kbutton Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) My 12 y.o. has had cradle cap since he was a baby. It's not the really, really thick kind; it's more patchy. It's not dandruff--it's stickier and clings to his head. Any ideas on how to conquer this problem? ETA: He already uses a dandruff shampoo just because that's why my kids and DH like to use. Edited June 20, 2020 by kbutton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 And make sure he is rinsing the shampoo out properly. I have washed my daughters' hair in the sink during times like you described. I think in our situation it was puberty glands+not scrubbing/rinsing well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 Just now, rjand6more said: And make sure he is rinsing the shampoo out properly. I have washed my daughters' hair in the sink during times like you described. I think in our situation it was puberty glands+not scrubbing/rinsing well. We have done a bit of training on this in case it was the issue, so he's a bit insulted at the moment, lol! But a good thing to rule out. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Double check and see if he is completely rinsing the shampoo out. I highly recommend a scalp scrubber thing off of amazon. It helps get them get the soap out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Sounds like psoriasis. (If it isn't left over shampoo) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 2 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said: Double check and see if he is completely rinsing the shampoo out. I highly recommend a scalp scrubber thing off of amazon. It helps get them get the soap out. I recently heard about the scalp comb/scrubber. I am glad to hear it's helpful--my son is willing to try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 4 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said: Sounds like psoriasis. (If it isn't left over shampoo) I don't think so, and my DH says it's cradle cap (used to work in pediatrics). https://www.healthline.com/health/psoriasis/psoriasis-vs-seborrheic-dermatitis The flakes smell like the natural oil in hair and are lightly sticky but yellow. We just haven't found a good method for resolving it so far. It gets better, but always re-occurs. It's definitely come back more forcefully with the advent of more oily skin/light acne. I will watch for changes though--I have a cousin with psoriatic arthritis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Have you tried Nizoral A-D shampoo? It is ketaconazole which is the medication prescribed for cradle cap. Prescription strength is 2% and this is 1%. I agree with a pp that rotating through dandruff shampoos can help. Personally I would try the Nizoral for a few weeks to see if it is the answer. Then alternate with Selsun Blue Natural or T-Sal They have salicylic acid which help to increase skin turn over and clear old product from the skin. I would add a zinc product like DHS or Denorex or coal tar like T-gel if the above combination doesen't work. If he is using one of these already, I would change to the other one. Another thought, is if he doesn't need dandruff shampoo, could it be causing the problem? If so, switch to a gentle shampoo for a bit and see if that helps. It may take 2-4 weeks for the skin to stop over reacting to the active ingredient. I would try a shampoo free of phalates, parabens and Sulfates. As a side note (purely personal opinion)....many dandruff shampoos have warnings about them being considered carcinogenic, obviously this is extremely minimal exposure, but if your other kids don't need dandruff shampoo, I would discourage their use of it. Kids cells are rapidly dividing and growing, they are more sensitive to some triggers than adults. There are natural remedies that can be used to help minor dandruff issues. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 24 minutes ago, Tap said: Have you tried Nizoral A-D shampoo? It is ketaconazole which is the medication prescribed for cradle cap. Prescription strength is 2% and this is 1%. Mine is prescription strength for dermatitis. My scalp flared even more badly. After trying different combinations, what has worked well for me was 1) olive oil massage on scalp. Shampoo off with TJ tea tree oil shampoo after an hour or two. 2) use the TJ tea tree oil shampoo and then use a live in conditioner that I massage onto my hair and scalp. I forgot the brand but it contains castor oil. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 2 minutes ago, Arcadia said: Mine is prescription strength for dermatitis. My scalp flared even more badly. After trying different combinations, what has worked well for me was 1) olive oil massage on scalp. Shampoo off with TJ tea tree oil shampoo after an hour or two. 2) use the TJ tea tree oil shampoo and then use a live in conditioner that I massage onto my hair and scalp. I forgot the brand but it contains castor oil. There are a few things that can make dermatitis/scalp conditions worse. Treating the wrong condition...yeast vs fungal. And over-drying vs over-moisture. Tea tree oil is great because it helps with both yeast and fungal, especially for people like you that find medications are too harsh. Quite often, people over medicate which makes it worse, and later find that a gentle approach is better for them. People can over medicate to the point that they end up with dry skin on the scalp, which leads to flaking, which ultimately offers a place for the yeast/fungus to live and multiply. LOL For people with excess oil, it can offer a place for the bad boys to cluster and live. I am so glad you found the right combination for you! It sounds like you have dry skin that is a hard one for people to catch. When people find the condition gets worse, they try to medicate more. LOL Which is what was causing the problem to begin with. Oy! It is such a fine balance for each person. We walked this line a lot with dd21 for years!!!! She is very prone to skin issues and as she went from kid to adult, it took a while to find the right item at each stage. She found a salon shampoo that worked for her, but it was specific to her situation. She also does best when she only washes her hair every 3 days. She needs to keep the natural oils on her scalp, not wash them away. She isn't a sweaty person so this works for her, I know it wouldn't help everyone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarlaB Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 This is helpful! My 12year old never had this as a baby but I noticed it a few months ago....I’ve been using a comb to flake it off after a shower when his scalp is wet. I’m going to try to rotate shampoos for him...12yo boys are not known for fastidious hygiene routines He also has random skin issues- doesn’t seem to be classic sensitive skin but prone to odd rashes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 1 hour ago, kbutton said: I don't think so, and my DH says it's cradle cap (used to work in pediatrics). https://www.healthline.com/health/psoriasis/psoriasis-vs-seborrheic-dermatitis The flakes smell like the natural oil in hair and are lightly sticky but yellow. We just haven't found a good method for resolving it so far. It gets better, but always re-occurs. It's definitely come back more forcefully with the advent of more oily skin/light acne. I will watch for changes though--I have a cousin with psoriatic arthritis. You have described the dried soap flakes/residue exactly. That scrubber thing is the only thing we have had success with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 I was told that cradle cap is caused by a fungus and requires a fungus killing shampoo, not just a dandruff shampoo, in older children. Paul Mitchell's Baby Don't Cry was recommended for my 4 year old, but I might use the adult alternative in your case. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 My dd had to get a prescription shampoo from the pediatrician. She uses it once per week, and it works great. We tried everything before that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) Acne foaming wash with benzoyl peroxide kills fungus and fights oil. It comes in 4% or 10% formulations. This works best as a 2nd wash for just the scalp, after shampoo has cleaned out dirt and some of the oils. Be sure to rinse very well, as it can bleach towels, bedding, or clothes. Edited June 20, 2020 by klmama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Has he tried a salicylic acid product like Dermarest Psoriasis shampoo? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Along the scrubber line (and this may not be helpful in this case), when my oldest was a baby, the ped gave us a little plastic brush with plastic bristles, and said to use it to gently scrub his head with it when we washed his hair, and it would prevent cradle cap. He had the prettiest head of hair, and never had any of the typical baby scalp issues. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 2 hours ago, Tap said: Have you tried Nizoral A-D shampoo? Then alternate with Selsun Blue Natural or T-Sal They have salicylic acid which help to increase skin turn over and clear old product from the skin. I would add a zinc product like DHS or Denorex or coal tar like T-gel if the above combination doesen't work. If he is using one of these already, I would change to the other one. Warnings about dandruff shampoo noted--I will see what else we can try and mention this to my DH. I don't think we're causing it with the dandruff shampoo though--he has always had this to varying degrees, but he hasn't always used the dandruff shampoo (not sure if you or someone else raised this concern without scrolling through the thread again). The salicylic acid or coal tar ideas are easy to implement (one at a time) as is a product with tea tree oil as mentioned below (I have TJ's tea tree shampoo for myself). I will try what I have on hand first and then branch out to something medicated if I need to. 1 hour ago, Tap said: There are a few things that can make dermatitis/scalp conditions worse. Treating the wrong condition...yeast vs fungal. And over-drying vs over-moisture. Tea tree oil is great because it helps with both yeast and fungal, especially for people like you that find medications are too harsh. Quite often, people over medicate which makes it worse, and later find that a gentle approach is better for them. People can over medicate to the point that they end up with dry skin on the scalp, which leads to flaking, which ultimately offers a place for the yeast/fungus to live and multiply. LOL For people with excess oil, it can offer a place for the bad boys to cluster and live. I will watch for promoting dry skin/hair or even making oily skin/hair worse. I know that can go both ways. He's on the normal to oily side for face/head and washes his hair every other day (might switch to daily soon, but we'll see). 1 hour ago, itsheresomewhere said: You have described the dried soap flakes/residue exactly. That scrubber thing is the only thing we have had success with. He has had issues in the past with dried shampoo, and it felt different than this does while also leaving residue in his hair. I know what you mean though--it's also flaky. 49 minutes ago, klmama said: Acne foaming wash with benzoyl peroxide kills fungus and fights oil. It comes in 4% or 10% formulations. This works best as a 2nd wash for just the scalp, after shampoo has cleaned out dirt and some of the oils. Be sure to rinse very well, as it can bleach towels, bedding, or clothes. I will put this on the list if I have to go to a medicated solution. Thanks for the reminder about bleaching!!! 10 minutes ago, Jaybee said: Along the scrubber line (and this may not be helpful in this case), when my oldest was a baby, the ped gave us a little plastic brush with plastic bristles, and said to use it to gently scrub his head with it when we washed his hair, and it would prevent cradle cap. He had the prettiest head of hair, and never had any of the typical baby scalp issues. We had one of those, but it didn't prevent it; it did sometimes help remove it. We found a cradle cap comb with little nubbies as well as soft bristles that my son wants to try for removal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 Thanks for all the tips! I am glad to have several easy things to try, some of which are already in my home. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 I had something like that from at least age 8 (when I remember my mom starting to worry about it) and tried every dandruff / psoriasis shampoo out there. It turns out that I just can't use shampoo. If I use baking soda once or twice a week, I have beautiful hair and no flaky scalp. If I use New Wash ($$$), which is a detergent-free cleaner, same thing. If I run out and use shampoo even once or twice, my scalp itches and gets flaky again. My mom would have saved so much on dermatologists if only she'd had me stop using shampoo at 8! Sigh. 20/20 hindsight. Emily 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 My dh and one of my kids are prone to this, and they use Neutrogena T/Sal shampoo to clear it up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 1 hour ago, EmilyGF said: I had something like that from at least age 8 (when I remember my mom starting to worry about it) and tried every dandruff / psoriasis shampoo out there. It turns out that I just can't use shampoo. Anti-dandruff shampoo makes my scalp exfoliate more. Baby shampoo was the cheap alternative for shampoo that doesn’t irritate my scalp that much when I was a kid. I am prone to eczema though so wasn’t surprised that I have to be careful with soap and shampoo since young. I used baby soap as well. Even now my moisturizers are from the baby aisle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 2 hours ago, EmilyGF said: If I use baking soda once or twice a week, I have beautiful hair and no flaky scalp... I'm curious as to how you use the baking soda. Dry? In a saturated solution in water? Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Arcadia said: Anti-dandruff shampoo makes my scalp exfoliate more. Baby shampoo was the cheap alternative for shampoo that doesn’t irritate my scalp that much when I was a kid. I am prone to eczema though so wasn’t surprised that I have to be careful with soap and shampoo since young. I used baby soap as well. Even now my moisturizers are from the baby aisle. I'll try that! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Kareni said: I'm curious as to how you use the baking soda. Dry? In a saturated solution in water? Regards, Kareni I put some in my hand, make it into a paste with some water, and then rub it into my scalp. Then I rinse very well. I do this twice a week for about 3-4 weeks, and then I need to alternate with something else for a change as it starts building up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Thank you, @EmilyGF, for the added details. I may give your method a try. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoeless Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 We tried a dandruff shampoo, but that didn't seem to help much, and made my son's hair look really stringy. We switched to Suave Daily Clarifying and that helped. I washed his hair a few times and gave the scalp a vigorous scrubbing, and that got rid of almost all of it. For my kid, it just seems to be a build up of the natural oils and skin cells. For my kid, the key is thoroughly washing his hair AND scalp *every day*. If he does a half baked job or tries to stretch it out to every other day or every 2 days, the waxy, yellow, sticky cradle cap comes back, and then he has to get his hair turbo-washed by mom. I think he has less cradle cap when he lets me blow dry his hair, too, but he really hates that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 My DS has the same problem. He uses the Tgel shampoo linked above. When his scalp is bad, he will use the shampoo every time he washes. When it is under control, he will use the Tgel once every 2-3 weeks, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.