Selsun Blue for Cradle Cap

Updated on May 02, 2011
B.S. asks from Coppell, TX
30 answers

Good morning Mamas!
My daughter has cradle cap and it seems to be getting worse. First time the pedi saw it he suggested putting baby oil on it. That helped a bit. The last time he saw her it still hadn't cleared and he suggested that if it got worse we could use Selsun blue on it. Well, it's worse.
Have any of you ever done this? If so, how did you actually do it - is it just like washing their hair but with selsun blue (and a lot more caution), and did it clear up the cradle cap?
thanks and have a great 'day of rest'!! :-)

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.J.

answers from Dallas on

Selsun Blue seems to be working on my daughter. I also bought a craddle cap brush from Wal-Mart for about $4 and it really helps. It has a sponge on one side filled with the shampoo and the other side has long soft plastic bristles that help to loosen the dead skin. Then I rinse and once she's dried and dressed I go over it again gently with a regular baby brush.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.S.

answers from Dallas on

I used Selsun blue for my son, & it worked. When I was putting it on his head, I "scrubbed" (very gently) his head with that soft brush they send home with from the hospital.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.B.

answers from La Crosse on

You are supposed to use the selsun blue as a lotion, not to wash their hair. Cradle cap is caused by oily skin so baby oil will make it worse.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.C.

answers from Dallas on

I have been a hairstylist for 15 plus years, and the only thing I have seen that works is Nioxin. You can get it as some salons. You can't get it in the eyes, but it does certainly work on any kind of skin condition including cradle cap. Hope this helps!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.C.

answers from Detroit on

worked for my son when he was a baby....hes 33 now though..and thats the only thing that helped

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.B.

answers from Dallas on

Hello! I am a mother of 3 children and my first child had cradle cap. I am suprised your doctor told you to use baby oil. The oil is what causes the cradle cap. It does seem like the oil would help loosen it which is exactly what I thought and tried to use and it made it much worse. What I did to finally get rid of it was making sure i used regular baby shampoo and not put any lotion,oil, anything with any oil. Even try not to rub your hands on her head until you get it cleared up. You will need to wash it everyday for a while. I aslo would use her baby brush to try and loosen it. (of coarse very gently) I hope this helps you and if you have anymore questions let me know.

Good Luck!

Kim

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.S.

answers from Dallas on

Yes, I've done this and it works! When I washed his hair with it I did it in the sink so I could make sure it didn't get into his eyes or into the rest of the tub water where it could splash into his eyes or mouth. I just used a little of the shampoo and scrubbed it gently with my fingers. It helped the cradle cap alot after two or three times. Basically, cradle cap is just dandruff in babies! He's two now, and has completely outgrown it, by the way! Once he starts losing his baby hair and getting regular hair it should clear up pretty well.

Good luck. Enjoy your beautiful baby! I've got four - it goes really fast!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.G.

answers from Dallas on

I actually tried that, but it's strong tingle I was afraid may have bothered him. I actually took my baby to a dermatologist that prescribed a steroid cream that cleared it up instantly.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.W.

answers from Dallas on

Both of my kids hat the cradle cap and I used selsun blue to help clear it up. I would recommend only using it on her hair once or twice a week and be careful not to get it in her eyes. Watch the scalp for any irritation.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.M.

answers from Dallas on

My son had cradle cap at a very young age and we used the selsun blue as well. It does work. You may have to do it more than once, but it does work. Just as you said, use caution and you really only need a small amount.
Best of luck,
K.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.S.

answers from Dallas on

Our pedi recommended Neutrogena T-gel, and we used only a tiny amount on his head twice. It helped a little, but then my mom said to just take a wash cloth and scrub his little head really good with each bath, and that got it all off better. It may have been a combo of both, but it's amazing what grandmas know!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.

answers from Dallas on

It will work. My son had cradle cap really bad, and his Pediatrician suggested Head and Shoulders (which is basically the same thing). I was really careful that I didn't get it in his eyes. It cleared up within a couple of days.
Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.M.

answers from Dallas on

My son had cradle cap and now he has eczema. I also have eczema and we use Melaleuca's Herbal shampoo and Renew bath oil and Renew lotion on the body. I would love to teach you how to be a Melaleuca customer if you aren't already. I don't distribute the products. I show you how and where to shop. One of the best things about Melaleuca is everything is 100% money back guaranteed! If you would like to talk with me more just give me a call or send me over an email and I will get with you. After I started using these products our skin was cleared up with in about four days! And we have been able to keep it under control for 1 1/2 years!

H. M.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.T.

answers from Dallas on

The Selsun Blue worked for my son, but we didn't just wash it on. We scrubbed it in and let it sit for about 5 minutes and then rinsed it off. I just scrubbed it in the first part of the bath, washed and played with him and then rinsed it off very last. I think it just took 2 times to work and it never came back!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.C.

answers from Abilene on

I have a three month old and he is just getting past the cradle cap. I have been washing his hair with Head & Shoulders twice a week.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.H.

answers from Dallas on

Hello B.,

I have used Head and Shoulder with all my kids when they were little and have great success with them. I used the shampoo every other day for a about a week.

Hope it works for your little gal.

A.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.T.

answers from Dallas on

My doctor had me use the same thing for my son a few months ago. It worked, but not right away. I shampooed and then let it sit for a few minutes before I rinsed. I did this every 3 days or so until the cradle cap was gone. Took a few weeks. There are other products, but too strong for a young baby. I would call the doctor again and let him know what's going on and what you should try next. It will eventually go away.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.

answers from Dallas on

Hello

My son had cradle cap and we used the selsun blue just like normal but with much more caution when we wased it out. You just wash the hair like normal. We did it one and then it went away and never had the proplem again.

I hope this helps.

M.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.M.

answers from Dallas on

Our Pedi has always recommended SB for cradle cap. Works like a charm. Wet hair and rub it in...scrub a little with a soft hairbrush and rinse. Sometimes takes a couple of washes, but it works great. Make sure not to get any in their eyes...burns like crazy!
I usually wash with baby shampoo after to get some of the smell out(it's soooo strong and I don't like it).

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

F.F.

answers from Dallas on

Our pediatrician also recommended Selsun Blue for my son's dry itchy scalp. Although he didn't have cradle cap he did have a severe case of eczema on his scalp. It worked great. He told us to use a very soft baby brush on his head while shampooing. It cleared it up and now we just use regular shampoo. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

W.S.

answers from Dallas on

Selsun Blue works great! Use the original. Just lather it, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse. Be careful you don't get it the your baby's eyes - it will burn. You should start to see an improvement within a week.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.N.

answers from Nashville on

My doctor just told me my son had cradle cap as well and recommended Selsun Blue. It made his cradle cap worse as well. It further dried out his skin and created more flakes. I had my mother in law look at it and it turned out that it was the heat that aggravated it. We have him sleep in his diaper and lay on top of a down comforter instead now. Originally, we had him sleep on a crib sheet with a waterproof mattress pad underneath and I think it didn't allow his skin to breath.

I also wipe him down a few times a day with a washcloth and water. His skin started showing improvement right away. I also switched back to the baby shampoo as well.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.P.

answers from Dallas on

Hello B.,
it could be an allergic reaction to latex. now that my daughter is six... I know better and her latex allergy eventually developed int asthma. does it get worse after going to the doctor? ask for latex free gloves. it you use formula, it could be what's in her formula too. (and shampoo, etc.) cradle cap is eczema is like dandruf so that's why he recommends selsun blue. follow your gut and figure out why your little girl is getting eczema.
here are some tips:
http://www.parenttime.com/babytips/cradlecapremedy.html

so, google everything and DO ask your doctor about it =)
~C.~

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.J.

answers from Dallas on

Yep, we used the Selsun Blue and it worked very well. We used just a little, obviously being super careful to keep it away from baby's eyes. We rubbed it into his scalp and very gently used my finger nails to massage it in and "exfoliate"; let it sit for a few minutes then carefully rinsed. We only had to do it twice and the cradle cap was gone.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.E.

answers from Dallas on

My son had severe cradle cap, and we tried the Selsun Blue as well with no success. What worked for him was Mustela. We used the Newborn Foam Shampoo for Cradle Cap and a cream called Stelekar (sp?). I think they sell it at Babiesrus. I ordered it online at drugstore.com. It cleared it up completely within a few days. I love the shampoo and have been using it ever since.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.F.

answers from Dallas on

My son had cradle cap too! His whole had was covered with it. I used petrolumn jelly on it. I simply covered his entire head with it, then did something else, to give it time to loosen. I started with him sitting in his carrier and using a fingernail I slowly scraped it off! It came right off! You may wish to try this before using the Selsum Blue, the petroulm jelly won't hurt her eye's and is much less likely to get into her eye's.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Dallas on

Hey there!
My pediatrician Reccommended the same thing for my son, and it was terrible! it got worse and irritated his scalp even more. I wouldnt suggest using the Selsun Blue. What i did instead was the baby oil and a comb! that worked best. :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.P.

answers from Dallas on

Yes, we tried this with my son. He also had eczema and reacted to the Selson Blue. I used the tiniest amount possible to wash his hair and rinsed very carefully to avoid getting it in this eyes. This was usually the very last thing to do so that I could take him right out of the bath afterwards.

What really helped though was California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Bodywash as well as the conditioner. It's expensive but it really works and is extremely gentle on baby's delicate skin. We still use it and he is 3 years old. You can find it at Target and some Health grocery stores.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.T.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter has had it bad for now two years. I get rid of it and it continues to come back.

Our prob is she was born with afull head of thick dark hair so it is hard for me to see the cradle cap and hard for me to get rid of it. Since she is now a active toddler it is even harder to do the treatments since I am the only parent bathing her.

I was told to do the Selson Blue as well...I have purchased it but have been scared to use it until I have an extra pair of hands to help me.

She does have eczema but we have control over it now by keeping her bath water luke warm and only baithing her every other day instead of every day...helped a lot. We use dye/perfume free laundry detergent and make sure she get lotion put on twice a day.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.J.

answers from Dallas on

My son had cradle cap and our Pediatrician told us to use Selsun Blue or Head and Shoulders. We used it and it cleared up, but it takes a couple of weeks!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches