My twins had cradle cap from when they were 2 months old till they turned 6 months. I tried a lot of different cradle cap treatments in those 4 months. Some were successful in reducing the cradle cap and some were not. The picture below shows you my arsenal and I'll tell you more about each treatment option.
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| Cradle Cap Treatment Options |
This is how it all started. When the twins were around 7 weeks old, I noticed some scales on their scalps. Here's everything I've used to treat my babies' cradle cap:
- Circle of Friends Han's Shampoo
: We're still using this because it smells like blueberries.
- Bella B Bee Gone Shampoo
: Didn't really work
- Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream
: I used this when it looked like the cradle cap was spreading to daughter's face and it worked. This is a good choice for if the cradle cap spreads beyond the scalp onto the baby's face. It's fairly expensive in stores so I usually buy it online. The link above will take you to the retailer's website.
- Head & Shoulders Classic Dandruff Shampoo
: Believe it or not this is what the pediatrician recommended at 2 months. I didn't use it till the girls were 4 months but still... the thought of it getting in their eyes scares me so much, I'm dumping this. I also think it's too harsh on their scalps
- Burt's Bees Baby Oil
: This is based on apricot oil versus the more popular brands which are based on mineral oil. It was a good moisturizer in the early months but now the girls need more
- NOW Foods Shea Butter
: Pure shea butter. I use this to get a heavier cream on their scalp so it doesn't dry out during the day. I like it.
- Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Care
: Another nice smelling product which leaves a strangely gooey sheen on my hand.
- California Baby Hair Detangler Spray
: The bottle says it works on cradle cap but I see no evidence of that or it's ability to detangle curly hair. It's however still a good daily spritz for the girls' hair
- Comb from Burt's Bees Baby Gift Basket
: Used it to comb out the scales when the cradle cap initially showed up. It took out the scales on their scalp alright but their hair also fell off with the scales
- Brush from hospital care bag. It's a good scalp brush and that's all I have to say about that.
So where do we stand today? Twin A has what her pediatrician calls "male-pattern balding" ie no hair round the top of her head and a little patch of cradle cap about the size of a quarter. Twin B pretty much lost the hair on the top of her head as well but it's growing back now. Her cradle cap is still there milder but still all over the top and front of their hair. Their doctor did say it will go with time and it seems that the only magic product for treating cradle cap is time.
7 months Update: The twins lost a lot of hair and their scalp being exposed seemed to make the cradle cap go away. As their hair was now in patches, I have to give them their first hair cut
12 months Update: By the time the girls turned 1, all their cradle cap was gone and their hair was growing back healthier and rapidly too.
