Dealing With Baby's Cradle Cap

Because babies have soft and delicate skin, they are prone to a lot of harmless conditions. Even if you are doing all the right things regarding their bathing and protection, they are still prone to this.

So, suppose you are dealing with your baby's cradle cap. In that case, it is not a statement about the things you do as a parent nor your parenting abilities. A baby's cradle cap is somewhat an unsightly condition that might be embarrassing. Still, it is also widespread and can happen to any baby.

What is a baby's cradle cap?

A baby's cradle cap is a skin rash that appears on a baby's scalp. But, a baby's cradle cap can also extend to other areas like your baby's eyebrow and forehead. It can appear as early as a few weeks after your baby's birth, and it tends to disappear after only a few months.

Baby's cradle cap has telltale symptoms, such as patchy scales, oily or dry skin with flaky white or yellow scales, skin flakes, and redness.

The fact that a baby's cradle cap is not painful and tends to clear up on its own is a relief. But, it is only natural that, as parents, you want your baby's face to be flake-free.

How to deal with a baby's cradle cap?

Along with patience, there are few at-home treatment choices that you can use to help speed the healing process of your baby's cradle cap. Here are some ways:

Using a gentle baby shampoo

A cradle cap, significantly when it extends to your baby's eyebrow and forehead, can seem like a situation where you should not wash your baby's face or hair. But, the reverse of this is true. Even when it extends on the eyebrow and forehead, a baby's cradle cap is thought to be caused by oil glands. So, leaving your baby's face and hair unwashed will help with its recovery.

Use a mild, tear-free, and baby-safe body wash or shampoo on the affected area, whether it is the eyebrow and forehead, or scalp.

Moisturize the affected area

Depending on the severity of your baby's cradle cap on their eyebrow and forehead, you might need to apply a gentle oil to their eyebrow and forehead. Do this before you wash their face. That is because the scales or flakes may be too thick or hard to come off with just soap and water alone.

Apply a plant oil like jojoba, coconut, or almond oil to your baby's eyebrow and forehead and massage it in.

Try baby-safe anti-dandruff products.

A baby's cradle cap is often placed into the same group as dandruff for treatment solutions. But, using adult-strength anti-dandruff products on your baby is not advised. These items usually contain ingredients that are too strong for your baby's skin.

As an option, many baby-safe balms and shampoos have been designed to lift scales and flakes while also helping to moisturize your baby's skin without clogging their oil glands.

Massage the area

While you are cleaning your baby's face, use a gentle washcloth to massage their skin under and around their eyebrow and forehead. Doing this will help loosen any flaky skin or scales. But, make sure that you avoid scrubbing at their skin.