Cradle cap

[frogem366]

DD1 has cradle cap and has done since a few weeks old HV advised the use of olive oil or just leaving it and it would go away by itself. She is now 18 months old and still has it, only difference is now you don't see it so much as she now had lovely thick hair. My problem now is tho some of the scales I notice mat her hair underneath down and when some of the scales come off they are taking hair with them and leaving a bald patch.

Does anyone have any advice, I've tried various oils and the dentinox treatment shampoo but nothing seems to work :( I'm worried now I've left it as advised and now she is going to be left with large bald patches as it's been left so long :(

I spray the hair probably an hour before a bath and rub in dentinox shampoo, I then every 15 mins or so massage the scalp, then when ds gets in the bath I rincecit off, loads loosens off then I wash again.
Ds never suffered with it as a baby but got it around 18 months old and it comes back if I dont do this every few weeks.

My ds has a skin condition which leaves large scales on his scalp we use cold tar and coconut shampoo and we've been given a salicylic treatment to use but he's nearly 6 and is just old enough for the salicylic ointment. I think it's called sebco?
Our dermatologist has mentioned a new treatment from America, a different ointment to remove scale and improve moisture to his skin, but I've no idea if it's available yet.
Ds was diagnosed with icthyosis a few years ago, so the scale is always bad but it can be managed. We've also used balneum ointment not sure of the spelling. I would ask to see a dermatologist, good luck with everything. Hope this helps a bit.

Ds had cradle cap when he was 3. Coconut oil rubbed in, give a scrub with a flannel then shampoo out. Repeat as often as needed. It was gone in a few days.

My daughter is 3 and her cradle cap has only recently disappeared altogether. We just used dentinox.

DS is 18 months and recently had exactly the same problem, he has quite fine hair though and it looked awful and was starting to itch. Tried olive oil and dentinox but neither if them worked. Mentioned it to our GP as we were there fir something else and he prescribed capasal shampoo ( I think you can get it online without prescription though). Worked like a dream and cleared this whole scalp within about a fortnight. It just dried it up so you could gently comb the cradle cap scab out every morning but left his hair intact!

Changing to tea tree shampoo and conditioner got rid of my daughters cradle cap completely after about six weeks of regular use. I had tried all sorts before with no luck but since using tea tree she's not had any sign of it.

Thank you I will try go again, the last time one of them suggested taking a nit comb to it when wet, but personally I think that will just cause the bald bits to worsen as more hair will be removed with flakes. I will try a different go at surgery or try HV again.

Thanks for all the tips and advice, I feel terrible for her

I accidently got rid of my son's cradle cap with a nit treatement - just lifted it all straight off. (Not recommending that approach but it was effective.)

Reading with interest as ds1 (3.7) still has his. Noticed his scalp was super dry and flaky earlier. Usually use Dentinox shampoo but will try oil and comb again I think.

I find rubbing in olive oil, waiting 5-10mins and then carefully combing through with a 'nitty gritty' nit comb held at about 25 degrees to the scalp the most effective. That nit comb isn't sharp so it doesn't scratch the scalp but combined with the oil seems to lift the majority of the flakes. Both dc hate it though. I try and do it every couple of months t

Ooooh, poor DD. The thing with the oil is that you really need to give it time to work. So as another poster said put it on a good hour before bathtime, keep massaging it in and one of the Tommy Tippee baby brushes is good. Something with very soft bristles moved in a circling motion. For thick hair maybe a really soft, old (clean!) toothbrush? That way you can hopefully target the scalp rather than the hair.

Also would be worth trying the shampoo recommended upthread. You can always tell the GP you need a prescription and if they won't give you it you'll be getting it off the internet anyway.

I kind of scratched it off gently with my finger nail.

It could be a general sensitivity to shampoos in general, and in particular SLS. We use a natural body wash from Skin Salveation as a shampoo and it seems to do the trick. Lovely shiny clean hair
www.skinsalveation.co.uk/products/organic-body-wash/

I accidently found Johnsons Baby Oil Mousse works well if you massage it in 2 or 3 times over the afternoon before you wash it. If it is really bad and thick, it will leave the cradle cap softer and some of it will comb out.

It is sort of oily and wet at the same time.

I found the salycilic acid cream did not work on really thick cradle cap on 4 year olds, and the scales hardened again after washing, so I went back to the mousse again.