How do I get rid of cradle cap?

[MBBN]

My son has really chunky cradle cap (he's 14 weeks old now) and I've tried using olive oil, almond oil, sorbolene in his hair overnight (all on different nights!) and then brushing it out but it's not working. It doesn't flake and will only come out if i pick the edges (which I know i shouldn't but it's so crusty and yellow I can't help it!). Are there any other things you could recommend?

[LittleBug'sMum]

Make a paste out of bicarb soda and water, put it on the cradle cap, leave to dry (about 20 mins) and then wash off. This was my mum's remedy, worked a treat on my DS :D.

[JustUs3]

Did you warm the olive oil before putting it on? My DD had cradle cap too so we warmed up the olive oil then put it on which seemed to do the trick. My Dr said there's something you can get from the chemist to get rid of it but I'm not sure what it is...sorry.

Good luck!!

[cassvanm]

We did the oil on the head of Baylee when she had it really bad, but popped a wollen beanie on her noggin whilst she slept overnight. Not sure why, but it seemed to give it a bit more oomph. :p

[NonnyMouse]

Cradle cap is purely a cosmetic/aesthetic issue so I'd be leaving it to disappear on it's own. As the hair grows it should help it flake off and go away.

[MrsTiggyWinkle]

Olive oil worked for us too, I rubbed it on before the bath, worked it in gently with a soft baby brush, then in the bath put on a little soap (I use QV wash) and scrubbed it gently again with the baby brush. It seemed to just melt away, tho it took maybe three baths before it was all gone.

If you rub too hard with the brush you can overstimulate the oil glands so its important to be gentle. And to state the obvious you have to be really careful moving bub into the bath cos oily hands and an oily baby is a recipe for disaster! :rolleyes:

I agree with Annonymouse, its just an aesthetic issue, but it can get really bad, DD2 had it on her ears, neck, eyebrows, REALLY unsightly. It really had to be kept under control.

[Amara]

My MCHN said the best way to get rid of it was to put olive oil on it & scrape it off with a credit card. I never tried it but wish I did as I battled with it for weeks only for most of his hair to fall out because of it anyway.

Don't worry if the hair does fall out, it did look funny for a while but my son now has the best head of hair & has more hair then his cousin who is 4 months older than him & she never lost her hair or had cradle cap.

[Opinionated]

Make a paste out of bicarb soda and water, put it on the cradle cap, leave to dry (about 20 mins) and then wash off. This was my mum's remedy, worked a treat on my DS :D.

This is what worked really well for us. Took two applications and it was all gone. I found it less messy than oils too.

[Blonde Assassin]

Cradle cap is purely a cosmetic/aesthetic issue so I'd be leaving it to disappear on it's own. As the hair grows it should help it flake off and go away.

If it gets bad enough it can lead to the skin cracking (especially behind the ears) & that will cause it to be painful, my 11.5 week old is suffering with this now..

Plus he has a heap of hair so brushing & combing it out is VERY difficult..

I'm going to try bicarb soda though cos the olive oil isn't really helping :idea:

[OneCheekyMonkey]

I coated his head with paw paw, then used a fine baby comb and combed it all out.

It was difficult because he had a decent amount of hair as a bubba and he had a few *hat* days after so the greasy paw paw and white bits of the cradle cap had time to disappear.

[sooz103]

Cradle cap is thought to be due to a deficiency in essential fatty acids in the mother's pre and post natal diet, ie not getting enough omega 3 from fish etc.. Try giving baby a good quality children's fish oil (Nordic naturals is fantastic) and cradle cap tends to clear within the month.

[KrIsTy1234]

Hi I my mother in law gave me a tube of invisible glove it was actually for me for the sore cracked nipples but I tried all the oils and none worked for me I actually bathed bubby then rubbed in gentley some of the cream a nice amount not a big heap though and leave it on maybe apply some more the next morning and when u bath ur bubby do the brush thing, give it a couple of days u should c a difference it cleared my bubs cradle cap really quick and a friend of ours had really bad psoriasis and it cleared that.

[Me]

Dd1 I left it thinking it'd disappear on it own, at 3 1/2 years I was over it and got rid of it with dandruff shampoo. When I noticed it with dd2, I came online and saw a thread with suggestions. I found that washing her head with qv cream works wonders. I just do that every couple of weeks and it disappears straight away for us:)

[Pina Colada]

DS had it quiet bad, and the only think that got rid of it was to shampoo his hair/head with AlphaKeri Oil every night, and then rub a little on after the bath as well :thumbsup:

[biscotti]

Someone on here a couple of yrs back recommended dandruff shampoo and this worked brilliantly for us too but my daughter was a few months older.