Cradle Cap

What is it, and how did my baby get it?! I can tell you what it isn't...pretty. I have yet to be given an explanation of how babies get this condition, but it's basically really bad dry scalp. In Vincent's case, it's mostly on the top of his head, and it's sort of this pale, yellowish crust that sometimes makes him look like he has very bad dandruff. He doesn't seem to notice it's even there, nor is he bothered by it. I, on the other hand, look at it everyday, and obsess over it. I try to tell myself that I'm getting used to it, but that's just a lie.

At 2 and half months old, it has gone from a little flakey, to crusty, to very crusty all over, to where it is now, not so very crusty all over, but still crusty. We've tried a few methods of treating it, but I'm convinced that it will eventually clear up on its own, and all these treatments are just a temporary fix. Nonetheless, we continue to try every few days or so, and I have a little hope for about a day, then am sadly disappointed again when the crust returns.

What have we done so far? We started the first treatment with plain olive oil for 15 minutes, then washing with a small amount of Mustela baby shampoo. That seemed to work okay. The next time, I tried Johnson's & Johnson's baby oil for 10 minutes, followed by the same shampoo. That did nothing, if not worsened it. Then, we went to Rainbow Natural Remedies on 15th Ave & got some advice. We left there with a vial of lavendar oil (to add to olive oil), a bar of baby calendula soap, and a mixture of herbs to make a tea rinse. Add a few drops of lavender oil to olive oil, apply to the scalp & allow to sit overnight. Wash with calendula soap & rinse with the "scalp tea." That seemed to be the best of the oil treatments we've tried. We've given him about 3 of these so far.

A few days ago, I decided to try an even more natural remedy. I used breast milk. I think it may have actually helped a little. But, alas, cradle cap still persists. Although, today, my friend, Jill, did say that his head looks better! I may have to try the breast milk again. I have hope.