How Do I Get Rid of Cradle Cap?

Updated on July 06, 2008
R.F. asks from Centerville, UT
45 answers

I am looking for some advice on how to get rid of cradle cap. I'd love to hear some advice from all you Dr. moms out there. I've got a 3 month old with a seriously flaky scalp! HELP!!!!

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J.J.

answers from Denver on

You should get Mustella foam shampoo for infants. It works great for cradle cap.I used olive oil and a comb for my first baby, it's not fun.When I noticed my second baby was having the same problem with cradle cap I bought the Mustella shampoo,It not only cleared up her scalp, It kept it clear.One bottle lasted her first year.

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K.M.

answers from Grand Junction on

My son had that, I was told to keep baby oil on and it eventually cleared up. The doctor we started going to told me I did a good job and it worked just fine.

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D.R.

answers from Pocatello on

My son had it bad too and someone told me to use dandruff shampoo. I was a little nervous, but was careful not to get it into his eyes and it worked wonders.

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J.R.

answers from Denver on

My mother-in-law put Olive Oil on my son's head when he had really bad cradle cap. I was horrified, but guess what! It worked like a charm and we never had a problem with it again!

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A.H.

answers from Denver on

You can try a little Head and Shoulders but make sure that it dosent get in the babys eyes. My oldest daughter had the same thing. Our doc told me to try this... worked pretty good. Most of it will clear up on its own in time. Also only use soap when it is absoultly necessary it will dry out their skin and how dirty is it really???!!!???

Good luck
A.

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T.T.

answers from Denver on

Put some olive oil on, let it soak in for about 5 minutes, then gently comb out as much as the flakes as you can. Then shampoo it out with a gentle shampoo, then put some tea tree lotion or conditioner on the scalp. It might take a few treatments, but you'll notice it gets better and better.

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A.T.

answers from Colorado Springs on

The first thing I want to suggest is that you let your pediatrician know depending on how bad the cradle cap is it could be an indication of allergies usually something in breast milk (in my case dairy) or formula. The other thing that helped is adding flax oil (by dropper in baby's mouth). After a few days you could really see the difference. Also what everyone else said a little oil (I used apricot) to babies head to soak then gently brush and shampoo out.

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K.R.

answers from Denver on

Get some apricot scrub, like face wash you would buy for you and then some Cetaphil or Cerave lotion, ask the pharmacist if you cannot find it. It is a sensitivity lotion. Wash his/her head with the scrub to get it off (when wet for awhile) and then put the lotion on, works great! good luck

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D.K.

answers from Denver on

I found this awesome stuff at Target, comes in the baby section in a teal colored bottle, don't remember the name of it, cleared my daughters right up. She had it awfully bad, at first the pediatrician said I could use diluted head and shoulders but that made me too nervous, this stuff was wonderful. Then I put a small amount of baby gel (not baby oil but the gel) and would keep it on her head during the day.

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B.G.

answers from Billings on

R.-
Put him in his little bath tub and put a little bit of baby oil in with the water. Wet his head and take his little brush (the one with the really soft bristles) and run it backwards from his hair line to the back of his head, gently. His head will turn a little red, but it doesn't hurt him at all, he will probably enjoy it!

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L.R.

answers from Pocatello on

R.-my 5 month old had a BAD case of cradle cap. Finally, I was told to put olive oil on his scalp, let it sit for approximatley 15-20 mins, shampoo the scalp, then with a baby brush-use the edge/side of the brush and work backwards. I was SHOCKED to see the flakes come out. I was covered in it and he was too. Haven't had a problem since!!!! Good luck!

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J.W.

answers from Pueblo on

We put baby oil on our kids' scalps all day and then brushed at it before bath time. The chunks will come out, but don't be surprised if hair falls out too. On the same day, when you wash the hair, put shampoo on before you put water on. It may take a few tries - tender heads, but it works!

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K.M.

answers from Denver on

Rub Vaseline petroleum jelly into their hair. Massage the scalp until the scales start to loosen - 5 min or so. Wash hair. Yes, their hair is greasy for a couple of days, even when you wash it, but the scales just keep coming off. I only had to do this treatment twice and my son's cradle cap was gone!

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K.B.

answers from Provo on

let baby oil soak on baby's head and then scrub with an extra soft toothbrush. May take several times.

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M.B.

answers from Salt Lake City on

My baby has had cradle cap and my Dr. said I could use a small amount of head and shoulders a couple times a week. I use a toothbrush to scrub it in. After the bath, I rub baby oil on his head and leave it overnight. The next time I wash, cradle cap is pretty much gone! Hope that helps.

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A.V.

answers from Great Falls on

California Baby shampoo and conditioner--the conditioner is a vital part of the combo!
Sometimes at Target, but always online at www.babycenter.com/store or target.com
Good luck!

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J.L.

answers from Pocatello on

Baby shampoo is really bad on a baby's scalp. My friend, who is a hairdresser, recommended a baby shampoo by Paul Mitchell. It is less irritating to your baby's scalp than the regular baby shampoos.

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M.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Baby Oil and a soft bristle brush. Circular motions to rub baby oil in. It will go away soon.

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L.O.

answers from Pueblo on

What ever you do...DO NOT use baby oil or any petroleum based products. The one woman that said to use Arbonne is absolutely right about it being a liquid saran wrap on your babies skin and yours too. Educate yourself on mineral oil. I would never put that on me or any baby. I have a daughter that has very sensitive skin age 9 and didn't know what I know now and use the great smelling baby products on her and have had so many issues until I started using Arbonne. My son age 3 has NEVER had mineral oil of any king on him and has very healthy skin. What I would recommend is either the Arbonne products that she mentioned or another natural oil that will penetrate the skin and not be harmful. I know that if you use baby oil it probably will make it worse or cause other reactions. The people that are recommending baby oil just don't know about how it can cause other problems. Good luck.

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J.G.

answers from Casper on

Our pediatrician recommended using Selsun blue shampoo once a week and scrubbing softly with fingernails. It worked for my babies! Good luck. :)

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D.G.

answers from Colorado Springs on

drandruff shampoo worked best for my daughter. you can use a soft brush to gently scrub the scalp and clear off the gunk as you wash the hair. good luck

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L.G.

answers from Denver on

HI R.,
I'm L. Golub, a Clinical Herbalist, and rubbing your babies scalp with sesame, oilive or other vegetable oil will moisten the scalp and soften the delicate skin. Shampoo it off a few hours later. A diluted witch hazel leaf tea will act as a gentle astringent. Call if you have any questions on other techniques. Enjoy! L. ###-###-####

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K.J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

scrub with baby shampoo with the little brush you get at the hospital, and lotion or baby oil after you brush hair

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J.O.

answers from Denver on

The best thing I found for my oldest daughter was a little olive oil and a really soft baby brush, soft tooth brush or wash cloth. I just put 3 or 4 drops on her scalp (since its such a small amount you don't have to worry about it getting it in baby's eyes), rubbed it in let it sit for a minute and then scrubbed it off with the tooth brush. I did it while she was in the baby bathtub and then just shampooed her hair as usual.

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A.R.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I got rid of Amelia's by putting olive oil on her head a couple of hours before her bath. Then when I would wash her hair I would use her brush to massage her scalp. It took a couple of weeks, but we got rid of it and it hasn't been back.

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S.C.

answers from Provo on

I used the baby oil gel. It stayed put better than just the oil. Then use a baby comb and comb it out. Thats what worked for me!! Good luck!!

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M.P.

answers from Denver on

I used J&J Baby Shampoo. Scrub hard with a wash cloth - it will make the scalp red and make sure you rinse real good. If that doesn't work, I also had to use diluted Head & Shoulders (or something like it). Scrub and rinse well. When all else fails, call your Dr.

Good Luck!

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L.N.

answers from Denver on

My son had a full head of hair at birth and didn't lose it at all. He had horrible craddle cap and it was horrible trying to get something to work because of all of his hair. The dr. recommended Selsun Blue, which didn't work. Grandma came to visit and used a small amount of baby oil in the bath and it was gone the next day and never returned. Sometimes your 'elders' know best. Good luck.

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S.D.

answers from Denver on

Hi there!
Both my kids started life with this little nuisance. With my daughter, who was born in 2001, I never really found a very good solution. Everyone said baby oil, (which is essentially mineral oil,) but I found it made it worse, or added baby acne to it. With my son, who was born in 2005, I was doing Arbonne, and I used the baby oil and skin conditioning oil, (neither of which have ANY mineral oil,) and then just rubbe it in after a bath, waited for a couple hours, and then used a very soft bristle brush to round scrub it out of there. It was gone in a couple applications, and I continued to use this until he outgrew it completely at about 8 months. I also used their products on his eczema and had great results. Mineral oil acts like a 'saran wrap' on the skin, and keeps fresh air out, and contaminants in, so whatever you choose to use, be sure it doesn't have mineral oil in it. Check on-line for other names for mineral oil, since it is hidden in EVERYTHING out there. I don't actively do Arbonne anymore, but would be happy to lend you my products to see if they work, and can then hook you up with someone if you like them. Hope this helps!
S. Daly ____@____.com

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C.L.

answers from Salt Lake City on

With my daughter I wash her hair with baby wash and use a baby scrub/sponge from the hospital (we asked them for one and they gave it to us for free), then after the bath I put Aquaphor on the area with cradle cap. Works great! The Aquaphor is greasy for a few hours then soaks in.

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J.B.

answers from Billings on

I used baby oil on my daughter's cradle cap. I just massaged it in to her scalp before her bath, and then let it sit while I got her bath ready and shampooed it out during her bath. I did this twice and it took care of hers. She was a little oil head for a couple of days, but no more cradle cap! My dr. also suggested that we be careful of not using to much shampoo or soap and making sure to get it rinsed clean. Hope that helps. Good Luck!!

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A.H.

answers from Denver on

My son had cradle cap too and what worked for us was to put baby oil (mineral oil) on his head for about 5-10 minutes before his bath each night. The oil loosens the flakey skin. Then, we'd use the little srubby brush we got from the hospital to massage his scalp a little and then use baby soap to wash off the oil. After only doing this two or three timess it was a lot better. We continued doing this every bath for a month or so until it was all gone. Good luck!

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J.A.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Hi R.,
I put some coconut oil on my son's head and let it soak in for a day. The next day, I put a little more oil on his head and gently lifted the scales off with a comb while he was sitting in his high chair. The scales came right off because they were softened by the oil. Coconut oil is a natural anti-fungal and very nourishing to the skin. Some good brands are Tropical Traditions and Garden of Life.

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M.O.

answers from Provo on

My doctor recommended T-Sal shampoo (it's the clear one) and it worked wonders for us.

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E.B.

answers from Denver on

I know a lot of doctors and parents alike recommend all sorts of oils, heated or not, etc ... My daughter had cradle cap and I used Eucerin cream on it and I swear it was gone in a couple of days! I also used the brush to wash her hair during bath time and help exfoliate the dry skin flakes away. Then I applied the cream immediately following the bath.

My pediatrician and I just had a conversation about skin conditions in infants and he said a lot of the remedies we read about online and in books does not factor in living in a dry climate, heat or pollution — Denver has all three. On more than one occasion my doctor has recommended the Eucerin cream for my daughter (who has extremely sensitive skin) and it is almost becoming a cure-all for skin conditions around here! It works great. My doctor also recommended Aquaphor Gentle Baby Wash for bath time. He said although most baby products smell yummy, (and say they are natural, etc.) most of the dyes or perfumes are alcohol based, further drying out baby's sensitive skin.

P.S. - Locally, the Aquaphor baby wash is only available at Babies R Us or Albertsons stores (or, of course, online).

Best of Luck!

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S.S.

answers from Denver on

I am not 100% sure but I have had friends tell me to put a little baby oil on their scalp and try not to wash it but every few days. Good Luck my daughter didn't have it so I haven't tried!

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R.M.

answers from Denver on

i used a stiff comb and at every bath i wouuld soap up the head and them comb the baby's hair in every direction making sure the comb was in contact with the scalp. use a little pressure. i alco would put baby oil in their hair to keep it moist and i think that helped with 1. the smell and 2. scrapping it off with the comb.

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C.C.

answers from Denver on

Hi R. - doesn't it just look awful??? My lil guy had it pretty bad and I tried the olive and mineral oil method but it kept coming back. Also, the oils were very difficult to wash out of his hair. Finally I used a product for cradle cap by Johnson and Johnson available in the baby isle (purple bottle?)

I followed the instructiona and applied a generous amount during his bath and combed through his hair with a very fine tooth come. All that gross stuff came right up and it was easy to wash out.

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

We've had great success with Gentle Naturals products. They make a cradle cap product that might be worth trying. GL and congratulations on that little one!

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P.L.

answers from Denver on

Try a little baby oil =-) It works!

P.

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B.E.

answers from Cheyenne on

I used Mineral oil rub it in real good and take a baby brush or fine tooth comb and work slowly through the hair. you can buy it by the bottle at the drug sore part of the store

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A.H.

answers from Salt Lake City on

head and shoulders shampoo! the baby oil thing never really got rid of it all the way.

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D.F.

answers from Phoenix on

My quick two cents:
head and sholders DID NOT work AT ALL for us. I tried coconut oil, didn't really work. What finally did work was mixing olive oil and lavedar essenial oil. Put it on with a cotton ball before bed. Put on a hat. In morning, brush softened scales of with a comb. I did this twice.
If they don't seem to want to come off, try waiting a while. Remember, they are harmful to baby at all. It just bothers us moms to see =)

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J.J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

My daughter (now 16 months) had HORRIBLE cradle cap. She still has a tiny bit, but it's so much better. You can put baby oil on to loosen the flakes. But you need to wash it out after. Leaving baby oil on the scalp will make the cradle cap worse. Here are the steps my pediatrician gave me, and they worked:

1. Put on something to loosen scales (baby oil, or there is a cradle cap treatment you can find in the baby shampoo section)

2. Comb through your baby's hair gently with a fine comb. Admittedly, I couldn't get them loose with a comb, so I lifted them up with my fingernails - but be careful doing this. You don't want to dig your baby's scalp.

3. Wash your baby's hair, and try to lightly scrub away the flakes with that great little soft scrubber they give you at the hospital (you know, the one with the little brown sponge on the back).

Lifting the flakes is what really turned things around for us. Once I got rid of the yucky goopy crust, it never came back.

Good luck, it's no fun.

J.

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L.C.

answers from Denver on

I rubbed baby oil on the head and then lightly combed through the hair with a very fine comb (I used a baby comb that I received at the hospital when my baby was born). Just don't tug the hair as you don't want to pull the hair out. Be very patient. Both my girls found it soothing and both would fall asleep in my arms as I was combing their hair. Good luck.

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