Extreme Cradle Cap?

[ringstrue]

So I'm washing DSs head everyday to keep the cradle cap under control. Still its always always oozy and gunking up his hair. Once its cleaned and dried the bad areas are pinkish and usually start oozing again in a couple hours. 

Is there anything I can put on it to calm his skin down? Any other advice? All I'm doing now is washing it with Head and Shoulders once a day. 

[bearbaby]

DS had cradle cap (still has a little) but it was not this extreme - there was no "oozing" as you describe. I would soak his head in Coconut oil, let sit for 10-20 mins and then comb out as much as I could. New areas under flakes might be a litttttle pink-ish, but would clear quickly.

I'm wondering if it's possible that washing everyday is making it worse? Could the H&S be too harsh? I would probably call your nurses line for their suggestions.

ETA: clarity

[anaps28]

Try olive oil and let it soak in for awhile like PP mentioned. Wash it out and then use a toothbrush to help get the dead skin off. Dry it up and use 1% hydrocortisone cream. It may take a few times but this should help.

[Deleted]

I quit washing hair with shampoo at all. I used oil to soak off the cradle cap and put away the shampoo other than to wash food out (and the oil from actual treatment).

[cowboyjoe]

Our pedi recommended drenching her head in baby oil and brushing the flakes out lightly with a fine tooth comb or baby hair brush. It worked, although she is getting flaky again 4 weeks later.

[mae141]

DD never had any oozing, but I always just picked it off with my fingernail. I would oil it to soften it, and then pick it off because brushing or combing never did anything. We also used this shampoo every couple of days and I think it helped: www.amazon.com/Mustela-Foam-Shampoo-Newborns-5-07/dp/B00021AYF8

[moopoint17]

Dec 22, 2014 17:06:08 GMT -5 panicfoot said:

I feel like I am always ringing the "FOOD ALLERGY!" bell, but I just wanted to mention it just in case he has other symptoms and you think it may help.

Lots of kids with a milk sensitivity/allergy have skin manifestations, including cradle cap. My son had cradle cap, though not that bad, and it went away completely when I gave up milk (he was EBF).

Ditto this. DS2 had other symptoms that indicated MSPI, but I remember the insane cradle cap being the first one to pop up. We tried everything - baby oil, selson blue, olive oil, etc and nothing helped. Then at about 3 months, the rashes started.

Hopefully it's not a food allergy/intolerance and it goes away soon.

[motzie]

Dec 22, 2014 17:02:33 GMT -5 cowboyjoe said:

Our pedi recommended drenching her head in baby oil and brushing the flakes out lightly with a fine tooth comb or baby hair brush..

This worked for me, then I maintained with Head and Shoulders and it didn't come back.

[indifferentstars]

Dec 22, 2014 17:26:49 GMT -5 moopoint17 said:

Dec 22, 2014 17:06:08 GMT -5 panicfoot said:

I feel like I am always ringing the "FOOD ALLERGY!" bell, but I just wanted to mention it just in case he has other symptoms and you think it may help.

Lots of kids with a milk sensitivity/allergy have skin manifestations, including cradle cap. My son had cradle cap, though not that bad, and it went away completely when I gave up milk (he was EBF).

Ditto this. DS2 had other symptoms that indicated MSPI, but I remember the insane cradle cap being the first one to pop up. We tried everything - baby oil, selson blue, olive oil, etc and nothing helped. Then at about 3 months, the rashes started.

Hopefully it's not a food allergy/intolerance and it goes away soon.

I will third this food allergy/intolerance notion. My son had horrific cradle cap that included the oozing you mentioned starting very soon after we'd clear it off in the bath. He was constantly covered in really thick orange crust, unlike any other run of the mill cradle cap I'd ever seen before. Turns out he's allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. 

We also had more luck doing no shampoo than harsh shampoo (tried Selsun Blue and he reacted really poorly to it but his usual shampoo was California Baby). We stopped using any oil (so we could avoid the absolute need to shampoo) and I would just use a washcloth or his little scrubby brush thing to rub off the flakes in the bath and rinse with water. 

[humpforfree]

I tried coconut oil and it helped some, but I tried the head & shoulders after resisting the pedi for a couple of months. Cleared up within a week or so.

[zarapipe]

Dd2 has it bad. We've been using mustella and it helps a bit but it looks so bad still. Aahhh

[katiescarlett]

DS1 had the same. He has a ton of food allergies. It went away when I weaned him and he was not consuming all the things he was allergic to. His skin eczema also cleared up a ton.

[longtimenopost]

We used grape seed oil and one of those lice combs when she still had it at 21 months. Never came back!