Dry Skin on Newborn Head – See These Natural Remedies

You might get concerned that your newborn has flaky skin on their head, it’s ok, don’t worry, dry skin on a new borns head is normal  Infantile seborrheic dermatitis, widely recognized as a cradle cap, is usually the reason for this. 

It can be unpleasant or annoying, not typically itchy or harmful, and does not appear to affect the baby. Generally, it will always go away within a few weeks or months. But treating it can be difficult due to soft, delicate skin.

Read on to learn what you can do with dry skin on the head of a newborn. As a rule of thumb, if your baby’s scalp does not improve or if it is extremely itchy or irritating, see your baby’s pediatrician.

Adjust Your Shampoo Schedule

Not only does shampooing your baby‘s hair removes dirt and oil from the delicate strands, but it also helps remove any excess dirt and oil from your baby’s scalp. 

However, depending on their condition, the number of times you shampoo your baby’s scalp can differ. For cradle cap, daily shampooing can help to remove oil and loosen the flakes on the scalp of your baby. 

To prevent excess dryness, all other causes of dry scalp may improve from shampooing every other day.

Apply a Moisturizing Agent

Sometimes, it won’t remove the scales easily. If so, apply a moisturizing agent, like baby oil or petroleum jelly. 

Leave this treatment for anything between a few minutes and several hours to soak in the scales. This should loosen the scales, making it easier to use a soft brush or toothbrush to remove them.

In order to moisturize the baby’s scalp, people can also gently rub a small amount of gentle, natural oil, like coconut oil. 

Before using natural remedies, including coconut oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil, people caring for a newborn baby can talk to a pediatrician.

Remove The Scales With Your Fingers

If you use your hands to take off the “cap,” the baby’s scalp will not be negatively affected. It is the easiest and one of the most useful ways to get rid of the scales and dry skin when a baby has a cradle cap. 

Rub your fingers over the scaly patches, then peel the scaly dead skin gently and scrape it away and dispose it. 

Put on a pair of thin latex gloves (as long as your baby is not allergic to latex) if you do not want to use your fingers to pick off the scales.

To avoid actually touching the scales, you could also cover your hands with plastic wrap. Bear in mind that the cradle cap is not contagious, and you can make your baby more relaxed by picking off the scales.

Try Mineral Oil

It is believed that mineral oil helps remove stuck-on flakes left on the scalp and decrease cradle cap discomfort. While it’s a popular home remedy, it has not been proved that mineral oil helps. 

Massage the oil gently on your baby’s scalp before shampooing, if you want to try mineral oil. Run a comb over the scalp to remove the flakes, for additional benefits. Before rinsing it off, let the oil soak in for a few minutes.

Before each shampoo session, you can repeat this cradle cap method. You should reduce the frequency as the flakes begin to improve. 

The trick is to make sure you clean away all the oil entirely; excess oil left on the scalp could make it worse.

Conclusion

You need to be careful about all sorts of things with a new baby, from food to how you moisturize their skin. Scalp dryness is not an unusual and doesn’t mean you did anything wrong, it is perfectly normal  

The condition typically resolves and seldom leads to pain, although natural remedies may help alleviate visible skin symptoms. So check out the advice above to help your baby’s dry scalp time pass without a fuss.