How to Clean a Baby's Cradle Cap Dandruff Painlessly

Cradle cap is a common and harmless condition in babies. White, dandruff-like scales appear on your baby̵7;s scalp, and although the problem usually clears up on its own during the first year of life, you likely want it gone when it first appears. There are some things you can do at home to loosen the flakes and scales and painlessly clean the baby̵7;s scalp to rid the skin of cradle cap, but this is an ongoing process that needs to be done on a regular basis to keep those flakes at bay.

Things You'll Need

  • Soft washcloth
  • Soft baby hairbrush
  • Mild baby shampoo
  • Mineral or baby oil
  • Mild antidandruff shampoo

Instructions

    • 1

      Moisten a soft washcloth with warm water. Rub your baby̵7;s scalp gently with the washcloth to loosen the flakes.

    • 2

      Wash your baby̵7;s head once a day. Brush the scalp gently with a soft baby hairbrush, then wash her head with mild baby shampoo. Brush her scalp gently again while shampooing the hair. Rinse your baby's scalp well to remove any loosened flakes.

    • 3

      Put a few drops of mineral or baby oil onto your baby̵7;s scalp. Rub it in gently with your fingertips for a minute or two to loosen the scales. Let the oil sit on the baby̵7;s scalp for five minutes, then shampoo your baby̵7;s hair as usual. Do this once a day to remove the flakes.

    • 4

      Wash your baby̵7;s hair with a mild antidandruff shampoo, if the cradle cap isn̵7;t affected by the above treatment. But be sure to contact your baby̵7;s pediatrician before using antidandruff shampoo. Take care not to get antidandruff shampoo in your baby̵7;s eyes because, unlike baby shampoo, antidandruff shampoo is meant for adults and can sting and irritate the eyes.

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