Cradle cap - help

hello18

New Member
hi mummies, I need some help here. my baby had cradle cap and ignorant me put a lot olive oil on her scalp a few nights but didn't comb off the thick flakes and didn't really wash off well. The olive oil accumulated and I Guess it worsened the cradle cap cos it got so thick and unsightly.

I have seen a pd and am currently applying vco on her scalp for 20minutes and comb off the flakes already followed by shampooing with dentinox prescribed by pd. Dentinox instructions say to shampoo n rinse n shampoo again. I duno if it's too drying cos my baby skin is red after removing the cradle cap and feels like outer skin has been totally removed. The skin just looks and feels v raw. Is that even normal?

Pd prescribed mild steroid cream and said to apply on red areas. I tried applying three separate times already but really want to not apply it if possible as she's only 3 mo+ and such creams can thin out her skin when it's already looking so thin now.

breaks my heart to see the red patch on her head everyday.

Here's a picture of her scalp
https://ibb.co/gA8HbQ

A few questions:
Is it normal to have the skin looking like this after removal of cradle cap?
Usually when it's night time, I start to see whitish flakes on the patch like in the picture. Is that cradle cap coming back or the skin drying out v badly?

Any advice appreciated, thanks!
 


Yes it is normal to hv red patches after remove the flakes. Remember not to force remove the flakes. Only remove those are soft, easy to take off. No peeling.
I did same method of my #1 everyday except putting dentinox and steroid. Her cradle cap was cleared within 1 week.
 
When my baby had cradle cap, I used Mustela shampoo. The shampoo is designed to help remove cradle cap gently. I don't know if it will work for you but it did for me, the cradle cap all came off on its own. Maybe can give it a try.

Remember not to peel the flakes off as it can lead to scarring.
 
When my baby had cradle cap, I used Mustela shampoo. The shampoo is designed to help remove cradle cap gently. I don't know if it will work for you but it did for me, the cradle cap all came off on its own. Maybe can give it a try.

Remember not to peel the flakes off as it can lead to scarring.

Thanks for the reply! The cradle cap all came off during shower but it's the after-shower part that got me so confused. There's red spots here n there on the bald patch and then one hour later there will be whitish skin flakes appearing here and there. Was yours like that too?
 
Yes it is normal to hv red patches after remove the flakes. Remember not to force remove the flakes. Only remove those are soft, easy to take off. No peeling.
I did same method of my #1 everyday except putting dentinox and steroid. Her cradle cap was cleared within 1 week.

Thanks for the reply! Did u put anything like moisturising cream on the scalp after the shower? Any whitish flakes appearing after the shower?
 
Thanks for the reply! Did u put anything like moisturising cream on the scalp after the shower? Any whitish flakes appearing after the shower?
Nope. I didn't put anything after hair wash. Yes white flakes did re-appeared after a few hours but it's getting lesser and lesser each day.
 
Thanks for the reply! The cradle cap all came off during shower but it's the after-shower part that got me so confused. There's red spots here n there on the bald patch and then one hour later there will be whitish skin flakes appearing here and there. Was yours like that too?

No mine didn't have red spots or whitish flakes. Could it be dryness causing that? Maybe try to put moisturiser after shower - QV moisturiser. I also heard some people say sorbolene is good but I have never tried.
 
Nope. I didn't put anything after hair wash. Yes white flakes did re-appeared after a few hours but it's getting lesser and lesser each day.

This is her scalp after showering off the white flakes this morning. Whole scalp red. Very heartbreaking. For yours was the red patch like this and managed to heal without using mild steroid cream?

9664feafac5bd6a1393e952e42dd9f43.jpg
 
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@hello18 That looks quite serious :( Maybe the steroid cream is too strong for your baby's scalp. I would bring her to the doctor.
 
@Elm actually I haven't really been using the steroid cream. It's been a week since we last seen the pd and used dentinox shampoo. So far I only applied the steroid cream once on the first day and third day.

Yesterday applied vco after shower and thought it helped a lot till we see a lot white flakes this morning again. Applied vco again but became so red after my helper rubbed away the dead skin after shower.

Sigh I'll bring her to pd again.
 
Yes this is much more serious than my LO'S time. How long you hv been applying vco? Do you think the flakes are reducing? Or no much improvement ? I would avoid steroid if it didn't bother baby.
 
the thick flakes are long gone. Now it's those white flakes that I see returning a couple of hours later and also the next morning.

I guess there is some improvement. Yesterday was quite good I thought I saw the patch showing new skin. But yesterday after shower, we applied vco n didn't wash off till this morning. And this morning the flakes were more than the day before. So not sure if leaving the vco actually worsened it. Gotta trial and error. But really so so worried and heart pain. Actually my pd previously said those are rashes and hence need steroid cream otherwise rashes will cause more oil to be secreted and cradle cap will keep coming back. But looks more like broken skin to me.
 
Oh dear.. it's look painful. Maybe u wanna consult another pd for second opinion.
 
the thick flakes are long gone. Now it's those white flakes that I see returning a couple of hours later and also the next morning.

I guess there is some improvement. Yesterday was quite good I thought I saw the patch showing new skin. But yesterday after shower, we applied vco n didn't wash off till this morning. And this morning the flakes were more than the day before. So not sure if leaving the vco actually worsened it. Gotta trial and error. But really so so worried and heart pain. Actually my pd previously said those are rashes and hence need steroid cream otherwise rashes will cause more oil to be secreted and cradle cap will keep coming back. But looks more like broken skin to me.
Oh no.. never never leave vco on her scalp more than an hour. Oil will block the pores, and it will make it worsen. Either don't apply anything or apply a very thin layer of steroid. Since there is improvement maybe you should continue this method. Your LO definitely would take longer time to recover because the cradle cap affect almost half of her head. Give yourself another few days, go to pd again if no improvement.
 
I just brought her to another pd yesterday night. was prescribed a steroid plus anti fungal cream. This pd said must apply the cream. No choice sigh. It spread slightly to the back of the ear.

Just applied a thin layer to the red area last night and it seems better this morning. Shall see how after shower.

Oh about the vco I also read shouldn't leave oil overnight like that. But yesterday's pd said ok to leave overnight to loosen. I guess that's only if the scales are still very thick. Now that it's just thin flakes I wun put vco overnight already.
 
I've applied the cream for a week. Usually I apply after her shower and red rashes will subside quite a fair bit till next morn. But once I wash her head the red rash spots appear. At first I thought it could be the dentinox shampoo being too strong for her skin so I let it rest for one day and just used water to wash but the red rash appear again.

Very worrying. Gonna see skin centre specialist next week
 
9d53e5b039b21227783dceaec74ef82d.jpg

This is every morning before shower, after applying the cream the day before.

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Then this is after shower. Even if I use water only without any shampoo also similar. In fact using just water made the dry skin accumulate more like cradle cap wanting to come back.
 
I find that her scalp now look better. But it's still gd to see a specialist, since it has been about 2 weeks. I have a few friends' babies also suffer cradle cap, i recommended them to use DNA Miracles Natural Soothing Ointment ( contains natural ingredients like willow herbs & coconut oil). It helps to soothe skin & moisture dry skin area. It works for them.
U proceed to bring her see the specialist first, n update us on her condition. Don't worry she would be fine. Be strong becos you are a warrior mother. Jia you!;)

Thanks for the kind words :) certainly hope she'll be ok again soon...
 
Omg! Do not scrub your baby head regardless using towel or brush! Do not leave oil on their head too! Their skin is very very delicate.

You can try mustela baby shampoo. The foam one for newborn. My twin girl also have and covered half of her head. Also got smelly oily smell. I use the shampoo for several times, all the flakes drop. I didn't scrub, i just use water spray then flakes come out
 
Yes I also recommend Mustela shampoo (the foam one) for cradle cap. It worked for my girl :)
 
My two elder son suffered from cradle cap too. We just leave the shampoo on for 1-2 mins while bathing the rest of the body. Don't scrube it and it will slowly fall off by itself..
 
update - lo's scalp is fine now after bringing her to c skin specialist for kids at national skin centre. Doc said it has developed into eczema cos the skin was so dry. applied tons of prescribed moisturiser - physiogel. Hair starts to grow out after one week. Now it's about a month since we saw the specialist and going back for follow up appt next week! Scalp Colour not as white already, doc says need some more time to revert to normal skin Colour. But it's definitely looking better now with the hair growing on the area.

So relieved now. Thanks everyone!
 
update - lo's scalp is fine now after bringing her to c skin specialist for kids at national skin centre. Doc said it has developed into eczema cos the skin was so dry. applied tons of prescribed moisturiser - physiogel. Hair starts to grow out after one week. Now it's about a month since we saw the specialist and going back for follow up appt next week! Scalp Colour not as white already, doc says need some more time to revert to normal skin Colour. But it's definitely looking better now with the hair growing on the area.

So relieved now. Thanks everyone!
Hi, just read your concern regarding your baby cradle cap issues. Glad to read your last msg that the skin specialist able to help your baby. Please allow me to share with you. My baby use to have the similar problem and after I uses Emu Oil Shampoo and wash for her and apply a thin layer of Bio Active Emu Oil daily for her head and skin who are red and rashes. It do help my baby and she is no longer fussing in discomfort. You may want to consider to try it out on your baby. You can order and read more about the products at emutracksasia.com , Hope the information will help you too.
 

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