What should you know about cradle cap red scalp?

Cradle cap is infantile seborrheic dermatitis, a scalp rash that can produce flakes or thicker yellowish scale. The skin underneath may look pink or red. Colour can be harder to judge on deeper skin tones, so warmth, swelling, tenderness, texture, and discharge are useful clues too. A red scalp may reflect irritation from scale or rubbing, but the appearance alone cannot confirm the cause. If the rash is spreading or looks different from usual, an examination is worthwhile.

Use a mild cleanser and lukewarm water, then pat the scalp dry. Loosen scale only after it has softened, and use a soft brush with light strokes. Avoid picking, vigorous massage, fragranced oils, and adult dandruff shampoos. If your clinician recommends an emollient, follow the product directions and keep it away from the eyes; Emollient Therapy provides related treatment information. Keep nails short if the baby rubs the scalp, and note whether the area is improving or becoming more inflamed.

Arrange care for redness that persists, expands, becomes tender, or is accompanied by warmth, swelling, cracks, bleeding, or discharge. Seek prompt help if the baby has fever, reduced feeding, marked sleepiness, or seems unwell. Medical review is also sensible when the rash affects other areas or returns soon after it settles.

Ask how to judge improvement on your baby's skin tone, whether any current product is irritating the scalp, and how often to wash it. Ask whether Topical Antifungal Treatment has a role if the clinician sees features suggesting yeast-related inflammation.