Black dots on LO scalp

[Mamacita191]

Afternoon all

My LO is 19 months old and he has black dots stuck to his scalp at the crown of his head. Can’t see any lice. They come off if you scrape hard and they seem like dirt/scabby debris. Does anyone know what this could be? First time mum here so have no idea.

Sorry if this isn’t the right place to post. And thank you in advance. X

They do look like lice but it's hard to tell from a photo. Have you been at the beach recently? Could it be sand?

If it's just in the one place I would assume he scraped his head on something a while back - one of mine used to basically head the rough casting on the side of the house

It's a type of cradle cap that's gone a bit fungal.

I just assumed it was moles on my daughters scalp until I realised I could scratch them off. She started losing hair in that area and we had to get an antigen gal cream from the doctors to sort it out.

That's an antifungal not an antigen gel

Thank you for your responses.

@ApolloandDaphne they’re not moving or anything. And they’re definitely not bugs so I don’t think it’s lice. He hasn’t been to the beach either.

@pastabest he did have cradle cap as a newborn but mainly on his forehead. Does it not go away on its own then?

It actually did sort itself out on the bits where her hair fell out.

The other bits we got cream for before she got more hair loss.

I'd rather choose a trip to the gp and a few applications of anti fungal cream than bald bits tbh.

My daughter gets this from playimg outside my guess is just dirt as it brushes out

It could be dirt. Black dots when children gave lice is the lice poo. Not the lice, but you would be crawling with them if it had got to that stage. Lice are kind of light brown translucent.

@pastabest

It actually did sort itself out on the bits where her hair fell out.

The other bits we got cream for before she got more hair loss.

I'd rather choose a trip to the gp and a few applications of anti fungal cream than bald bits tbh.

You don’t happen to remember what the anti fungal cream was do you? Because we actually already have one for LO as he has a toenail fungal infection 🤦🏽‍♀️

It’s so difficult to get an appointment at my GP surgery. And already spoken to a pharmacist who wasn’t concerned at all.

He did have cradle cap as a baby though so I am thinking could it be linked.

@KenAddams I wish it was just that but it’s stuck to his head :/

I think it might have been terbinafine but we are a pretty fungally family (DPs genetics not mine) so can't be 100% sure that wasn't for something/someone else.

@pastabest

I think it might have been terbinafine but we are a pretty fungally family (DPs genetics not mine) so can't be 100% sure that wasn't for something/someone else.

Did it come off when you scrubbed it/washed it?

Just washed LO’a hair in the bath and gave his hair a good scrub and it all came off! Not sure if it was just dirt, or if it’ll grow back if it is something more now

Yeah, you could scrape the black spots off.

The black spots are dead /broken hair follicles though not the actual problem itself. They are just a sign there's a problem not the actual fungus!

Bit like black mould on a damp wall... you can bleach the mould off but it doesn't actually stop the wall from being damp.

Hello @Mamacita191 Did you ever get to the bottom of what this was, as my daughter has exactly the same! Thanks

Does he have cradle cap?

DD had something that looked like this. Nurse looked at it and referred us to GP. GP looked at it and referred us to the hospital. The consultant got out her magnifying glass to examine it, and scraped it....it was dirt trapped under the cradle cap.

I have the same with my 7 year old people say it’s headlice but he isn’t covered