Yellow crusts on the head of an infant are seborrheic dermatitis, which appears due to excessive secretion of fat. Crusts do not indicate any diseases, but you can not leave them unattended. Sometimes they can occur on the eyebrows and other parts of the baby’s body. It happens that they appear in the first days after birth or closer to a year. Seborrheic dermatitis does not require medical treatment, and usually it disappears on its own.
Key features
Many mothers know how seborrheic dermatitis looks on the head of the baby, because it occurs quite often. It can be:
- Yellowish crusts that cover partially or completely the scalp of the baby’s head. Their greatest concentration can occur in the parietal part. Flakes accumulate in a dense layer.
- Crusts can form on other parts of the body. In rare cases, they are found on the neck, on the face and behind the ears.
- Yellow crusts on the head are not accompanied by inflammation and do not cause irritation. In this they differ from atopic dermatitis.
- Crusts look unattractive, but do not cause itching. They do not cause a child negative feelings.
Yellow crusts on the head of a newborn are most actively manifested from the age of 10 days to 3 months. How long will they last? It depends on the individual characteristics of the baby’s body.
Most often, the crusts on the head of a child disappear without a trace before the age of one year, and sometimes they persist until 2-4 years. Being under the hairline, they do not cause any difficulties when combing the baby.
Causes of yellow crusts
Experts have not established the exact causes that lead to the appearance of seborrheic dermatitis. There are only the following assumptions:
- The process of formation of the endocrine system. With the development in the womb, the child receives the necessary hormones from her. After his birth, their conclusion begins, which causes a malfunction in the endocrine system. The activity of the sebaceous glands is enhanced, and excess fat accumulates on the skin in the form of scabs. Thus, yellow crusts form on the head of the baby.
- The negative influence of an external stimulus. Crusts may appear due to prolonged wearing of a hat. They can provoke sweat and heat. Frequent shampooing can also cause flakes. Incorrectly selected shampoo causes drying of the upper layer of the skin. This is what provokes a malfunction in the activity of the sebaceous glands.
- The quality of food. The occurrence of seborrhea on the scalp of a baby may be the response of his body to an unbalanced nutrition of the mother. It is possible that with breast milk the baby receives certain substances that affect its endocrine system. The same applies to artificial feeding. After all, the mixture can be poorly tolerated by the children's body and provoke the appearance of crusts with early feeding.
- Activation of the opportunistic fungus Malassezia furfur. He constantly lives in the skin of a person. Hormonal failure contributes to the rapid multiplication of the fungus and the appearance of yellow crusts.
- Due to the fact that the baby’s immune system is not yet very developed, the above fungus multiplies, causing the sebaceous glands to break down.
- Light weight, infectious diseases and heredity also negatively affect the immune system, which can lead to crusts.
How is seborrheic dermatitis determined
Only a specialist can accurately diagnose. A dermatologist, by comparing all the signs, is able to distinguish pathology from ringworm, psoriasis, and an infectious skin disease. The diagnosis is established during an external examination and based on the results of analyzes.
The origin of the yellow crusts on the head of the baby is determined using a biopsy of the skin, mycological examination of scales and studying the state of the hormonal background of the baby.
What treatment is carried out
Yellow crusts on the head of the baby do not pose a threat to the baby's life. Treatment of seborrhea does not require the use of serious medicines, it can disappear from the skin on its own over time. In order to quickly get rid of unpleasant seborrhea, in many cases pediatricians recommend the following measures:
- Lubricate the crusts on the head, neck and eyebrows with oil. For this, the following types can be used: peach, almond or olive. The tool can be purchased in vials or as a spray.
- Various cleansing creams and emulsions can be used to treat rashes. Under their influence, the crusts soften, but combing them out is not recommended; it is enough to wash the baby’s head thoroughly. And remove the remains with your hands. In addition, the composition of cosmetics includes substances that regulate the functioning of the sebaceous glands. Increased sebum secretion gradually decreases, and crusts do not form. It is best to apply the product at night, and carefully remove the scales in the morning.
- You can wash the head of the baby with antiseborrheic shampoos. They are applied to wet hair and rubbed until foam. After holding for 5 minutes, the shampoo is washed off. There are several types of funds, a pediatrician will help you choose the most effective one.
- Moms can use dermatological creams. They are applied to the scalp twice a day, without rinsing. Creams are effective against microbes, they are able to quickly restore the sebaceous glands.
Any of these funds should be used only after being appointed as a specialist, but not more than 2 times a day. In addition to medicines, you can get rid of yellow crusts on the baby on the head with the help of traditional medicine. There are gentle and proven methods.
Traditional medicine
How to remove yellow crusts from the head of a baby? The main method of treatment includes the use of various oils: sea buckthorn, sunflower or olive. They are able to soften the scales, which will allow mom to easily remove them. The treatment process is as follows:
- The affected area is generously lubricated with oil and left for 20 minutes. Before the session, do not moisten the hair of the baby.
- In order for the crusts to soften well, a headdress must be put on the baby's head.
- Using a soft brush, parents carefully remove the crusts from the head.
- The hair of the baby is washed with shampoo to wash off the remaining oil.
- If after that the scales remained on the scalp, they pass through them again.
The same method will help remove the crust on the eyebrows and behind the ears. Parents should monitor the effects of cream or shampoo. If an allergic reaction occurs, the use of this agent should be discarded.
What can not be done
If the parents found yellow crusts on the child’s head, then stripping them from dry skin is prohibited. This will lead to the appearance of new flakes.
Also, this method of getting rid of crusts can lead to wounds on the head. This leads to infection and worsening.
What complications can seborrhea cause?
Complications can occur under the influence of the following negative factors: improper care, unbalanced nutrition or drying out of the skin. Only in such cases, the yellow crusts on the head of the baby represent a depressing state. The negative consequences include:
- An increase in the area of lesions with scales. They may occupy other parts of the body, causing itching and redness. Atopic dermatitis sometimes develops with an existing hereditary predisposition.
- Through wounds or abrasions in the area of seborrhea, the skin can become infected with streptococci and staphylococci, which leads to suppuration.
If such symptoms occur, the baby should be urgently shown to a specialist. Indeed, in such a situation, more serious treatment will be needed.
Preventive measures
With the successful elimination of the problem, mothers are looking for solutions that can prevent its recurrence in the future. Dr. Komarovsky offers women during lactation to eat right, reducing the amount of fat and carbohydrates in the diet. After all, this directly affects the fat content of milk.
Other preventive measures include:
- Maintaining the necessary humidity in the room.
- Use after bathing baby moisturizers. This will protect the skin from drying out.
- If yellow crusts are accompanied by itching and redness, then this may indicate the occurrence of allergies. In such a situation, proper treatment by a specialist is required.
- The baby needs to be worn according to the weather, should not be overly wrapped. If the child’s crown and feet are dry, then he is dressed correctly.
These measures are relevant not only during the treatment of crusts, but also after getting rid of them.
Conclusion
If the baby has yellow crusts on her head, mother should not be upset. They are completely harmless and are treated with simple means.