Home Remedies To Treat Cradle Cap And Dandruff In Indian Kids

When my little one was born I was amazed at how soft his skin was. I had read that their skin is soft like cotton and that I shouldn’t get alarmed if I saw his skin flaking. So I was prepared for that. What I was not prepared for was when I noticed that his scalp had these little yellow-white patches of crusty flakes. So I rushed him to the doctor immediately where I was assured that it was the baby version of dandruff – cradle cap.

What Is Cradle Cap?

Cradle cap also known as Infantile Seborrheic Dermatitis is a common condition of the scalp that may affect babies. If your babies scalp has greasy skin patches, yellow or white scales or thick crusty flakes, it’s probably cradle cap. So what I learnt was that dry scalp causes itching and shredding of dead skin cells and is one of the main reasons for cradle cap. Cradle cap may occur in children up to 3 years of age. Sometimes, cradle cap can even occur on the eyebrows, eyelids, ears, crease of the nose, back of the neck, diaper area, or armpits. Though it is not contagious, there are a few things that could help keep it at bay.

While the reasons for cradle cap is not really known, factors — like weather extremes, oily skin, problems with the immune system, and other skin disorders — can make it more likely that a child will get cradle cap.

Things You Should Do To Avoid Cradle Cap

• Gently massage your baby’s scalp with olive or coconut oil.
• Wash your baby’s scalp regularly with a mild shampoo.
• Use fine teeth comb to gently brush the hair and exfoliate after massaging to remove the scales.
• Apply petroleum jelly to the scalp overnight and wash it with a mild shampoo next morning.
• Apply Shea butter to keep the scalp soft.

In most cases, cradle cap disappears on its own. However, there are a few additional home remedies that you can try to cure cradle cap or dandruff. Older children and adults can effectively use these remedies to get rid of dandruff as well. These methods are safe for your baby’s sensitive skin too.

Lemon Juice & Yogurt Paste

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Yoghurt is an amazing ingredient that nourishes hair and scalp in its true sense. Add a juice of a lemon to a cup of curd. Mix it well to make a smooth paste. Apply this paste to your baby/child’s scalp and leave it on for 5 minutes. Wash the paste off with a mild shampoo. Winters may not be a good season to apply curd on a child’s scalp because of its cooling properties hence summers are the best for this remedy.

Camphor and Coconut Oil

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Drop 2-3 camphor in a bottle of coconut oil. Apply it to your child’s hair every day before bath time. Leave it for about 10 minutes and then wash it with mild baby shampoo. Camphor has cooling properties that help relieve scaling and itching in the scalp. It is an old recipe which truly works wonder in curing dandruff problem.

Neem Paste

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Neem is known for its medicinal values in treating various skin and hair problems. Simply grind a handful of neem leaves with just enough water to make a thick paste. Apply this paste to your child’s scalp and leave for 5-7 minutes. Use a mild shampoo as usual to wash it off.

You may also like: 10 Home Remedies To Relieve Constipation In Children

Baking Soda

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Baking soda effectively exfoliates the scalp and removes the fungi that cause dandruff. Mix baking soda and rose water to make a paste. Apply this mixture to your child’s scalp and massage gently for 2 minutes. Skip the shampoo and rinse the scalp thoroughly with water.

Apple Cider Vinegar

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Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial and antifungal properties that help cure dandruff effectively. Add ACV to essential oils, honey or yoghurt and apply it on your child’s scalp. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Wash it off with a mild shampoo.

Tea Tree Oil

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Tea tree oil is known to cleanse the scalp and remove dryness and scaling. Simply add a drop or two of tea tree oil to a mild baby shampoo. Shampoo your child’s hair gently and allow it to sit for 2 minutes. Rinse the shampoo thoroughly.

Fenugreek Seeds Paste

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Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) paste works wonders in curing dandruff problems. To make the paste soak the seeds in water overnight and grind it to a coarse paste. Apply this paste on your child’s scalp and leave it for 10 minutes. Wash the scalp with a mild shampoo.

You may also like: 5 Home Remedies For Dry, Itchy Skin In Children

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