Cradle cap in 22mo

[CaliforniaMommy]

My 22mo DD seems to have a bit of flaky white skin on part of the top of her head. She has quite a bit of hair to it's hard to check, but I noticed it mostly where the hair parts. Even then, the light has to be just right to notice it. Occasionally, she has also been scratching her head, so it might be itching a bit.
She had a bit of cradle cap on/off before turning one, so I assume it's the same, but not sure. I used olive oil to loosen it up and a very fine tooth comb to get it out at the time, which worked great.
Do you do the same thing with a toddler? Even when they have quite a bit of hair?
Also, is it better to wash their hair less or more often to prevent it from coming back? I currently use California Baby to wash her body and hair. She has sensitive skin, so I try to stay away from anything harsh on her skin/hair.

[desamom]

My DD, who is also 22 months old, still has a bit of cradle cap too. I don't do anything although I scratch it off with my fingernail (gently of course!) sometimes when she'll let me. I actually read/heard something about olive oil not being a good idea because it will plug the hair follicle, which is already the problem. When she was littler and had more of it, I used to use a fine tooth comb after putting shampoo in her hair and just scrape/scratch it very gently to loosen it up. Then I'd brush her hair out with the comb after the bath and lots would come off. We also use California Baby shampoo/body wash.

[kdtmom2be]

My DD, not quite three, has the same problem. Our hairdresser advised using a nail brush or similar to gently scrub DD's head after she has had a good soak, either in the tub or the pool (the soak, not the scrub) and then rinse. Use a good conditioner while you do it to prevent tangles. I use a nail brush and sort of "brush" DD's hair with it, paying special attntion to the areas that i know have cradle cap.

[OurGift]

Hmm, my LO got dandruffy after using only Cal Baby product too.

A friend of mine advised using organic Jojoba Oil and it has worked for us.

[Catherine12]

With as little cradle cap as you describe, I would just ignore it. All my kids had major cradle cap as babies and still had a bit of it at that age. It's unsightly but it never seemed to bother them and it did eventually go away completely. I tried the usual suggestions, but it seems to me all they do is temporarily remove the problem; the only permanent solution is time.

[Plarka]

Originally Posted by Catherine12

With as little cradle cap as you describe, I would just ignore it. All my kids had major cradle cap as babies and still had a bit of it at that age. It's unsightly but it never seemed to bother them and it did eventually go away completely. I tried the usual suggestions, but it seems to me all they do is temporarily remove the problem; the only permanent solution is time.

Ooo, I like this answer! My dd is 2 and a half and has it still, and anything I do seems to do so little for the effort and time I put in. So I'm hoping in time it will disappear like your lo's!

[2boyzmama]

My almost 3 year old still has a lot of cradle cap. In many cases it is perfectly normal, and no different than dandruff in an adult.

BUT...it *can* be a sign of a specific immune deficiency, as it in my son's case. Some "cradle cap" is an actual fungal infection, and if the body has chronic fungus and can't clear it, that is a sign of a t-cell deficit.

So, if your little one is prone to infections, prone to thrush or yeast, is sick often, etc, then the cradle cap might not be so benign. It's unlikely, but is a possibility that it's a sign of an underlying problem.

That said...not usually a big deal.

[gkb2215]

Whether it's totally benign cradle cap or a fungal infection like the previous poster mentioned is rare but should be watched for, you may try washing her hair with some very diluted Neutrogena T-Gel...it helped for my daughter.

[CaliforniaMommy]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Tonight, I ended up scrubbing her scalp pretty good with my fingernails while washing her hair (until she started complaining), and then also used the brush from Safety 1st (which I used before), to loosen up the scales.
I then put a fair amount of conditioner to make sure I would be able to use the finetooth comb side of the brush to scrape the scalp after detangling her hair. I was happy to see that I was able to get quite a bit of it out already. I will need to do it again, but that seemed to work pretty well.

I will also talk to my pediatrician during our next visit to make sure there isn't any underlying medical issue involved here. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Now, is it better to wash her hair more often, or less often? What makes it worse: more or less washing? Anyone knows?