Dry Scalp - Blue Springs, MO

Updated on February 05, 2007
K.C. asks from Blue Springs, MO
22 answers

My son doesn't have what I would consider cradle cap, its more just dry flaky scalp. It pretty much is white and flaky like dandruff. My husband has a pretty dry scalp also, so maybe it was inherited? I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas of what I could use to help clear it up. Somedays it seems like it bothers him a little bit and if it gets to dry will actually bleed a little bit. I've tried that cradle cap shampoo quite a while back and it just makes his hair look nasty, like I haven't washed it in weeks.
A friend suggested using Netrogena T-Gel, but with the medication in it I'm a little hesitant. Any ideas

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L.E.

answers from Springfield on

My son had that and we used baby oil, but there is a scalp therapy out that you can get from beauticians that we used too and it helps termendously.
Good luck.
L.

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J.G.

answers from Topeka on

I've heard to use baby oil, let it sit for like 5 mins then take a comb to it. It's gonna look greasy but that keeps it from being really dry. I got annoyed with that and looking at it so I just started picking at the flakes with my fingers or a fine comb, especially while he was asleep. Once I got them all off they never came back.
I also heard the dandruff shampoo, but I also wouldn't use it because if it does get in the babies eyes or irritates him, he may not be so willing to take a bath.
Hope this helps.
J. G

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J.M.

answers from St. Louis on

You can try putting baby oil on his head and let it stay on for about 5-10 minutes before you wash his hair. This gives it time to soak into the skin, and help with the dryness. You may have to wash his hair twice to get the oil out. I used the Johnson's Baby Oil Gel (it stayed on easier without having to worry about it running in his eyes.
Good luck,
J.

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L.T.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My doctor had us use Head & Shoulders for sensitive skin for my baby's cradle cap. It worked great!

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D.W.

answers from Kansas City on

My son also had "cradle cap" which I refused to call it because I thought that only newborn babies got it. However, my sister who is a cosmetologist said that any child can get cradle cap no matter what the age. She advised: really scrub his hair when you wash it to try and slough any dead skin off and then right after the bath while the hair is still damp massage baby oil into the scalp where it is dry and scaly. My sons scalp cleared up within a week and he really hasn't gotten it since. I hope this helps and good luck!!!

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J.L.

answers from St. Louis on

I don't know how often you shampoo your son's head, but I was told this information by a hairstylist friend of mine. Babies' heads are more sensitive to soaps, even baby formulated types, so the soap irritates the scalp. When the scalp is irritated it produces more sebum, or oil, causing flakiness. Sometimes shampooing less often will help with the irritation causing less oil and then the other suggestions of using olive oil to gently scrape the extra skin off are useful. I wouldn't suggest using anything with chemicals in it that are formulated on adults. They may be too harsh for your baby's scalp.

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C.M.

answers from Kansas City on

My 1 yr old little girl has some dry scalp also. The physician's assistant at our pediatrician's office suggested Head and Shoulders. I also use a mushroom/corn brush to try to scrub it during bathtime.

You might beware of using tea tree oil with little boys, a new study has linked it to breast enlargement in some boys. I believe the youngest in the study was 4 years old.

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J.W.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My daughter has had cradel cap a few times. Right before she goes to bed I put a lot of baby oil on her hair (really massage it into the scalp) and put a hat on her head so the oil doesn't get every where. In the morning when she wakes up I give her a bath. I do this for a few days in a row and it always helps. Let me know if this helps.

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C.W.

answers from Tulsa on

K.,
I completely understand not wanting to use products that might be harsh or unsafe for your sweet little man. My babies use Arbonne Baby Care products, they have very sensitive skin, but the Arbonne products are both safe and effective for all their skin irritations and dryness- we use and love all of their products, they are formulated with Pure,Safe,and Beneficial ingredients, meaning they work and they are good for you at the same time. Since they don't have any dyes or chemical fragrances they are not irritating. His dry scalp may be from allergy to dyes and chemicals used in mainstream products, I would recommend the Hair and body wash, followed by spot treatment with baby oil- only at night- their products are natural oils that are absorbed and used to heal below the skin, rather than occlude the skin and keep the skin from breathing- they also have a shampoo that is anti-flake for adults, but is safe for children/babies as well- I'd be happy to send you a sample pack of the baby care line for you to try for free, if you're interested, I could also share with you how you can order your products at wholesale 35%-80%off, feel free to email me at ____@____.com or check out the website www.arbonne.com!

God Bless,
C.

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J.C.

answers from Oklahoma City on

try pert plus for kids my neighbor uses it on her kids and it works wonders. she has twin 20 month olds. I also use it on my three kids. I have a 19 month old a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 1/2 year old and it works great and it doenst have the med. like the t-gel. have a great day.... J.

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A.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My daughter has extremley dry skin and had dry scalp for almost two years before we finally got it all cleared up. My Dr. recommended Aveno excema lotion its scent free and a good lotion. It will help with the dry skin of the scalp and the itchyness if it is bothering him. Hope this helps i never found a wash that helped clear it up so good luck with that!

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G.N.

answers from St. Louis on

Rub a little baby oil on his head and massage it in using your fingertips or a soft baby brush.

Hope that helps

Good Luck

G.

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A.L.

answers from St. Louis on

I used to buy on a monthy bases from at company called Melaluca. it is great stuff. you can do it as a business or just for your self. Before you say I am not ding that look in to it. You can go to the web site www.melalueca .com I used it on a little boy I used to babysit that a very bad skin problem and it really helped him. it was like that all over his body!! Good luck.

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H.G.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My children have this similar problem. They are mixed so this is a constant battle for me. Finding the right product for them. I use 'pink lotion' from the ethnic section of almost any store. This really does work wonders for their scalp and hair. You could also try using VO5 hot oil treatment, obviously only a teaspoon would be needed (maybe not even that) I've also done this for my sons dry scalp, and seen results immediately. Let me know what works incase I need something new.....

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M.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I was always told to use Head and Shoulders. It always worked. Good luck.

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E.Y.

answers from Topeka on

For a 1-yr odl I would definitely stay away from the T-gel. I don't remember what ingredient specifically, but there's somehting in it that is potenitally harmful to adults so I definitely wouldn't use it on a baby. Have you tried baby oil on his head? It'll make him look like a greaser from the 50's, but if it helps his scalp...? I would also try a lotion or salve that's good for eczema, maybe look at your local health food store. If it's so bad that it bleeds, maybe you should consult the baby's pediatrician. I hope some of this helps.

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M.M.

answers from Enid on

If you are worried about anything with a 'medication' in it, let me suggest anything by Aubrey Organics. The create all natural shampoos, conditions, lotions, etc. The link is: http://www.aubrey-organics.com/incoming.cfm?aff_code=1766.

They have a whole line of baby & children's products.

The only other thing I might suggest is going to you local health store and purchasing a shampoo that has Tea Tree Oil in it. Make sure there are no Sodium Laurel(or laureth) Sulfates in your shampoo though...it, among certain other additives, is a harsh carcinogen that can build up in our bodies over time increasing the risk of cancer.

Hope you find something that works!

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

ask about teatree shampoo...i dont' know much about it but it is supposed to be all natural and help with issues like this..

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C.S.

answers from Tulsa on

My daughter had the same problem, I used selson blue, worked great. Hope this helps :)

Also, wanted to comment that if it's not the yellow cakey stuff, maybe it's not the same cradle cap other children get, where you put oily stuff in their hair to get rid of it. Just a thought. My son had that, and basically, I had to gently scratch it off with a fine mans comb, then wash his hair normal. It would reoccur slightly less and less. What he has was stuff that would stick to his hair if i tried to flake it off, it was cakey- is the best i can think to describe it, not light flakey skin. My daughter has more of the flakey dry skin and that shampoo above helped it. Eventually it went away. Both my kids have dark thick hair, not sure if that matters.

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T.A.

answers from Kansas City on

I was told to use dandruff shampoo but then I did some reading and saw some mom where taking a little olive oil and rubbing it on the baby scalp. Let it be for like 10 min, then take a soft brush and brush the scalp back and forth. It has worked for me with getting the flaky dryness off my daughters scalp.

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N.H.

answers from St. Louis on

my one year old has the same thing. What i do is rub some vegetable oil on his scalp, leave it sit for 15 minutes then give him a bath leave the shampoo in his hair for about 5 minutes to soak up the oil, rinse and repeat takes a little time but works great hope this helps!

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D.C.

answers from Kansas City on

What about just using lotion on his head. Especially at night putting it on really thick.

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