it is natural. I now use Burt's Bees baby wash and we haven't had problems with cradle cap or her eczema. I still don't soap up her head though. I read that one cause of cradle cap may be that their oil glands are immature and can't produce enough oil to keep their scalp smooth, so washing their hair too regularly or using too much soap on it strips away even more oil.

Hope this helps!

I just wanted to add that you should be careful with adult dandruff shampoos. They are very harsh. Our pediatrician said they can be used on older children, but shouldn't be used on infants.

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T.S.

answers from Detroit on

My son had to see a dermatologist because his cradle cap was so bad. He had me use Hydrocortizone cream (.5%). Let me tell you it was going away by the second night that I put it on. Once it started to go away I would lightly brush his hair and the cradle cap would just brush away. It was amazing how quickly it worked. Don't use any baby oil or lotions on your daughters head though because that will only make it worse. Good Luck and let me know how it works out for you and your daughter.

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S.W.

answers from Lansing on

My 3 youngest kids all have cradle cap. We bought the Gerber cradle cap kit, and it helped, but really just putting any kind of oil on it and then combing it off helps. But my daughter is 3 and has a head full of hair and you can still see some if you look close. My other kids are almost 1 and it isn't as bad on them, but it's still there as well. So good luck with it, but know that it might just need to go away on it own.

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S.F.

answers from Detroit on

My pediatrician told me to try Head & Shoulders, but that didn't seem to work either. I always rub a little baby oil on the scalp a couple hours before bath time. I comb it out right before the bath. I have never found a permanent way to avoid it, but this works for at least a week or so. Good luck.

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

brush her hair. wash it with regualar baby shampoo and then brush it..

cradele cap is just baby dandruff.

get her head good and clean and brush and comb her head and it will go away- you might have to brush it for a minute here and a minute there until all the flakes are gone.

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