Crusts on a baby’s head, what to do? Step-by-step instruction. Why do yellow crusts appear on a child's head?

Parents often notice yellow, greasy crusts on the head of a newborn baby ( seborrheic dermatitis). Such scales on the scalp of a child, which can come off in flakes, do not itch and do not actually bother him, but they are very worried and alarming to parents. If you notice yellowish crusts on your baby's crown, be sure to pay attention to the fold behind the ears. Redness and flaking with greasy scales are often located behind the ears, and cracks and crusts form in the folds.

Yellow crusts (their popular name is “milk crust” or “lep”, and in the language of doctors “gneiss” or “seborrheic dermatitis”) is normal phenomenon for the neonatal period and infancy. Seborrheic dermatitis occurs in the first or second week of a child’s life, sometimes at the end of the first month of life and when proper care gradually disappears over two to three months.

Crusts on the head - the reason for the appearance

The cause of seborrheic dermatitis in infants has not been fully established. But doctors note the connection between the appearance of crusts on the head of a newborn and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the mother during pregnancy, deficiency of vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids and abuse during pregnancy of products containing so-called obligate allergens (such as chocolate, honey, nuts, citrus fruits and etc.), that is, substances that most often cause food allergies.

Another factor in the appearance of crusts in a child is the immaturity of his sweat and sebaceous glands: the baby’s skin is too delicate, the increased work of the sebaceous glands leads to the formation of white-yellowish scales.

Sometimes it happens that gneiss appears suddenly as a reaction to an allergen - crusts can appear on the top of the head in children who are predisposed to allergies due to treatment with antibiotics or from the abuse of sweets. But in most cases, the number of scales increases gradually.

The main reason for the development of seborrheic dermatitis in adolescents and adults is the intensive proliferation of a yeast-like fungus that is present on the skin of most people. And in the presence of provoking factors ( increased production skin sebaceous secretion, decrease in local or general immunity, Not balanced diet, vitamin deficiency, stressful situations, etc.) the proliferation of the fungus gets out of control and leads to the development of this disease.

Crusts on the child’s head and behind the ears

At mild form seborrheic dermatitis(when crusts are visible only on the top of the head, behind the ear, sometimes on the face) the general condition of the child is not disturbed.

For moderate seborrheic dermatitis redness and peeling spread to the face, neck, ears, torso and limbs. And the scales on the head resemble potato chips. The child becomes restless, regurgitation may occur, and bowel movements (diarrhea) become more frequent.

At severe course the abundance of fatty scales on the head extends to 2/3 of its area and creates the impression of a continuous coating or crust, which is also called “baby’s cap.” A secondary infection occurs, which causes weeping and suppuration. The child becomes lethargic or restless, eats poorly and gains weight poorly.

How to remove crusts from a child's head?

So that the yellowish crusts on the head do not spoil appearance beloved baby and did not interfere normal growth hair, you need to comb it properly.

Do not rip off or scratch the scales under any circumstances!

Do not rip or scratch the scales under any circumstances. Firstly, it hurts the child, and secondly, it is not unsafe - you risk injuring the very delicate baby skin. When removing scales stuck together from fat, areas of inflammation and redness are found on the skin, which can become infected.

To remove crusts from a child’s head, it is important to follow a certain sequence:

Prepare any oil (baby, Vaseline, burdock or olive), a comb with soft bristles (some mothers manage to remove crusts using a used toothbrush with soft bristles), a cotton cap.
An hour and a half before bathing, rub any slightly warmed oil into the baby’s head and put on a cap. If you don’t have that much time, then do it at least 15-20 minutes before swimming.
When bathing, carefully wash the baby's head with shampoo and rinse off the soaked scales.
Immediately after bathing, very carefully comb out the remaining crusts from the baby’s head with a blunt-toothed comb from front to back, and then complete the procedure by combing soft brush. Particular attention should be paid to the fontanel area - this is the most vulnerable spot on the baby’s head. The skin on the fontanel is in greater need of cleanliness and ventilation, so it is necessary to remove the crust from this area, but very carefully. During combing, many crusts are removed along with the hairs.
It is most likely not possible to completely get rid of the crusts in one procedure, so repeat the procedure once a week during subsequent bathing until they disappear completely.

If gneiss forms again, then most likely this is a sign of diathesis (exudative-catarrhal) or other allergic nature. In this case, it is necessary to consult an allergist, dermatologist and take a blood test (clinical, biochemical) and urine (general).

Treatment of seborrheic dermatitis

Drug treatment (antibiotics for infection, antihistamines in order to reduce itching) only requires a severe form of seborrheic dermatitis; in other cases, gneiss does not cause any harm or concern to the baby and specific treatment does not need. Over time, when the child’s body gets stronger, the crusts will stop appearing on their own, and those scales that are already there or that appear after some time must be removed.

The main treatment for children with seborrheic dermatitis is local therapy using disinfectants. If you are not allergic to medicinal herbs, it is recommended to wash your hair using decoctions of chamomile, sage and calendula. If areas begin to get wet (especially in the folds of the skin), then to disinfect and prevent attachment secondary infection they are lubricated antiseptics: 1% solution of brilliant green (brilliant green) or methylene blue, decoctions of chamomile, plantain, marshmallow root.

For seborrheic dermatitis in breastfed children, you should pay attention to the mother’s diet and exclude allergenic products and limit as much as possible or completely eliminate industrial canning products.

For older children, a balanced diet is recommended with the exception of sweets, carbohydrates and fatty foods. Including vegetables and fruits and rosehip decoctions in the diet helps to cope with the acute period of the disease in a minimum period of time. Good for treating seborrhea vitamin complexes, containing vitamins A and E, that is, those substances that are involved in the construction of skin cells. Medicinal shampoos with an antifungal effect (Nizoral, Keto Plus, Perhotal, etc.) and others can be used. antifungal ointments and creams.

Scabs and milky crusts on a child’s head always cause concern for the parent. This problem is widespread - almost half of babies have it to one degree or another. These skin manifestations are not a disease if we're talking about about infants up to 4 months. If seborrhea manifests itself later, this is already a variant of dermatitis that needs treatment.

Features of the disease

Seborrhea is inflammatory process, occurring with the involvement of the sebaceous glands. It can be of allergic and non-allergic origin. The cells of the sebaceous glands, sebocytes, produce the skin's fatty secretion - lard. The appearance of crusts is due to the fact that yeast-like fungi from the Malassezia furfur family settle on the surface of the skin, which actively feeds on the products of the sebaceous glands. One of the varieties causes seborrhea of the scalp, the other - the rest of the skin.

Photo of seborrhea in children on the head

In infants, the epidermis is still poorly developed, and the work of the sweat and sebaceous glands is just being adjusted. More often sebaceous glands They are working too actively, and their sweat is not enough yet. As a result, the skin becomes easily vulnerable to any factors, including infections and various fungi.

Causes of crusts

Experts have not yet definitively decided what causes seborrheic dermatitis in infants. However, the main reasons are believed to be:

non-compliance with nutritional rules;
overheating of the skin;
sweating;
reaction to hygiene products;
failure to comply with hygiene rules.

One version says that the activation of the sebaceous glands in the first weeks of life is caused by androgens hormones that entered the child’s body during pregnancy. The process of removing hormones and, accordingly, normalizing the functioning of the sebaceous glands takes some time. During this period, the baby develops milky crusts on the skin.

Overheating of the scalp due to improperly selected clothing and increased sweating leads to the fact that fungal pathogens begin to multiply on the baby’s skin, which cause inflammation. The colonization of the skin occurs immediately after the birth of the child. However, fungi do not normally cause skin damage. And only when it is weakened, crusts appear.

Immaturity digestive system also provokes the development of dermatitis. While the body does not produce the required amount of enzymes, new foods can cause skin rashes. Shortage in breast milk vitamins of groups B, PP can lead to the fact that the baby will suffer from the appearance of milk crusts.

Using shampoos that are not age appropriate can also cause inflammation of the skin. Some parents become overly zealous about hygiene, washing their child’s hair every day. In this case, even the use of the most gentle means will cause seborrhea. Rare washing is also unhealthy and causes exactly the same symptoms.

Sometimes infant seborrhea is provoked by infectious diseases suffered by the mother during pregnancy, various congenital anomalies, pathologies and immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract.

In children over 2-3 years old, crusts on the head can cause:

allergic reactions;
stress;
medications;
eating disorders;
dysbacteriosis and malabsorption nutrients in the intestines;
Rarely washing your hair or using detergents that are inappropriate for your age.

In adolescence, seborrhea of the scalp is caused by:

Hormonal changes.
Stress.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Poor nutrition.

At any age, overheating of the skin causes activation of the sebaceous glands. This inevitably leads to the appearance of crusts.

Heredity plays virtually no role. Numerous studies have shown that the appearance of crusts in a newborn has no connection with whether his parents had similar phenomena in childhood.

Symptoms

In the photo there are crusts on the baby's head

The leading symptom is the appearance of greasy yellowish or whitish crusts on the scalp. They can be located in patches or cover the entire surface of the scalp. The scab consists of a large number of scales resembling dandruff. Sometimes seborrheic dermatitis can affect the folds of the limbs, abdomen, eyebrows, and groin area.

A scab can appear as early as 2-3 weeks of a child’s life. Sometimes they spread to the eyebrows, forehead, behind-the-ear areas, and cheeks. The scales are easily separated from the skin. In children over 3 years old, seborrhea can occur in oily, dry and mixed type. With the oily type, the scales form crusts around the hair follicles. When dry, they are scattered over the entire surface of the head, forming grayish crusts. In this case, the hair underneath breaks and falls out. In adolescence, these two forms combine with each other, forming a mixed form.

Important: Unlike other types of skin lesions, seborrheic dermatitis does not cause itching, discomfort, pain or irritation.

If the scales are separated with difficulty, and wounds remain after them, then there is a completely different skin lesion that requires special treatment. Since infant seborrheic dermatitis does not cause itching, there should be no scratching. If they exist, most likely it is seborrheic variety atopic or allergic dermatitis. Seboric dermatitis differs from psoriasis in that psoriasis has a rash that is not covered with scales.

With a mild course, there are only crusts on the head. In moderate cases, lesions appear on other parts of the body. In severe cases, desquamative erythroderma may develop, which will cause developmental delays and diarrhea.

Diagnostics

Seborrheic dermatitis must be differentiated from atopic and allergic dermatitis. In adolescence, it can be confused with psoriasis. The diagnosis is made based on examination. A blood test does not show the presence of antibodies and immunoglobulin E.

Treatment of seborrheic crusts in children

Scabs on the head look untidy and frighten parents, but they are completely harmless to the child’s health. There is an opinion among people that if the scab is not removed, then the child’s hair will not grow. This is wrong. Seborrheic dermatitis does not damage the hair follicles in any way.

Classic seborrheic dermatitis in infants goes away on its own by three months, as a last resort by six months or a year. However, this does not mean that there is no need to fight scabs, because an untidy appearance of the head does not make a child look good. Moreover, in large quantities crusts can already cause discomfort.

Do not pick out the crusts and comb them out with sharp combs. This can damage the skin and cause infection.

The simplest and effective method– combing. To do this, two hours before the expected time of bathing, the crusts are generously lubricated with oil. This can be a special oil for baby skin care or any vegetable oil, preferably olive or almond. Next, a cap is put on the baby’s head. In 2 hours the crusts become soft.

During bathing, wash your hair as usual. Then the skin is blotted and the crusts are carefully combed out with a comb with blunt, rounded teeth. Can be used to wash hair special shampoos from crusts. Mustela and other manufacturers have such lines. If there are a lot of crusts, then the next bathing the procedure will have to be repeated. The hair of older children can be washed with antiseborrheic agents such as Nizoral, Quelual. From the folk, but very effective means, you can recommend tar soap.

As a rule, drug treatment is not required. Only in severe cases after four years, fluconazole or metronidazole can be used. No pills in preschool age are not assigned. If the course is prolonged, older children may benefit from Zinocap and Pimafucort ointments.

Prevention

In order to get rid of seborrheic dermatitis or prevent its development, you must follow some rules. First of all, there is no need to bundle up your child or put clothes on him that are out of season. Secondly, walks and air baths will be useful. Thirdly, bed linen should be cotton or linen, pillows should be made of natural materials.

Antihistamines and antibacterial drugs, antifungal ointments along with vitamin complexes are used for chronic forms seborrheic dermatitis in children over 4-5 years of age and in adolescents.

Diet for children

Proper nutrition will help you get rid of the scabs faster. For infants, it is important to follow the schedule for introducing complementary foods and exclude foods that can cause allergies. Older children are recommended to exclude from the diet:

carbonated drinks;
sweets;
nuts;
smoked meats, pickles, marinades;
fast food;
chocolate;

Forecast

Seborrheic dermatitis in infants, as a rule, goes away without a trace and does not lead to further allergic diseases. If it is detected in children over 7 years of age, it may then become more complicated. atopic dermatitis, allergic reactions or erythroderma. But in most cases, with adequate therapy skin problems disappear completely by adulthood.

Scalp problems occur frequently in children. You shouldn’t be afraid of this: these layers look unsightly, but do not cause much discomfort to babies. However, they need to be treated to prevent the disease from developing. To do this, you first need to find out the reasons for the appearance of crusts on the head.

Crusts on a child’s head: causes

The main reason for the formation of crusts is the so-called seborrheic dermatitis. Children's skin is very delicate, so they are prone to skin disorders. In young children, the sebaceous glands are actively working and do not sweat enough, but as the baby grows, the situation normalizes.
Seborrhea often occurs in infants, but sometimes children under 14 years of age also suffer from it. It can be caused by various factors:

Oscillations hormonal levels.
Hereditary predisposition (sometimes this disease can be transmitted from parents).
Lack of vitamins in the body, especially vitamin B.
Irregularities at work nervous system or thyroid gland(in older children).
Overheating of the head or, conversely, hypothermia.

The reasons for the development of seborrhea should also be looked for among the products that are used to wash the child: they may contain allergic additives.

As for the lesions, they can occur in different ways, since they depend on the location of the sebaceous glands. Depending on the form of seborrheic dermatitis, your baby may also develop bald spots or red spots.

Crusts on the head of a 5 year old child

It also happens that children do not have crusts in infancy, but later, for example, at the age of five, they appear. Such peeling is very frightening for caring parents, but they can occur for natural reasons.

Their appearance can be caused by poor hygiene, disruption of the sebaceous glands caused by infectious diseases of the mother during pregnancy, or problems with hormones. Usually the crust is very thick and has a gray or yellowish tint. You should not try to remove it so as not to damage the skin.

The best way to deal with the problem is to use well-sterilized oil, which you need to carefully lubricate the affected areas, then put on a cap and leave for 15-20 minutes. Vaseline or Vaseline is also suitable for this purpose. salicylic ointment. At the end of the procedure, you need to wash the child’s hair well and remove the remaining crusts. A comb made of natural material with sparse teeth is suitable for combing, and you can remove any remaining crusts using soft brush.

How to remove crusts on a child's head

The main way you can’t do without in the fight against scabs is combing. In addition, you will need special remedy, for example, children's exfoliating cream. The child's head should be washed well, patted with a towel and applied to the entire surface of the head. The cream should be left on the head overnight under a cap made of natural material. In the morning, you should comb out all the crusts well, rinse and dry your hair.

If this does not help, it is better to consult a doctor who will examine the child and prescribe therapeutic treatment.

To avoid relapse, great attention should be paid to the prevention of dermatitis. Try using a special antiseborrheic shampoo, it helps reduce the activity of the fungus and relieve skin inflammation.

You should also avoid washing your hair too often. This causes dry skin, which activates the sebaceous glands and can cause thickening of the crusts.

Do not wrap children too much in warm clothes when this is not necessary: sweating can provoke the development of seborrhea.

It is very important to regularly examine the child’s head for peeling, itching, and allergic reactions. Together with your pediatrician, you should select a good drying cream for your child.

Since the appearance of dermatitis is sometimes associated with allergies, it is recommended to create a special diet. It is necessary to exclude from the menu products that cause negative reaction body: fatty foods, sweet, flour. It is imperative to increase your consumption of foods containing vitamins A, B and C.

Timely treatment and regular prevention will help your child get rid of this disease.

Why does a crust appear on a child's head? This question worries parents. Many mothers are upset when they see a greasy yellow crust on the crown of their baby. The layering peels off, sticks to the hair, but is quite easily removed. People call this condition “cradle cap,” but the official name is seborrheic dermatitis. A crust on a child’s head is nothing more than a severe form of dandruff. The child does not feel discomfort, but parents are worried, as dermatitis spoils the baby’s attractiveness.

Why do crusts form on a child’s head? Sometimes seborrheic dermatitis can cover the entire scalp of a baby, spreading to the face, ears, nose, armpits and groin areas. Everywhere except the head and eyebrows, the condition is called seborrheic eczema.

Development of the disease

Seborrheic dermatitis is very common in infants younger than 8 months. Most often, unaesthetic yellow crusts appear on the baby's head at 1-2 months of life. Medical name“cradle cap” - gneiss. The disease lasts from several weeks to several months.

Parents sometimes discover oily layers under the hair of children of preschool and even primary school age. Although it looks unsightly, it does not harm the child, there is no itching or other discomfort. However, attempts to remove the crust in children over 3 years of age give the child unpleasant sensations.

Doctors distinguish three degrees of development of the disease: mild, moderate and severe. The latter is usually combined with the child’s general poor health - dysbacteriosis, vomiting, anemia, insomnia. This condition is observed in children deprived of normal care.

Main reasons

Causes of seborrhea:

Action of maternal hormones. These substances remain in the child's body from the prenatal period. They increase sebaceous secretions, and dead skin cells stick together on the crown of the head.
Hereditary allergies, especially such as eczema.
Dysbacteriosis. Gastrointestinal disorders provoke malfunctions of the sebaceous glands.
Development of yeast fungus on the scalp.
Lack of vitamin B in the body.
Difficult pregnancy of a mother with metabolic disorders.
Maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy.
Poor hygiene, insufficient child care.
Bad living conditions- dust, gas contamination, etc.
Wrong clothes. Too warm hats or wearing a hat in a heated room cause heavy sweating scalp.
Wrong selection of shampoo.

Seborrhea in children and adolescents

Dermatologists distinguish 4 types of seborrhea in children:

Fat. Large flakes of dead skin and sebum stick together at the roots of the hair. In infants, with careless care, this form leads to the development of fungal infections. Teenagers can suffer at the same time oily seborrhea and acne.
Dry. Individual skin particles are scattered over the entire surface of the head. They stick together into yellow or gray crusts. May be accompanied by a reddish rash on the body and loss of some hair.
Mixed. A combination of two forms: on the hair - dry, on the skin of the face - oily. Not observed in infants and children under 13 years of age;
Physiological. It is typical for adolescents, and, as a rule, is a continuation of the “cradle cap” in infancy.

Treatment methods

Mothers of infants are wondering whether seborrheic crusts need to be removed? In addition to aesthetic reasons, there is also a health problem. The accumulation of fat deposits on the scalp isolates the skin from air, causing hair roots to suffer. So that the child does not have brittle problems in the future rare hair, it is necessary to periodically clean his head of deposits.

Methods for removing crusts:

Wash your child's hair regularly. Do not use regular baby shampoos. Pharmacies sell special anti-seborrhea products, for example, La-Cri, Emolium. These shampoos contain no dyes or perfumes. They are created using a special “no tears” technology and can be used for babies from the moment of birth. Medicinal ingredients shampoos are salicylic acid, coal tar, zinc. The shampoo should be left on the hair for 2 minutes and then rinsed off.
After washing, rub it into your baby's skin. baby oil, almond oil or just vegetable oil. If the crust on the head has become very hard, you can leave the oil overnight. In the morning, loose flakes are cleaned with a soft brush.
Baths with medicinal herbs- chamomile, string, nettle if the child does not have allergies.
Very good action coconut oil provides. This product does not require preheating. You need to remove the oil from the refrigerator, leave it at room temperature for half an hour and rub a small amount of into the baby’s scalp before bathing;
Tea tree oil has a similar effect.
You can lubricate the baby's head with Vaseline.
Many mothers use their own breast milk as a means of softening the crusts. It should be applied to the child's head before bathing.
Any oil must be washed off very carefully. Excess of it can worsen the condition;
All hygiene procedures should be carried out no more than 2 times a week.
Do not remove scales from the baby’s head with a fingernail or other hard objects. Sometimes the seborrheic film sticks to the head too tightly. Picking can damage delicate skin baby, cause infection and inflammation.

Cannot be used to lubricate the baby's head olive oil. Its smell may irritate the baby. For children over 3 years old, you can take olive oil and use it at night.

You should act very carefully in the fontanelle area. To remove crusts, pediatricians advise using a special baby comb with short, fine teeth.

Head cleansing should be done when the baby is good mood, smiles. Seborrheic crusts do not bother the baby, but the removal procedure is not very pleasant for him.

If the skin under the cradle cap is red and swollen, the child should be taken to the doctor. An even more serious condition is bleeding cracks, a rash on the head spreading to the face, and a rise in temperature above 37°. This may indicate exposure to an infection. The doctor will prescribe antifungal cream or a course of antibiotics.

Seborrheic dermatitis may disappear and return within a few months. Preventive measures should be carried out for several more months after the child has recovered.

Seborrheic dermatitis in children over one year of age

As a rule, the milk crust disappears forever after 4 months of life. But sometimes similar problems remain or fade for a while, relapsing after one year of age. There are known cases of seborrhea at 4, 5 and even 10 years of age.

If the baby suffered from this disease after six months, parents should carry out preventive procedures from time to time. The most important of them is to prevent the development of yeast fungus. To do this, you should always have it in the bathroom medicated shampoo Sabulex or Nizoral. Once a month you should wash your hair with an antiseborrheic agent.

You should consult a doctor if:

parents discovered crusts in the child after a year;
the baby often scratches his head;
large greasy scales are noticeable on the hair.

This condition can be caused bacterial infection. In this case, the child is prescribed antibiotics penicillin group, injections of vitamin B and glucose. Ascorbic acid is also useful for boosting immunity. Local treatment may include steroid creams or antifungal ointments. Useful zinc ointment, which dries and relieves inflammation.

Scabs on a child’s head go away without any complications if the parents provide the child with proper hygienic conditions. But they can be the first signals of serious metabolic problems, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and diathesis.

If crusting is combined with abnormal weight gain, Leiner's disease may be suspected. Attentive parents should show their child to specialists in a timely manner if his condition deviates from the norm.

Naliya 04/07/2009 at 16:31:22

Yellow crusts on the head, child 2.7 years old. What is this? What to do?

Suddenly I discovered such a miracle on my little one’s head, it looks very much like milk crusts, but we are already 2.7 years old. What to do? What could it be and what are the reasons for its appearance. On the Internet, it all looks like seborrheic eczema. If anyone has had it, can it be cured and is it a long-term treatment? Maybe this is a manifestation of an allergy, then to what? Help. Please advise what to do?

Obolonka 08/04/2009 at 14:56:09
I'll wait and listen - we have the same thing, 2.7 years old.
they were there from birth, but then it passed - my girl was almost bald, so her head was clearly visible for a long time :))))))))
Now my hair is already shoulder-length, and recently in the bathroom I noticed that there were these crusts on my head again:(((((
"At the Academy of Sciences
Prince Dunduk is in session.
They say it's not appropriate
Dunduk is so honored;
Why is he sitting?
Because<жопа>There is."
A.S. Pushkin
Deirdre 04/07/2009 at 20:38:12
We had this problem at the dermatologist
Diagnosis: seborrheic dermatitis. The nature of the origin is most likely problems with HCT (stagnation of bile). Treatment - diet + hophytol + vitamins + mash. I added sorbent on an empty stomach + drink a lot of water.
First spread the crusts with warm oil (preferably burdock), then comb out thoroughly, wash your hair without shampoo - with yolk + lubricate with mash twice a day.
The little one is allergic to chatterbox. The doctor said to remove the chatterbox, use medicated shampoo (Kenazol) to wash your hair + smear the places where crusts form with ointment (Pimafucord).
We managed only with Kenazol, I have been washing my hair with it for 2 months now. The crusts went away with TTCHNS, and at the same time the gastrointestinal tract and neurology were treated.
- Curious_ya 08/04/2009 at 15:14:48
  exactly the same - seborrheic dermatitis at 3 years old
  We washed our hair with Friederm Tar shampoo, a couple of months passed and nothing has happened since then.
  And I’ll also add - the dermatologist categorically forbade combing out the scabs. On the contrary, he said to try not to even touch it with the comb, because the more you comb it, the more it will become loose.
  This is not a child's sculpt like in infancy. I'm glad I listened to the doctor and forgot about this problem.
  I love myself darling :)
  Everything said here is my IMHO...
  - Naliya 04/08/2009 at 15:36:02
    I also heard about this shampoo, but how many times a week can you wash a baby’s head with it?

demka 08/04/2009 at 09:50:06

I’ll listen too. We’ve had crusts for four months now. Just a little, just one spot. What’s interesting is that we didn’t have any crusts at all in infancy.

and there was a strong allergy in the first months after birth, then a little, but until almost a year. And crusts have now appeared. Although on an ultrasound a couple of months ago there was stagnation of bile. They drank away the heppel. There are crusts. They didn’t do an ultrasound anymore.

Ira+Andrey=Romashkin

Naliya 04/07/2009 at 20:26:03

I'll listen again

Surely most parents have encountered milky crusts on the head of a newborn - these are manifestations of seborrhea. Why the pathology develops, what other symptoms are manifested and how to remove a crust on a child’s head – we’ll talk in this article.

Enemy Information
Why do crusts appear?
Is it really contagious?
Symptoms at different ages
If not milk crusts, then what?
Treatment

Greetings, dear readers, skin problems in children are far from uncommon. They are explained by the immaturity of all organs and systems of the body. Hormonal and protective mechanisms are not yet fully functional, gastrointestinal tract just getting used to the new world. There are quite a few nosological units (diseases), but seborrheic dermatitis is one of the most common. This disease occurs not only in children, but also in adults. However, it is unusual that three-year-old toddlers develop its “adult” form.

reference Information

First of all, in order to solve a particular problem, it is necessary to collect as much information as possible about it. Seborrhea is a chronic inflammatory process that develops in the skin structures near the sebaceous glands. The skin is unevenly equipped with sebaceous glands. For example, there are none at all on the soles and palms. But there is a lot in the hair, on the forehead and wings of the nose, behind the ears, on the neck. The glands are located next to hair follicles, in the natural folds of the skin, actively working and producing a secret - sebum. The cells that are responsible for this process are called sebocytes, hence the name of the disease.

The pathology is of a fungal nature, its culprit is yeast-like mushroom Malassezia furfur. There are two forms of this microorganism that are “involved” in the development of the disease – oval and round. The first causes inflammation of the scalp, the second lives mainly on the torso. The fact is that these organisms use the fatty acids that make up sebum as a source of nutrients.

In the process of their life, among other things, they release unsaturated fatty acids. These components have irritant effect on the skin, causing inflammation and peeling. Due to the fact that the skin does not “feel” very well, its barrier and protective function is significantly weakened. Resulting in oleic acid, which is a component of its own secretion, also becomes an agent of irritation.
However, why are all these mechanisms suddenly launched?

Reasons for the development of seborrhea

A disease such as seborrheic dermatitis has various causes. However, most of them are united by a single “stigma” - decreased immunity.

First of all, let’s find out what factors can provoke seborrheic dermatitis in infants and newborns:

infectious processes in the body of the mother during pregnancy or the baby itself;
non-infectious chronic diseases(including oncology), congenital malformations;
gastrointestinal pathology;
violation of the feeding regime, deviation from the rules for introducing complementary foods;
presence of allergies, especially food or contact allergies;
insufficient or, on the contrary, excessive hygiene;
treatment with glucocorticosteroid drugs (for example, ointments with GCS for contact allergy), antibiotics;
taking medications by the mother (during pregnancy and during breastfeeding);
hereditary hyperfunction of the sebaceous glands (and then we can talk about a congenital form of seborrhea);
serious stress (transition to artificial feeding, especially abrupt, moving, illness).

Crusts on the head of a 3-year-old child appear, in general, for the same reasons: malnutrition, illness, stress, consumption medicines. There are only specifics - for example, the issues of complementary feeding and type of feeding are no longer relevant. But insufficient hygiene in combination with high physical activity(the kids are already running, jumping and don’t sit still for a second). In addition, with three years old Usually, toddlers are transferred to a common table, which can also cause the development of dermatitis.

But children in adolescence have much more “opportunities” to get seborrhea. The previously listed gastrointestinal diseases, stress and allergies include:

activation of the endocrine system, causing incredible activity of the sebaceous glands (hence “teenage acne”);
hormonal imbalance (during puberty, hormones are the most unstable category);
poor nutrition (pocket money appears, and, consequently, all sorts of “harmful things”);
bad habits;
psychological instability.

Another group of reasons that are relevant for all ages is induced, i.e. artificially induced sebocyte activity. This includes excessive “warming” of a son or daughter - clothes that are not suitable for the weather, a fur hat at a temperature of -2°C, synthetic bedding, low-quality pillows, etc.

Therefore, when thinking about how to remove a crust on a child’s head, we must not forget that you can correct not only any processes in the baby’s body, but also your own actions.

But heredity does not play a role in the development of seborrheic dermatitis. Even if both parents suffer from allergic diseases, this does not increase the baby’s risk of developing seborrhea.

And we caught seborrhea!

Is this statement correct, seborrheic dermatitis: is it contagious or not? No, it's not contagious! The fact is that the fungi that cause the development of the disease live on the skin constantly. These are the so-called saprophytes - they do not cause any harm when “ normal conditions"and everyone has it. Roughly speaking, the baby is “infected” from birth, as soon as the first interaction with the skin of another person—the mother—occurs.

The skin of the baby is populated by a wide variety of flora, and innate immunity does not allow the development of pathology. Subsequently, with the development protective system immune mechanisms inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, preventing the latter from breaking the skin barrier. However, as soon as immunity decreases, the secretion of the sebaceous glands increases - it’s a great time for mushrooms. Their vital activity increases several times, and a person cannot cope with their pressure. As a result, a disease develops.

Symptoms of the disease

How to remove a crust on a child’s head - this question arises in parents as soon as they see what is happening to the child’s skin. Manifestations of the disease, although unpleasant in appearance, do not cause much concern to the child. None common symptoms like weakness, fever, etc. not visible. Therefore, the sore cannot be called severe. However, there are quite obvious differences between seborrhea in newborns and infants from the same pathology in older children and adults.

Manifestations of the disease in newborns and infants

Babies are primarily concerned, of course, with seborrheic crusts. They are also called milk crusts, but there is no such term in pediatrics. They appear already on the 14-21st day of a baby’s life.

The pathology debuts with a rash in the ear area (in the folds behind the ears), on the scalp. Rarely changes affect the skin of the forehead and cheeks.

Why there? In small children, the sebaceous glands do not yet work actively, because practically does not function endocrine system generally. But they have maternal hormones in their blood. These substances have tropism (i.e., they have the most significant effects) to the sebocytes of the head, located near the hair follicles.

A very rapid desquamation of epithelial cells begins (due to toxic effect fatty acids). Exfoliated cells are saturated with fat, which is actively produced by sebocytes. As a result, gneiss forms on top of the rash - those same crusts.

Extremely in rare cases the disease spreads throughout the body, affecting the groin area, knee and elbow bends, and tummy. Usually, all symptoms go away on their own within a few (4-5) weeks. In extreme cases, symptoms may disappear and reappear before the child is one year old. Then they disappear completely.

Gneiss is almost never accompanied by itching or pain and usually does not cause any concern to the baby. There is no weeping or sweating of the rash tissue fluid. This increases the feeling of dryness and tightness of the skin.

However, just because the rash does not “open” does not reduce the risk of infection. If an infection occurs, pyoderma develops - purulent inflammation skin, provoked by staphylococci and streptococci. Exudate (wetting), itching, painful sensations, the child becomes restless and capricious.

Often parents, not knowing how to remove a crust on a child’s head, begin to “pick” at it, trying to remove it with their fingernails. This cannot be done - the risk of infection increases several times!

Dermatologists distinguish two stages of the disease:

Easy. The rash and the gneiss covering it are found only on the scalp (sometimes on the ears, cheeks, rarely on the forehead) and do not spread. The general condition is not impaired;
Moderate weight. Rashes and crusts spread to the body and limbs.

But if the symptoms of seborrhea are accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, and there is also a delay physical development(underweight) – it’s time to sound the alarm! Perhaps the baby has developed desquamative Leiner's erythroderma, and this is a very serious pathology that requires urgent medical attention.

Seborrhea in children 3 years and older

The disease occurs in children both one and two years old. Often, parents who dealt with the pathology when their child was in infancy practically do not pay attention to the newly appearing symptoms. Their answer to the question of how to remove a crust on a child’s head is simple advice: wait, it will go away on its own. In most cases, it proceeds in the same way as in infants - scaly gneiss appears on top of the papular rash. The skin doesn't itch, nothing hurts, the kids don't worry.

Crusts on the head of a 3-year-old child are a fairly common occurrence. Perhaps this is due to the serious stress of the three-year-old little man - recording in kindergarten. However, they look a little different from the “baby” ones. There are rare cases when a 3-4 year old child develops “milk” crusts. The formations, firstly, are less dense, there are usually fewer of them, and they become more and more similar to dandruff in the usual sense.

In children of this age, “scales” begin to appear on the eyebrows and on the wings of the nose. The skin peels not only on the head, but also on the body - in the elbows and knees, on the chest and back. Crusts are formed by the same mechanism as in infants.

If crusts appear on the head of a child 5 years of age or older, a chronic form of the pathology has most likely developed. This means that there are periods of remission (“health”) and exacerbation, determined by the general condition of the body. It is likely that any disease (banal acute respiratory infection) will cause the appearance of a new “portion” of crusts.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is the choice of one from a list of diseases that are similar to each other. This stage is extremely important (and evidence-based medicine, and even more so in self-medication). After all, if you draw the wrong conclusion and start treatment for the “wrong reason,” you can worsen the situation.

First of all, let's talk about psoriasis. It is necessary to understand how it differs from seborrheic dermatitis. Despite the fact that outwardly these diseases may resemble each other (especially to the average person), there is a difference:

with seborrhea, lesions are almost always only on the scalp, psoriatic rashes are spread throughout the body;
psoriasis looks like a large focal rash - there are white scales on bright red papules, but seborrheic dermatitis is just crusts on the surface of the skin;
with psoriasis, the peripheral part of the rash is not covered with white scales;
The scales themselves are oily in dermatitis, yellowish color, and with psoriasis – white, dry;
When you try to remove the crust, the seborrheic lesions come off, usually painlessly. But with the second pathology, this “number” will not work - the process causes discomfort, the skin under the scales begins to bleed.

The second disease is atopic dermatitis. It is allergic in nature, is hereditary and does not go away on its own.

Atopic dermatitis:

begins in children older than 3 months;
characterized by intense itching;
manifests itself as a rash on the face, in the area of the elbows and knees, rarely in the head area;
the rash tends to ooze.

So now everything necessary information information about seborrheic dermatitis has been collected, and treatment can begin. Of course, it is best to consult a pediatrician (and if we are talking about a newborn or infant, this is completely required condition). The specialist, firstly, will clarify the diagnosis, and, secondly, will recommend treatment that is suitable for your baby. But if you are confident in the diagnosis and decide to treat yourself, how to remove a crust on a child’s head?

Treatment of seborrhea

In fact, big question: if seborrheic dermatitis develops in children, is treatment necessary, at least at home? In infants, this disease goes away on its own by 6-8, maximum 10 weeks of life. There are extremely rare cases when it is “delayed” for up to a year. Dr. Komarovsky, for example, does not consider seborrheic dermatitis a serious problem and mentions that it goes away on its own without causing any particular inconvenience to children.

However, if the baby gets more and more crusts, they cause him anxiety, they itch, get wet, the skin turns significantly red, it is better to start treatment. " Preventive therapy» is also necessary if the baby is prone to allergies, skin pustular infections, soreness.

The “first line” of treatment is the use of specialized shampoos and combing, i.e. a combination of therapy with pharmaceutical drugs and folk remedies.

The Mustela line of products for children can boast of excellent recommendations. This is Mustela Bebe Foam-shampoo for crusts on the head of a newborn baby and infant, as well as “Friderm tar” for older children. You can use a combination of Mustela Stelaker cream (applying it to the baby’s head at night) and antiseborrheic shampoos.

If “simple” exfoliating shampoos do not help, resort to antifungal agents.

One of the most effective is Nizoral shampoo, which is based on the antimycotic substance ketoconazole. Shampoo “Kelual D.S.” is effective against the fungus Malassezia furfur.

Typically, antiseborrheic agents are used 1-2 times a week. If you need to wash your hair more often, you can use regular hypoallergenic baby shampoo.

After washing your hair, you can mechanically remove the manifestations of seborrhea. How to comb out a crust on a child's head? Firstly, comb it out, but do not remove it with a fingernail - you can injure the skin and leave a scar. Secondly, this needs to be done with a comb, very carefully. And if the baby breaks out, screams and resists, don’t insist.

You can use oil to soften the scales. Any will do baby remedy(for example, “Johnsons Baby”), to which the baby is not allergic, as well as ordinary olive or burdock oil.

Tar soap for seborrheic dermatitis, judging by the reviews, does not help at all worse than means Mustela lines. In principle, there are no prohibitions on its use, but be sure to use oil or cream in combination with it. Bioderma Sensibio D.S. is considered an effective product. “Zinocap” ointment, which is an analogue of the famous “Skin-cap,” is used as an emollient.

It is permissible to use special medicinal ointments containing antifungal, hormonal and antibiotic components. For example, “Pimafucort” treats seborrheic dermatitis in both adults and children over 1 year of age. But metronidazole is not recommended for use as a drug of choice.

The question is, is fluconazole used for seborrheic dermatitis in children? – has a fairly clear answer: only from the age of four. Tablets for seborrheic dermatitis are prescribed extremely rarely, only in the presence of complications or in adulthood.

Thus, no matter how frightening and unpleasant the symptoms of seborrhea may be, it should not be considered a truly serious disease. In a newborn, therapy for this pathology is not necessary if the baby feels well. But in general, knowing how to remove a crust on a child’s head is important and necessary in order to quickly navigate and help your child.

But it is almost impossible to prevent this disease. Only general advice will be relevant:

do not dress the baby too warmly;
use high-quality, natural bed linen;
prevent the development of allergies;
treat emerging diseases in a timely and efficient manner, Special attention paying attention to the state of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dear readers, I hope you got answers to your questions from this article. If you found it useful, please share it with your friends on social media. networks using the buttons below.

It is important to know! An effective remedy for There are sores on the head! Follow the link and find out what doctors recommend... ...

A fairly common problem is crusts on the head of a 2-year-old child. The first thing to do in such a situation is to eliminate panic. This phenomenon in children under three years of age is not dangerous, but occurs quite often.

If crusts are on the baby's head, then this is normal. They are also called generic.

A common cause of the appearance of yellowish crusts on the scalp is the overactive work of the sebaceous glands. That is, discharge cannot be easily removed from a newborn during normal bathing. The liquid dries out and a crust accumulates. Naturally, they look ugly in appearance, but you shouldn’t be too upset, because the baby doesn’t feel any discomfort.

In the language of pediatricians, yellow crusts are called seborrheic dermatitis. If this phenomenon is treated correctly and competently, it will disappear without a trace over time. As a rule, this takes from 1 to 3 months.

1 Reasons for crust formation

Seborrheic dermatitis was known back in the 19th century. Then this disease was called xerosis. Active development of the sebaceous glands has been described. Seborrhea as an ailment is most typical for newborns, but there are cases when children under 14 years of age also suffer from this form of dermatitis.

Scalp problems?

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To this day, there is no scientifically proven cause of the disease.

Among the factors influencing the appearance of crusts on the head are:

changes in hormonal levels, its sharp imbalance;
disruption of the formation and development of the sebaceous glands (causes include the presence of infections or other diseases during pregnancy);
genetic predisposition, that is, susceptibility to allergens can be transmitted from parents;
insufficient content of vitamin B in the body, namely biotin (it is a control lever for metabolism);
Older children (from two years old) may suffer from seborrheic dermatitis due to dysfunction of the thyroid gland or pathologies of the nervous system.

According to statistics, the most frequent cases of crusts appearing are observed in the cool season.

2 Clinical manifestations of seborrheic dermatitis

Most often, crusts may appear on the scalp in infants (2 weeks - 4 months of age) or children under 14 years of age. They cover scalp, as a rule, unevenly. Sometimes, layered formations may occur. Scales develop as a result of mass reproduction of the fungus.

As for the localization of the lesion, it is the scalp, eyebrows, sometimes the ears, groin area, wings of the nose or armpits of a child. Therefore, it is clear that it depends on the location of the sebaceous glands.

As a rule, seborrheic crusts do not cause severe discomfort in the baby. However, if there is a place for a pathogenic infection, then the consequences cannot be avoided. If it penetrates, the skin will become inflamed, and there will be an increase in temperature in the area of redness.

If you notice symptoms in your baby, you should immediately consult a doctor and begin an examination.

3 Classification of seborrheic dermatitis in children

According to clinical manifestations, seborrhea is divided into various forms:

fat;
dry;
combined;
physiological.

The appearance of the oily form is caused by overactivity of the sebaceous glands. As a result, large scales begin to form, which stick together into a durable layer. Increased oiliness of the skin becomes a provocateur for the activity of pathogenic microbes. The development of this type of dermatitis in children during puberty contributes to the appearance acne and acne.

If the disease is caused by a dry form of seborrhea, then this happens as a result of a lack of activity of the sebaceous glands. This variety is typical for babies in the first year of life. The emerging scales form a film on the head, but they are quite easily separated from the surface of the skin. The crusts range in color from yellow-whitish to white-grayish. At this time, the baby's hair becomes thinner, breaks, and may fall out. The appearance of bald spots on a child's head is a common occurrence with seborrheic dermatitis.

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In the dry form, pinkish-reddish spots may appear.

The combined type of seborrhea is the result of a fusion of symptoms of several types of illness. Clinically, the disease may appear as dry scales on the child’s head, and an oily surface on the face, behind the ears.

The physiological form of seborrheic crusts is characterized by acne and other skin lesions. This is due to the fact that there is a restructuring of the usual functioning of the sebaceous glands.

4 Treatment of the disease

In many cases, the manifestations of seborrheic dermatitis go away without consequences. However, some of them may carry symptoms quite serious illnesses. Examples include exudative diathesis, atopic dermatitis or psoriasis.

Seborrheic lesions, coupled with insufficient body weight of the baby according to age, are a symptom of the manifestation and development of Leiner's erythroderma.

Thanks to the fact that the mother will quickly notice the changes and also consult a doctor, it will be possible to make the correct diagnosis and carry out competent treatment.

The primary solution is to convince yourself that the child has seborrheic dermatitis. You should carefully observe the baby's scalp during water procedures and toilet. When combing scales, it is important not to injure the skin. Thus, damage can lead to the proliferation of pathogenic infections. Sometimes redness on the skin and increased discharge occur.

During complex treatment One of the most important steps is to thoroughly wash your hair and scalp. For this, only specialized and completely hypoallergenic shampoo or detergent is used. Seborrheic crusts themselves should be removed from the skin carefully. You can’t just pick and tear off the scales, as this can cause damage to the epithelium. It is worth understanding that the infection penetrates into the affected areas quickly, and treatment will not be easy.

First, you should take sterile Vaseline or other cosmetic oil and apply it to the scalp. For better absorption and softening of the crusts, put on a cap for 15-20 minutes. After which you should thoroughly wash your hair using a special shampoo. You should comb your hair with a soft brush. With these simple steps you can get rid of crusts on your baby’s head without damage.

It is important to understand that seborrheic dermatitis can occur either without a trace or with consequences. The disease can progress. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly rinse the child’s head. There is no need to be afraid that you can easily harm your hair and skin. This is wrong. Insufficient combing and shampooing may not get rid of the crusts. It is important to clear the ducts of sebaceous gland secretions.

Most children suffering from seborrheic dermatitis between the ages of 2 weeks and 4 months completely get rid of the pathology by the beginning of the 5th month of life.

5 Prevention

There is no point in relaxing after the disease has subsided. Parents must clearly understand that prevention is better than cure. Therefore, in the arsenal of baby care products there should be a place for antiseborrheic shampoo. Using this remedy, you can reduce the risk of inflammation of the skin and minimize the activity of yeast-like fungi.

After taking a bath, be sure to apply a cream with a drying effect to your baby’s hair. Head monitoring is a must. If discomfort, allergic reactions, itching, peeling and other signs occur, you should immediately stop using the cream. Your pediatrician will be able to advise alternative means for caring for baby's skin and hair.

For the purpose of prevention, it is worth not only strictly observing hygiene rules, but also eating right, since the appearance of dermatitis can be caused by allergies. It is better to exclude from the baby’s diet foods that can provoke it. It is important that the child’s (or nursing mother’s) diet contains food with high content vitamins such as A and C. Daily consumption of B elements is also mandatory.

Timely detection of the disease, contacting a specialist and competent therapy will be the key to Get well soon and excluding relapse.

And a little about secrets...

You may have already tried some remedies to solve scalp problems:

oils
vitamins
shampoos

All of them only fight external manifestations on the skin, but do not eliminate the cause; to get rid of crusts, pimples, red spots, lichen and dandruff on the head, read an interview with Dr. Sergei Rykov, where he explains in detail the cause of these skin problems, read HERE!

Scabs and milky crusts on a child’s head always cause concern for the parent. This problem is widespread - almost half of babies have it to one degree or another. These skin manifestations are not a disease when it comes to infants under 4 months of age. If seborrhea manifests itself later, this is already a variant of dermatitis that needs treatment.

Features of the disease

Seborrhea is an inflammatory process involving the sebaceous glands. It can be of allergic and non-allergic origin. The cells of the sebaceous glands, sebocytes, produce the skin's fatty secretion - lard. The appearance of crusts is due to the fact that yeast-like fungi from the Malassezia furfur family settle on the surface of the skin, which actively feeds on the products of the sebaceous glands. One of the varieties causes seborrhea of the scalp, the other - the rest of the skin.

Photo of seborrhea in children on the head

In infants, the epidermis is still poorly developed, and the work of the sweat and sebaceous glands is just being adjusted. Most often, the sebaceous glands work too actively, and the sweat glands are not yet enough. As a result, the skin becomes easily vulnerable to any factors, including infections and various fungi.

Causes of crusts

Experts have not yet definitively decided what causes seborrheic dermatitis in infants. However, the main reasons are believed to be:

non-compliance with nutritional rules;
overheating of the skin;
sweating;
reaction to hygiene products;
failure to comply with hygiene rules.

Immaturity of the digestive system also provokes the development of dermatitis. While the body does not produce enough enzymes, new foods can cause skin rashes. A lack of vitamins B and PP in breast milk can lead to the baby suffering from the appearance of milk crusts.

Sometimes seborrhea in infants is provoked by infectious diseases suffered by the mother during pregnancy, various congenital anomalies, pathologies and immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract.

In children over 2-3 years old, crusts on the head can cause:

allergic reactions;
stress;
medications;
eating disorders;
dysbiosis and malabsorption of nutrients in the intestine;
Rarely washing your hair or using detergents that are inappropriate for your age.

In adolescence, seborrhea of the scalp is caused by:

Hormonal changes.
Stress.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Poor nutrition.

At any age, overheating of the skin causes activation of the sebaceous glands. This inevitably leads to the appearance of crusts.

Heredity plays virtually no role. Numerous studies have shown that the appearance of crusts in a newborn has no connection with whether his parents had similar phenomena in childhood.

Symptoms

In the photo there are crusts on the baby's head

A scab can appear as early as 2-3 weeks of a child’s life. Sometimes they spread to the eyebrows, forehead, behind-the-ear areas, and cheeks. The scales are easily separated from the skin. In children over 3 years old, seborrhea can occur in oily, dry and mixed types. With the oily type, the scales form crusts around the hair follicles. When dry, they are scattered over the entire surface of the head, forming grayish crusts. In this case, the hair underneath breaks and falls out. In adolescence, these two forms combine with each other, forming a mixed form.

Important: Unlike other types of skin lesions, seborrheic dermatitis does not cause itching, discomfort, pain or irritation.

If the scales are difficult to separate, and wounds remain after them, then there is a completely different skin lesion that requires special treatment. Since infant seborrheic dermatitis does not cause itching, there should be no scratching. If they are present, most likely it is a seborrheic type of atopic or allergic dermatitis. Seboric dermatitis differs from psoriasis in that psoriasis has a rash that is not covered with scales.

Diagnostics

Treatment of seborrheic crusts in children

Classic seborrheic dermatitis in infants goes away on its own by three months, or in extreme cases by six months to a year. However, this does not mean that there is no need to fight scabs, because an untidy appearance of the head does not make a child look good. Moreover, in large quantities, crusts can already cause discomfort.

Do not pick out the crusts and comb them out with sharp combs. This can damage the skin and cause infection.

The easiest and most effective way is combing. To do this, two hours before the expected time of bathing, the crusts are generously lubricated with oil. This can be a special oil for baby skin care or any vegetable oil, preferably olive or almond. Next, a cap is put on the baby’s head. In 2 hours the crusts become soft.

During bathing, wash your hair as usual. Then the skin is blotted and the crusts are carefully combed out with a comb with blunt, rounded teeth. To wash your hair, you can use special shampoos to remove crusts. Mustela and other manufacturers have such lines. If there are a lot of crusts, then the next bathing the procedure will have to be repeated. The hair of older children can be washed with antiseborrheic agents such as Nizoral, Quelual. Among the folk remedies, but very effective, we can recommend tar soap.

As a rule, drug treatment is not required. Only in severe cases after four years can fluconazole or metronidazole be used. No pills are prescribed in preschool age. If the course is prolonged, older children may benefit from Zinocap and Pimafucort ointments.

Prevention

Antihistamines and antibacterial drugs, antifungal ointments, together with vitamin complexes, are used for chronic forms of seborrheic dermatitis in children over 4-5 years of age and in adolescents.

Diet for children

carbonated drinks;
sweets;
nuts;
smoked meats, pickles, marinades;
fast food;
chocolate;

Forecast

Seborrheic dermatitis in infants, as a rule, goes away without a trace and does not lead to allergic diseases in the future. If it is detected in children over 7 years of age, it can then be complicated by atopic dermatitis, allergic reactions or erythroderma. But in most cases, with adequate therapy, skin problems completely disappear by adulthood.

Crusts on a child’s head: causes

Fluctuations in hormonal levels.
Hereditary predisposition (sometimes this disease can be transmitted from parents).
Lack of vitamins in the body, especially vitamin B.
Disorders of the nervous system or thyroid gland (in older children).
Overheating of the head or, conversely, hypothermia.

The reasons for the development of seborrhea should also be looked for among the products that are used to wash the child: they may contain allergic additives.

Crusts on the head of a 5 year old child

Their appearance can be caused by poor hygiene, disruption of the sebaceous glands caused by infectious diseases of the mother during pregnancy, or problems with hormones. Usually the crust is very dense and has a gray or yellowish tint. You should not try to remove it so as not to damage the skin.

The best way to deal with the problem is to use well-sterilized oil, which you need to carefully lubricate the affected areas, then put on a cap and leave for 15-20 minutes. Vaseline or salicylic ointment are also suitable for this purpose. At the end of the procedure, you need to wash the child’s hair well and remove the remaining crusts. A comb made of natural material with sparse teeth is suitable for combing, and you can remove any remaining crusts with a soft brush.

How to remove crusts on a child's head

The main way you can’t do without in the fight against scabs is combing. In addition, you will need a special product, such as a children's exfoliating cream. The child's head should be washed well, patted with a towel and applied to the entire surface of the head. The cream should be left on the head overnight under a cap made of natural material. In the morning, you should comb out all the crusts well, rinse and dry your hair.

If this does not help, it is better to consult a doctor who will examine the child and prescribe therapeutic treatment.

To avoid relapse, great attention should be paid to the prevention of dermatitis. Try using a special antiseborrheic shampoo, it helps reduce the activity of the fungus and relieve skin inflammation.

You should also avoid washing your hair too often. This causes dry skin, which activates the sebaceous glands and can cause thickening of the crusts.

Do not wrap children too much in warm clothes when this is not necessary: sweating can provoke the development of seborrhea.

It is very important to regularly examine the child’s head for peeling, itching, and allergic reactions. Together with your pediatrician, you should select a good drying cream for your child.

Since the appearance of dermatitis is sometimes associated with allergies, it is recommended to create a special diet. It is necessary to exclude from the menu foods that cause a negative reaction in the body: fatty foods, sweets, flour. It is imperative to increase your consumption of foods containing vitamins A, B and C.

Timely treatment and regular prevention will help your child get rid of this disease.

Already in the first weeks of a newborn’s life, small crusts can be seen on his head or in the upper part of his face. yellow color, greasy to the touch and completely unaesthetic from a visual point of view. This is a seborrheic crust, also called “milk crust” or “cradle cap”.

This phenomenon, characteristic of every third baby, is practically harmless and is in no way related to the child’s health or lack of hygiene.
Even if you don't do anything with them, In the vast majority of babies, the crusts completely disappear on their own by 9-12 months . However, the main problem with seborrheic crust is that it is not aesthetically pleasing. In addition, it may contain bacteria or fungus.

Therefore, most parents prefer to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Why do crusts appear?

The appearance of a seborrheic crust on the head of infants is a common phenomenon, regardless of whether the child has hair or not yet.

The main reason for their appearance is a natural process that occurs by itself. It's a matter of very gentle and sensitive skin newborns, in the unregulated process of thermoregulation and the peculiarities of the functioning of glands such as sebaceous and sweat glands , normal operation which will begin by 5-7 years. Until this happens and the processes are not regulated, these pale yellow crusts form on the babies’ heads.

In addition, some actions of overly caring parents can contribute to the formation and development of seborrheic crusts.

What are these actions?

Excessive wrapping of infants . If you constantly wrap up a child in a warm room and put caps and caps on him endlessly, the sweat glands begin to work more actively, as a result, the formation of crusts is inevitable.
Too much frequent washing using funds household chemicals . Even the safest cosmetics for the care of infants, if used too often, can aggravate the situation rather than eliminate the problem.

Getting rid of seborrheic crusts

Despite the fact that the presence of seborrheic crusts on the head of a newborn is not a disease, they still should not be ignored.

The first thing to do in the fight against them is to eliminate allergic reaction, which may be related to nutrition. For example, this may be a reaction to an adapted milk formula or if the child is breastfed. So it's allergic dangerous products Mom should exclude it from her diet.

If parents know for sure that an ugly crust covering the child’s head is not a consequence of an allergy, then a number of measures can be taken to combat it.

Stop wrapping up your child . If the room is warm and the air temperature does not drop below 24 degrees, there is no need to dress the child warmly. Just like there is no need to constantly keep your baby in hats and caps.
Minimize or completely stop using any cosmetic care products . If you really want to wash your child’s hair, then the best remedy than usual baby soap, cannot be found, and then this should be done no more than once a week.
If your baby is lucky and was born with a full head of hair, you will have to start using a comb . It should be special - for children, so that the bristles are made only from natural materials.

How do you get rid of the problem in most cases?

Step 1 - soften the crusts before bathing

To do this, use regular vegetable, olive or baby cosmetic oil, Vaseline or salicylic ointment. One of these products is applied to the scalp, then a cotton cap is put on and left on the head for about one hour.

After this time, the cap is removed, and the head is very carefully combed or smoothed with a comb-brush with soft bristles, without rubbing or pressing on the comb.

Step 2 - wash your hair using soap or baby shampoo

There is no need to try to get rid of crusts in one procedure. Just like you don’t need to soap your hair several times during one bath.

The fight against seborrheic crusts is a case where any haste is useless, and patience and systematicity will lead to a good result.

Step 3 is the final stage in the procedure

At this stage, after the hair has dried, the baby’s head is carefully and carefully combed. First, with a comb with blunt teeth (they will “scrape off” some crusts), then with a brush (and it will “sweep” the crumbled scales out of the hair).

As already mentioned, there is no need to be too zealous in trying to get rid of ugly growths on a child’s head. It is recommended to carry out this procedure no more than once a week.

In most cases, these measures are enough for the crusts to gradually disappear.

If this does not happen and the situation only worsens, this may be a reason to contact a doctor who can clearly determine the real reason their occurrence and give recommendations on how to get rid of crusts once and for all.

Prohibited tricks

There is still no consensus among doctors about whether it is necessary to specifically remove seborrheic tumors from the baby’s head or whether it is enough to simply maintain the child’s hygiene and wait until all the crusts “fall off” on their own.

There are actually few restrictions, and they are related to the ban on “scraping” crusts from the child’s head with any hard objects or nails. These actions can harm the baby, injure the skin, and cause pain to the child.

Parents need to learn once and for all that, no matter how much they would like to speed up the process of getting rid of unaesthetic growths, applying any mechanical force is prohibited.

Special products to combat seborrheic crusts

The simplest and available means fight against crusts are vegetable, olive, burdock or baby cosmetic oils and regular baby soap. They have proven themselves to be the most reliable and safe.

However, if parents prefer to use only modern cosmetics to care for their baby, they need to pay attention to a number of products.

Baby creams and shampoos of the Mustela brand.
Children's shampoo "Biolane".
Special baby oil “BabyBorn” , designed to remove seborrheic crust of any degree of complexity.

For example, among cosmetic products of the Mustela brand STELAKER cream is especially popular. The manufacturer assures that this product is intended to remove seborrheic crusts, due to which it is possible to remove a defect on the skin in the shortest possible time.

Shampoo "Biolane" very popular among modern parents, it moisturizes the baby's skin, softens the crusts and facilitates the process of removing them.

BabyBorn oil - a special cosmetic product with a highly specialized spectrum of action. It is positioned as a product that has no analogues on the domestic cosmetic market, and is intended to combat seborrheic crusts in newborns. The oil contains components that not only help remove crusts, but also prevent their new appearance.

As is already known, seborrheic crust on the skin of babies is a widespread phenomenon and is not a disease. With proper attention and care, in most cases, any parents can cope with this problem.

The main thing is to take everything on time necessary measures, and there will be one less problem in the difficult task of caring for a newborn baby!