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Original poster

Can a nearly 3yr old get cradle cap?

20 replies

Lowryn · 23/09/2004 13:22

I was brushing DD's hair today and noticed some flakes in her hairline. I thought it was food (DD is a messy eater!) and looked closer. She has a some orangey brown spots of dry skin all over the top of her head under the hair.
Is this cradle cap?
Can I get rid of it with dentinox or won't it be effective now she has so much hair?

OP posts:

carla · 23/09/2004 13:25

Yep - only just got rid of it in DD2 and she'll be five next month! I found brushing her scalp with a firm-bristled brush was the only thing to shift it.

futurity · 23/09/2004 13:29

Looking at this thread with interest..my DS (2.8) has it but also not sure what to do about it. Got some cradle cap stuff but again he has so much hair it is difficult to apply.

strawberry · 23/09/2004 13:30

Ds is 2.5 and still has it - just not as noticeable now he has hair. Baby oil and then brush with toothbrush then wash as normal helps.

Twiglett · 23/09/2004 13:35

message withdrawn

Bagpuss30 · 23/09/2004 13:40

How odd, was going to post the same the other day. My dd has just turned two and had a huge patch on her head. I rubbed in some olive oil and left it for about 10 mins and then started brushing it out. Most of it has gone now. I feel awful as it was so thick, I can't believe I didn't notice it before. Quite a bit of old hair came out with it too and her scalp was red for a while but it soon went.

poppyseed · 23/09/2004 14:11

DD (5) has it and DS (17 months) has never got rid of his baby cradle cap really - pretty sure it's seborrhoeic eczema. At the moment tea tree shampoo cures it no problem (dare say you can get something really nice and mild but at the mo we're using t-gel in very small amounts). If you keep up with it and use it regularly it works a treat hth.

welshmum · 23/09/2004 14:16

My dd (2 and a bit) had it too until recently. I think it was because we weren't washing her hair enough - she used to create big time when we did. Anyway our lovely childminder just said get on with it or it'll fall out in clumps. Thought of a bald dd being pointed at was enough to make us get to grips with it. Now with plenty of hair washing (once a week) and a new bristle brush she's got a healthy scalp again.
I was getting worried because all the books I read said that they couldn't have cradle cap after 1 and that it was probably ring worm....

foxinsocks · 23/09/2004 14:20

My dd (4) has it quite badly as does ds (nearly 3) to a certain extent. I have problems brushing dd's hair as it's so thick and curly. I thought you weren't supposed to pick it off? Nothing has worked so far so I'm just waiting for it to go. Only good thing is that when the whole class got nits, my dd didn't get them once so I think nits don't like cradle crap heads!

poppyseed · 23/09/2004 14:37

lol foxinsocks - cradle crap!!
DD has deliciously curly hair that is a devil to brush too. I feel sorry for the nits because if they ever find their way in they'll never get out!! Thank god for the tea tree preventative spray thingy we've got - keep your fingers crossed!!

foxinsocks · 23/09/2004 14:43

oh dear what dreadful spelling! - just shows what I think of it I suppose - must have been on my mind how difficult it is to get rid of!

poppyseed, where did you get that spray from? I have the shampoo and conditioner (the kids hate it - they say it makes their head burn! so I try not to use it too much). I looked for a spray in boots and sainsburys but couldn't see one.

roisin · 23/09/2004 14:48

My ds2 (5.5) has a small patch of cradle cap and basically always has; we've tried various treatments in the past, but it doesn't seem to go away permanently.

It hasn't actually worried me at all, and I haven't done a lot about it. It's only a small patch and hasn't ever spread. Should I be more concerned about it?

sponge · 23/09/2004 14:53

Yes my dd at 4 still gets it although we have it pretty much under control now.
Do not leave it as it will get worse and stop the hair growing properly and where she has bad patches it may bring the hair out with it. It does grow back though so don't panic.
Put olive oil on it and leave for about an hour, then wash and comb it out with a fine comb. It probably won't all come off at the first attempt but it will gradually. Be quite firm with the comb but try and resist the urge to pick it.
In between washes try to brush the hair every day, brushing the scalp quite firmly once you've got the knots out of the hair.
We were advised to wash dd's hair weekly, but no more often as cleaner hair is more susceptible to nits.
This has worked for us and from quite a bad case 6 months ago dd now has a clear scalp.

foxinsocks · 23/09/2004 14:53

roisin, we see a paed because dd is on waiting list for epigastric hernia op. I happened to mention it in passing when we were talking about her skin (she has mild eczema) and he was not worried about it at all!! He said some kids have sensitive scalps and have cradle cap for ages. The nurse mentioned it was better not to pick it off until it was falling off because the scalp can bleed and get infected (dd's appears to be stuck on to her scalp!). Apparently, those medicated shampoos can help (the ones you get in Boots, can't remember the names) but you have to watch that they don't provoke the eczema.

Lonelymum · 23/09/2004 14:55

Yes! DS1 had it from birth until he was well into school years. Ds3 has it badly now (19 mos) but didn't have it as a baby so I suppose it is something that can develop later on. TBH I did nothing about ds1's cradle cap after the intial go with baby oil didn't help, and it went away of its own accord eventually.

poppyseed · 23/09/2004 14:56

Foxinsocks, I'm afraid I got it from the village chemist and don't know whether you can get it in boots or similar places. If you'd like I could get you some and post it?

foxinsocks · 23/09/2004 15:00

that's so kind poppyseed. We have some independent chemists here so I'll go and ask them and if I have no joy, I'll let you know. Thanks.

Original poster

Lowryn · 23/09/2004 15:14

Thanks everyone. I noticed that whenever DS grabbed DD's hair he was left with a clump of it in his stick little mitts. I was really concerned because it didn't look like he was actually yanking it at all. I guess it was down to the cradle cap then
I will try some of your suggestions, especially the oil ones, as I have plenty of that!

OP posts:

LIZS · 23/09/2004 16:11

Both dd (3) and to a lesser extent ds (6!) have cradle cap. I do still use Dentinox shampoo on them and there is noticeable difference when we have used it as opposed to other shampoos, but because dd in particular did suffer with her scalp as a baby I was advised to wash it as infrequently as possible.

Bagpuss30 · 23/09/2004 16:36

Just noticed Green Baby have cradle cap oil in their catalogue.

I'm getting paranoid about dd's thin patch now. I hope I did the right thing...

Twiglett · 23/09/2004 16:58

message withdrawn

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