How to Get Rid of Cradle Cap: Natural Home Remedies
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Two weeks after my son was born, I noticed dry flakes forming around his hair line which looked like the all too familiar cradle cap. I was aware that some newborn babies experience cradle cap but hadn’t experienced it with my previous baby.
Although he wasn’t in pain, it just looked uncomfortable. I also noticed that since the cradle cap was growing on his hairline, it was causing his hair in the front not to grow as evenly as the rest of his hair.
Since my baby was so young I wanted to try to find a remedy that was gentle and natural. Not only did I want to find a cradle cap remedy, I also wanted to do my best to prevent it from coming back. I’m happy to say that after treating the cradle cap using the steps below, we were able to immediately and completely get rid of the cradle cap and it didn’t even come back.
In this post….
How to Treat Cradle Cap
Even though Cradle Cap can clear up on its own, there are a few things you can do that will speed up the process of getting rid of it for good. Here are the steps I used to treat cradle cap and that stopped it from coming back.
Apply oil to baby’s hair
Apply a quarter size amount of oil to your baby’s hair. Using your fingertips, gently massage your baby’s scalp to make sure the oil is getting spread evenly on your baby’s head. Depending on your baby’s hair texture, you may want to add a little more or less oil.
My all-time favorite type of oil to use is coconut oil. It has many benefits for the hair and scalp and I find it really good at moisturizing the scalp and loosening up the cradle cap flakes.
Other oils that you can use include olive oil (which most people already have at home), baby oil, or even petroleum jelly. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT use peanut oil due to the risk of a peanut allergy.
If you have the time, let the oil sit on your baby’s hair for 15 to 30 minutes so make sure the oil is moisturizing the scalp.
Use cradle cap brush to gently scrape away
Now that the oil moisturized your baby’s dry scalp, brush through your baby’s hair to begin removing flakes.
I used the brush from the Fridababy-Dermafrida FlakeFixer which is specifically for babies with cradle cap. I love LOVE this brush because it’s super gentle on a baby’s head, especially for babies with sensitive skin.
Massage your baby’s head in a circular motion using the brush that is perfectly contoured for your baby’s head.
Wash hair with a gentle shampoo
Next, wash your baby’s hair with a gentle baby shampoo to wash out the flakes that you removed from the scalp. I like to use a shampoo with a little moisturizer like the Shea Baby Shampoo that also has coconut oil in it (I told you, I’m a coconut oil fan).
As you’re washing your baby’s hair, use that handy brush again to brush through your baby’s hair to get any additional scales off of the scalp.
Remove flakes from baby’s hair
Once you rinse the shampoo out, use a fine tooth comb to comb the flakes away from the scalp and out of your baby’s hair. The Dermafrida FlakeFixer comes with the perfect fine tooth comb to do just that.
And just like that, the cradle cap is gone! See? It’s not hard and this is a really gentle and easy option for removing cradle cap.
What Is Cradle Cap
Cradle cap is a skin condition that is harmless and is commonly found in infants. It’s normally a yellow color and can look flakey and sometimes greasy. Cradle cap is more common in infants under three months but it can last up to a year or even longer for other babies.
Cradle cap is normally found on a baby’s head but can also affect other areas of the body. It can also be located behind the ear, on a baby’s eyebrows, arm pits, and even in the diaper area. Basically, don’t be alarmed if you find it in other areas.
As a new mom, it might look like something to worry about but as mentioned above, it’s totally harmless and doesn’t even bother your baby.
What causes cradle cap
Although it’s not 100% clear on what causes cradle cap, many health professionals believe that there are a couple of contributing factors.
According to Mayo Clinic, “One contributing factor may be hormones that pass from the mother to the baby before birth. These hormones can cause too much production of oil (sebum) in the oil glands and hair follicles.”
How to prevent cradle cap from coming back
Baby head massages– give your baby daily head massages either using your finger tips or the bush that comes with the Dermafrida FlakeFixer. Brushing your baby’s hair in a circular motion will ensure that there is no buildup to prevent the cradle cap from coming back. Head massages also stimulate hair growth which is an added bonus.
Wash your baby’s hair a few times a week-once the cradle cap is gone, proceed to wash your baby’s hair 1-3 times a week MAXIMUM. Washing your baby’s hair too many times a week can dry out your baby’s hair and scalp which may cause the cradle cap to come back.
Conclusion
Although harmless, cradle cap can be a bit of a nusance and as a mother, you want to do something about it. It is so easy to get rid of and if you follow the cradle cap remedies above, your baby will be flake free in no time.
If you want to the absolute best hair tools specifically made to help get rid of cradle cap, I highly recommend using the Dermafrida Flakefixer system.
I hope this helps you! Let me know in the comments below if there are other remedies that you find helpful with preventing and getting rid of cradle cap in babies.
