My first-born had a severe case of cradle cap, in fact it got so bad she ended up getting bleeding scabs throughout her head. When I took my daughter to the doctor, he was speechless. He said he had never seen a case of cradle cap get this bad. My heart sunk. I felt like the WORST mother out there. I thought cradle cap was normal and that it would eventually disappear on its own. Sitting at the doctor’s office, all I could think to myself was ‘why did I let it get so bad?’
My doctor assured me that the cradle cap would get better, and he prescribed my daughter a hydrocortisone cream for treatment, and suggested I use Head & Shoulders shampoo on her. He also suggested that thoroughly drying her hair after her baths would help. Combing your baby’s hair often with a fine toothed comb is also essential, for it gently loosens and lifts the flakes! After trying all the above for a week, I began to notice improvement to her scalp, and her scabs began to heal!
My other three children did not experience cradle cap to that degree, here are some things I did with them:
- I didn’t wash their hair every day. I found that the more I washed my babies scalp, the more dry the scalps would get, so I washed their hair only 2-3 times a week max.
- I avoided using shampoos loaded with chemicals and went for more natural options.
- If I did notice my babies scalp getting dry, I would rub some coconut oil or olive oil into their hair and leave it for about an hour then wash the oil out.
With that said, I would suggest keeping a close eye on your baby’s scalp, drying your baby’s hair thoroughly after bath time, and using a fine tooth comb to loose the flakes. In most cases, if you take these steps mentioned, the cradles cap will eventually go away; however, some babies produce an excess amount of oil in their scalps making it more difficult for curing the cradle cap without the intervention of a doctor. Therefore, if you do feel your baby’s cradle cap is getting worse, then visiting a doctor would be best.
Great Post on Seborrhoeic Dermatitis!
Further to your post…
Massaging baby oil or natural oil – such as almond or olive oil – into their scalp at night can help loosen the crust.
It is also advised that you see a Doctor if your baby’s scalp becomes inflamed or if the cradle cap spreads to other parts of their body. A mild Steroid cream – such as Hydrocortisone, may also be recommended and prescribed by the Doctor for an inflamed rash.
Also, it’s important not to pick at the scales as this may cause an infection.
Salaams
Thank you so much for the tips 🙂 Unfortunately, rubbing oil on her scalp did not work, and therefore, we had no choice but to go the doctor. I hope you have a beautiful day!
Massaging baby oil or natural oil usually helps during the early stages of Cradle Cap – helps to prevent it getting worse. But, ya for you it was important to visit the Doctor.
Aww, don’t be thanking. I have a huge interest in Pediatrics. T’was just some friendly advice from a future Pediatrician, iA.
Have a lovely weekend. Say Hello to the kids. 🙂
Regards
Masha’Allah a future pediatrician! May Allah give you success in any career path you choose sister, Ameen! I hope you enjoy your weekend as well lovely! 🙂
Ameen.
Thank you Sumaira! Lovely weather today, here in the UK. ☀️
🙂
Ameen. 🙂