Crusts appear on the baby's head, is this normal? How to deal with it?
Babies generally have soft and smooth skin. However, there are also babies who from birth have rough spots or scales on their scalp. In the medical world, this is called seborrheic dermatitis or cradle cap. What causes crust on the baby's head? Can it be overcome? Continue reading the full information below
Is that a cradle cap?
Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin disease characterized by red, dry and flaking skin. In infants, the cradle cap appears as a scaly rash on the scalp. This condition is common in the first three months of the baby's age.
This condition is classified as safe and not contagious. However, the presence of a crust on the baby's head sometimes makes hair difficult to grow. However, there is no need to worry because cradle cap usually disappears after one year of age and baby hair will grow again after the crust disappears.
The cause of the appearance of crust on the baby's head
The cause of seborrheic dermatitis is unknown. However, the appearance of crust on the baby's head is not caused by poor hygiene, bacterial infections, or allergies. Most likely, cradle cap is caused by hormones that move from mother to baby from the womb.
Certain hormones from the mother's body can move to the baby's body during pregnancy, causing the sebaceous glands of the baby's skin to work too actively to produce sebum (the skin's natural oil). This causes the baby's skin to become oily so that it is difficult to peel to be replaced with new skin cells. As a result, these skin cells actually accumulate on the scalp.
The crust that accumulates in the baby's head can inhibit perspiration, so your child is at risk of developing skin disorders such as boils, pimples, prickly heat, even abscesses.
Signs and symptoms of crust on the baby's head
In addition to the appearance of a thick textured crust on the baby's head, other cradle cap symptoms may include:
- Oily or dry skin, covered with white, yellow or dark scales
- Mild redness
- Rarely causes itching
Cradle cap can also appear on other parts of the body, such as on the face, behind the ear, the diaper-covered part, and the armpit.
An easy way to overcome the crust on the baby's head
You can do the following easy ways to deal with crust on the baby's head:
- Shampoo. Keeping your baby's head clean can be done easily. Clamp your baby's head with a baby shampoo and gently rub it with your fingers or a clean cloth made from soft to crusty areas. Do this every day or several days a week. Do not rub too hard to prevent infection.
- Combing. After you finish making the baby's head and still in wet condition, comb the baby's head with a soft brush comb. Then dry it with a towel until it is completely dry. Do not force it to peel the crust on the baby's head because it can cause infection.
- Use additional oil. Ask your doctor if you should use petroleum jelly (vaseline), baby oil, olive oil, or ointment after washing the baby. This can help lift the crust and remove it slowly. Some parents have proven that this method is effective in reducing crust on the baby's head.
- Use cortisone cream or lotion. To use this method, you need to get approval from the doctor first.
What if the baby's crust doesn't go away?
If the methods above do not go to the crust on the scalp or your baby becomes fussy, which may be due to feeling itchy, swollen, or spread to other parts of the body, immediately consult this doctor.
Give detailed information about the condition of the crust on the baby's head, how long, what efforts have been made, how often you wash your baby, and what products you have used. These information can help doctors determine the right treatment for your baby's scalp problems.
