Cradle cap is one of those pesky skin issues that affects most babies (around 70% of them), usually in the first three months of their lives.
Both of my little ones ended up with it and I remember spending swathes of time carefully massaging their scalps, fishing out crusty yellow flakes with a fine-tooth comb.
The defining feature of cradle cap is a patch (or multiple patches) of scaly skin that form a crust and then flake off.
It typically occurs on the scalp and face (mainly the eyebrows), but sometimes also the nappy area.
The scales look similar on all skin tones, according to the NHS, “but the skin under the scales may look pink or red if your baby has white skin, or lighter or darker than the surrounding skin if your baby has brown or black skin”.
So, what causes cradle cap? And how on earth do you get rid of it?
The cause of cradle cap
Experts aren’t 100% clear on what causes cradle cap however there is a dominant theory.
The issue, which is also known as seborrhoeic dermatitis, is thought to develop in babies who produce more oil from the sebaceous glands in their skin, possibly as a result of their mum’s hormones.
Dermatologists at The London Skin and Hair Clinic suggest the sebaceous glands release a greasy substance “which makes old skin cells stick to the scalp instead of naturally falling off”.
Cue: those crusty yellow flakes that we’ve all come to know and, ahem, tolerate.
The experts stress the skin complaint is not caused by poor hygiene or infection.
It’s also possible that the issue can be caused by a fungal germ which lives in our skin. According to Patient, some babies might react to the germ in a way that triggers skin inflammation.
How to get rid of cradle cap
Experts suggest the issue should get better on its own without treatment, but in my experience, I had to put in some legwork.
The NHS recommends a three-step treatment plan: first up, lightly massage an emollient on to your baby’s scalp to help loosen the scales; and then gently brush their scalp with a soft brush and wash it with shampoo.
After a lot of Googling, I ended up using coconut oil to moisturise my baby’s head and that seemed to work well. I’d apply the oil about 10 minutes before bath time and let it sink in, then I’d gently brush my baby’s scalp to loosen off any flakes and use a fine-tooth baby comb to fish the flakes out of her hair.
I’d then bathe her and wash her hair as normal, with a gentle baby shampoo (Child’s Farm is great, in my opinion).
Experts advise against using olive oil and peanut oil, soap or adult shampoos, and warn parents not to pick at the crusts because it could raise infection risk.
If you are concerned or your baby’s skin hasn’t cleared up after treatment, speak to your GP. Any bleeding, leaking fluid and swelling in affected areas could be signs of an infection or another condition – so definitely get that checked out.
But ultimately, don’t worry too much if your baby has a crusty head. The issue should clear up between six and 12 months of age.