What’s up with Cradle Cap

There are plenty of glorious, feel-good, and warm your soul moments of motherhood. Discovering your baby’s cradle cap is not one of them. Cradle cap is a collection of yellowish, crusty, or greasy scales that form on your baby’s scalp. I might have a lower tolerance than the average mom for squirmish things but I wanted to send out a fair warning to my soon-to-be mamas. This is no joke. Be prepared for the never-ending multiplying flakes, there are no emergency exits.

Cradle Cap is essentially harmless. It usually appears in the first few months and tapers off. However, it is not harmless to the eye. I noticed my baby’s cradle cap in bright fluorescence lights. It was almost undetected because it was faint enough to be unseen in natural light. But once I discovered the spreading mess during one of his bath times, I knew something had to be done.

Here’s a simple guide on what to do:

1. Purchase necessary reinforcements

I highly recommend Mustela Gentle Foaming Shampoo and this extremely thin comb. This combination banished my baby’s cradle cap within just a few washes. They both come with all-star reviews and are gentle for your little one. Even if you don’t have Cradle Cap, it’s useful to have both on deck. Before discovering his unwelcome scales, I used the blue side of the comb to massage his scalp. Those dry or wet massages always led to a few goofy smiles!

2. Exclusively wash your baby’s hair

Our regular bath time routines are broken down into two steps. We usually wash his hair over the sink and then dry it before washing his body in the tub. This was helpful to spend the necessary time to comb out and massage the affected area. Although it sounds strenuous, the extra wash ensures that there is no extra product build-up or sweat remains in your baby’s delicate scalp.

3. Use the shampoo and brush together on a regular basis

Once your baby’s hair is lathered, use the blue comb side to gently loosen the scales on the scalp. Then take the comb side and begin teething through your baby’s hair. I would start from the bottom of the shaft and slowly move up. Then repeat these steps until no more pieces remain in the hair. This could take 5-10 mins. Fair warning: the first time I did this I was gagging. The flakes tend to multiply and increase for the first three minutes or so before you gain traction on removing them. Do not stop but keep combing through even if it seems like there’s a surge. Be patient as this could take time. If it’s taking too much time, just rinse off the shampoo and continue to comb while breastfeeding or while feeding. This way the baby is distracted and still. You’ll notice build up on the bottom of the comb, just rinse the comb and use Kleenex to remove the excess.

Luckily, Wilder’s scalp healed pretty quickly and this method worked wonders. I haven’t seen the return of the daunting flakes so fingers crossed, they’ve been completely eradicated! If you’ve noticed some scales on your baby’s scalp, I’d try these simple steps before it gets worse. And if you’re concerned about the severity of it, definitely call your pediatrician first. Not to worry though, it will get better soon and your baby will be back to rocking his hair flow (or smooth scalp flow) in no time!