OMG! Cradle Cap is not just for Infants!

      I started this blog because I love to spread information and I love to share my knowledge. I have used hair grease to moisturize my hair all my life and have used it to moisturize my two daughter's hair as well. Recently my oldest daughter began to develope cradle cap (also known as sebborheic dermatitis)in her scalp. A few of you may be saying, "So what, whats the big deal. Thats common in infants and some toddlers". Well, the problem is, she is not an infant. She is six years old! This is very uncommon for children her age.
      When cradle cap first begins in the scalp it looks like dandruff. The severity can range from person to person depending upon the skin type and health conditions. If seborrheic dermatitis is left untreated, it can continue to accumulate on the scalp (face and diaper areas) or spread to other parts of the body!  In my daughter's case, she has dry hair and dry scalp. No matter how much grease I put in her hair, it always had a dull, dry look to it.
     The first step to "solving her dilema was to go to her pediatrician. I sat in the office for about two hours just for the doctor to refer me to a dermatologist. To make matters worst, the dermatologist was an hour drive away! I sat in the office for about one hour. All the doctor said was to use head and shoulders shampoo. I explained to the doctor that we were already using it and it keeps coming back. So, he prescribed a pill to "balance" her system assuming it was a viral infection and 1%hydrocortisone lotion for her hair and recommended the use of a special shampoo and to return in two weeks for a follow up visit. I followed the doctors orders with high hopes in curing my daughter's problems. The shampoo worked to remove the thick crust on her scalp but I had to wash her hair twice a week. But when I continued to use the grease on her hair it would come back. The lotion gave very little aid to the problem because it was not thick enough to moisturize her hair. During the second visit, the doctor prescribed hydrocortisone 1% ointment. This worked better than the lotion but when grease was put on the hair, the flakes and crust still returned.
     So, if you notice the trend here is to prescribe a drug and try it, prescribe another drug and try that. If I wanted to play a guessing game, I don't think a ph.d is required for that! I never went back to the doctor because he offered no cure and explanation to the cause. I sought out to diagnose the problem myself. What I found is that seborrheic dermatitis loves to eat oil. The more oil in your hair the more dandruff you have. Grease (petroleum/petrolatum and mineral oil) coats the hair and scalp to protect it. These molecules are too big to be absorbed by the skin and hair. When your pores are unable to "breathe" they become clogged. The result is dandruff build up! Once I stopped using grease, I no longer saw the huge flakes in her hair. It actually reduced itself to being alittle ashey. The true nature of her hair and scalp appeared, which was dry hair and scalp.

                  

  

******These pictures are actual photos of my daughter's scalp. You can see in these two photos that the dandruff has almost disappeared! Now it looks like "normal" dandruff. ******
                              

     Now what happens? I decided to go the all natural route for moisturizing her hair. And it has worked wonders. My daughters hair and scalp improved within a week! I researched the different types of oils that are good for hair and skin. I will go over the different oils and their benefits in detail in another post. What I used in my daughter's hair was coconut oil, sunflower oil, tea tree oil, olive oil and water.  Try to go organic or find cold pressed oils. You need to remember that you skin is an organ. Any toxins in the products you use eventually get absorbed into your bloodstream. Oils that have been chemically extracted have had the nutrients removed from oils!

     The mix I used was even parts per each ingredient (except for the tea tree oil), but you can change to your situatuion as these oils may not be suitable for everyone. I would recommend using a few drops of tea trea oil because of the strong odor it posseses. In my opinion, the strong odor of the tea tree oil is a good indicator of its potency. Skin type and health condition really play a huge part in what you can use to treat your sebborheic dermatitis. If you have oily skin, you might want to use something else.

     This is still a work in progess. When researching this condition it is stated that there is no cure because science doesn't show the exact cause. It can only be managed. Symptoms may go away completely by themselves.

Known Triggers:

     diet

     stress

     lack of sleep

     lack of water

     lack of vitamins and minerals

     over active hormones

     clogged pores

     dry skin and hair
***FYI*** You never want to scratch at the dandruff. If the skin is broken, it can cause the bacteria to spread and cause more infection to the scalp. So, you should soften the dandruff with cradle cap remover (which can be purchased at target or walmart) or some type of oil. Then, rub it into the scalp and take a brush or towel and gently lift the flakes off of the scalp. I wash my daughter's hair once a week. To maintain a healthy scalp I rinse the hair with Dr. Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar and distilled water (50/50 mix) and I use semi-hot, pure organic coconut and olive oil for a hot oil treatment.