Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Cradle cap is ruining my life. Please help!

43 replies

scrooged · 17/03/2009 21:43

It just keeps coming back! Ds is now 9 and he's still getting a patch on his head. What am I doing wrong? He washes his hair twice a week, I sort it out once a month, I've had enough! He's not dirty. ARGH!!!! I don't know why!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Idrankthechristmasspirits · 17/03/2009 21:46

Use olive oil when it does come up. (rub it in and the cradle cap rolls off IYSWIM)

DSD still gets it and she is 8. I was told that T-Gel shampoo would help but i'm a bit about trying it tbh.
I share your pain though.

sundew · 17/03/2009 21:47

why are you bothered by it? dd2 has cradle cap - still quite thick and crusty in some places I just leave it - but then I am lazy mum .

I don't think you are doing anything wrong - dd2s goes when she has nits as I'm washing and combing with a nit comb every night.

Personally I don't see there is anything to worry about unles your ds is starting to notice anmd wants rid - and if so then have a chat with your GP / practice nurse.

scrooged · 17/03/2009 21:48

I've done the oil, over and over again. It just keeps coming back. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I'll try the T-Gel shampoo.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 17/03/2009 21:49

apparently the main reason is not rinsing the hair properly.

scrooged · 17/03/2009 21:49

A 9 year old is too old for cradle cap. He's got really fine dark blonde hair so I can see it.

OP posts:
scrooged · 17/03/2009 21:50

I don't think it's that, thisisyesterday. It's always in the same spot, not everywhere. I oil it and brush it out but it always comes back in the same place, even when I wash his hair for him.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 17/03/2009 21:51

are you sure it is not eczema?

scrooged · 17/03/2009 21:52

I don't think so, it's too thick and has the cradle cap yellow tinge. It's greasy when I take it out, even if I've just washed his hair.

OP posts:
Amapoleon · 17/03/2009 21:53

Could it be the shampoo or hair gel? My dd started to get cradle cap again when she was 3 and I discovered the nursery had been putting cologne on her hair before I picked her up.

Sawyer64 · 17/03/2009 21:54

My DD's both have this. My Nurse practitioner
said use "Head and Shoulders" (Original)every day for a week and it'll be gone. I've been using it 1-2 times a week, as it is difficult to wash their hair more often,timewise. It does seem to have worked. I'm sure with boys you could do his hair daily for a week.

You need to rub it into affected area,and rinse well.When you comb you will see lots of flakes. HTH.

scrooged · 17/03/2009 21:54

Could be the shampoo, he uses Loreal kids, I've never tried anything else. It's not all over though, just right at the top.

OP posts:
BoysAreLikeDogs · 17/03/2009 21:54

I olive oil my 6yr old, and comb out the 'cornflakes' and shampoo the oil out with t gel

About every 2 months I think

In between we use child-style shampoo

hth

scrooged · 17/03/2009 21:55

I'll try a different shampoo. Thankyou.

OP posts:
Sawyer64 · 17/03/2009 21:55

if the area has a "Cornflake" like appearance it is infected (Impetigo-very infectious) and he'd need to see GP for something specific to clear it up.

TheYearOfTheCat · 17/03/2009 21:55

My almost 4 yr old has had fairly persistent cradle cap - I blame myself for being too pfb to do anything about it before she got too old.

Recently I had enough, and drenched her in olive oil - so much that it took about a week to completely wash it out, and just kept combing. So far, it seems to have done the trick.

scrooged · 17/03/2009 21:58

Shit, don't say that Sawyer

His skin's OK underneith. It's very much like cradle cap.

I've used the oil method before, it's back again!

OP posts:
MegBusset · 17/03/2009 22:02

My 2yo has a persistent patch on his scalp. I haven't done anything about it really as it doesn't seem to bother him -- I only wash it with water and Oilatum (he has eczema) and give it a bit of a scrub with a sponge to remove any loose bits. His skin is very very sensitive so I'm reluctant to use Dentinox or anything strong on it.

fridayschild · 17/03/2009 22:04

We tried a different shampoo, and it helped - a bit. The hairdresser said it was exacerbated by using too much shampoo, and then failing to rinse properly. She also said that cradle cap would eventually lead to premature baldness. Is that true?

scrooged · 17/03/2009 22:04

I think I need to change his shampoo.

OP posts:
scrooged · 17/03/2009 22:06

I don't know about baldness but it does pull some hair out when I pick it out (using oil). Poor thing He only uses a small amount (less then 5p size) this is right????

OP posts:
PinkPussyCat · 17/03/2009 22:08

I'd be tempted to ask the GP/practice nurse to send off a swab from it - if it's yellow in colour it could be a staph aureus type infection.

alexw · 17/03/2009 22:08

Use bio oil - it works!! Tried all usual stuf with dd then got bio oil tip on here. Rubbed some in been free ever since!!

ovenchips · 17/03/2009 22:08

My understanding is that cradle cap can have a fungal basis and with my two children I have found the only thing that has worked - and it has worked brilliantly - is topical application of Daktarin cream. I've just used a very thin layer and within a day or two it's started to clear and is then completely gone.

It's the same cream that I've used for thrush in nipples while breastfeeding.

scrooged · 17/03/2009 22:12

It's not yellow as in real yellow, more cream. I'm not sure if it is an infection, the skin underneith isn't broken/oozing/hot.

I thought cradle cap was caused by excessive oil coming from the scalp, it then mixes in with skin cells????

OP posts:
Sawyer64 · 17/03/2009 22:17

There is the older child/Adult version called Seborrhoea Dermatitis.
See here

Swipe left for the next trending thread