After many babies are born, the top of their heads will be greasy and grayish yellow scales, and a few will be linked into scabs, which looks very unhygienic. So Baoma always wants to wash and dig, in short, she just wants to remove it. But then the neighbor said: “The baby born just can’t wash his hair, otherwise he will have a serious illness”.
Baoma struggled. Is the scab skin on the baby’s head what? How can get rid of it?
The scab skin on the head is mostly seborrheic dermatitis.
The scab skin on the head is often called [scab] (Chinese folk also call it a kind of [fetal poison]), which is essentially a special manifestation of seborrheic dermatitis in infants.
Callus is quite common, usually manifested as a small piece of scales on the top of the head, but sometimes it will appear in the eyebrow arch, ears, nose and other positions.
The exact cause of the scab is not clear, but it is mostly believed that the sebaceous glands secrete excess oil. Babies will inherit some hormones from their mothers at birth, and these residual hormones may be responsible for the excess oil secretion.
The scab will not be contagious, nor is it a manifestation of not loving cleanliness, so don’t worry too much. As long as the care is proper, it will gradually improve and disappear when the baby is about 3-4 weeks old.
How should scab be cared for?
Unlike itchy and uncomfortable eczema, scab hardly affects children, but this less beautiful scab skin may affect parents’ feelings. In addition, if not properly cared for, it may also be accompanied by bacterial infection.
Therefore, no matter for the sake of beauty or disease prevention, we should do a good job in nursing the scab.
1. Wash your hair frequently, once a day
Wash once a day, but pay attention to choose baby shampoo to reduce irritation. After the scab disappears, it can be reduced to twice a week. During the washing process, you can also use a particularly soft small brush or sponge to wipe lightly, which will achieve better results.
But don’t want to remove the scab at once, which may cause damage to the child’s scalp.
2. Use mineral oil when necessary
If the shampoo effect is not obvious, you can consider using mineral oil (such as baby oil) to wipe:
(1) Dip cotton swabs in mineral oil, then evenly smear them on the area with scabs and soak for 15 minutes;
(2) After 15 minutes, gently wipe with a soft brush or sponge;
(3) Finally, clean the mineral oil with shampoo.
If the baby does not cooperate, it can be done after he falls asleep.
3. Moisturize your baby’s scalp
Dry heating in winter will worsen the condition of dry skin crusting, so humidifiers are also essential.
Circumstances requiring attention
The scab shell on the top of the head is only a manifestation, so it is difficult to accurately judge whether it is seborrheic dermatitis or other diseases. When the following situations occur, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible and let the doctor judge:
-
After trying the above methods at home, the scab still does not improve and disappears (usually in about 4 weeks);
-
The scab develops from the top of the head to other places, such as the face and back.
-
Alopecia or pus appeared at the place where the scab occurred.
-
Bacteria are easy to breed in the scab, and infection is more likely to occur if the baby’s immune function is low. Therefore, babies with low immune function should also seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
Click to view > > what has low immune function
Responsible Editor: Hugh