How to get rid of the crust on the head of a child. Crusts on the head of a newborn - causes and how to remove them

Crusts on the head of a baby are not any dangerous disease, but it would be wrong to completely ignore them. The best solution to the problem can be considered the gradual and careful removal of crusts with the help of special protective equipment, in combination with measures to prevent their occurrence.

Seborrheic crusts, why they are formed

Crusts on the head of a baby are very common, they can be yellowish or milky in color. Such manifestations occur when the baby is only a few weeks old. You can notice them, usually, in the area of the crown, forehead and fontanel.

You can not regard such crusts on the head of a child as a symptom of any disease. Mothers need to understand that the appearance of crusts is the awakening of the functional adaptation of the newborn after birth.

You should not be afraid of the appearance of such scales on the head of a child: they will not bring damage to the body, his skin will not suffer from them. Such processes appear regardless of external factors, because their reason lies in the high activity of the sebaceous glands.

The glands of external secretion (sebaceous) work hard under the influence of androgens. These hormones enter the body of the baby even during fetal development with the mother's blood, and the born child acquires them through breast milk.

For some period, the baby's body will be freed from androgens. This period of time in medicine is called a hormonal crisis. It only lasts a few months. With good care, the milky crust on the head, as a rule, disappears on its own after a while without outside intervention.

Signs of seborrheic crusts

The affected areas of the head are characterized by the following manifestations:

Thick seborrheic crust on the head of a child. In some cases, it is observed on the eyebrows and eyelids.
Sebaceous inflammation on the skin, dotted with yellowish or milky scales.
The presence of dandruff on the head of the baby.

What do the crusts on the head of a child look like - Photo:

How to completely remove crusts on the head of a newborn

We must not forget that these manifestations are formed only on the surface of the skin and do not affect his state of health at all. If you do not touch them, they will eventually disappear on their own, you just need to be patient. But almost all mothers try to rid their babies of them as early as possible.

In no case should the milk crust be torn off or picked with nails - this is unpleasant and even painful for the child. In the zone of scales, ugly scars have every chance to remain, because the skin of the child is very sensitive and vulnerable. It is impossible to get rid of crusts forever by a similar method, they will arise again and again. And the torn crusts leave small wounds behind them, into which the infection can easily penetrate, so the risk of a dermatological disease caused by skin inflammation is quite real.

For a more harmless release from the scabs of the scalp, the crumbs should follow some rules and act on the dermis very carefully. Hardened seborrheic crusts should be prepared for removal - soften well. You can use boiled oil (almond, burdock, jojoba, etc.) or plain petroleum jelly for this. Careful light massaging of the head helps soften the crusts and exfoliate them well from the scalp.

The procedure for removing crusts includes a number of steps:

Put a little oil on your fingers and gently rub it into the baby's scalp. Perform circular rubbing with a little pressure. Leave the oil on the child's head for 15 minutes. You can put a hat on the baby's head for this time. The oil will soak in and help loosen the crusts, making them much easier to remove.
With a special soft brush, gently massage the scalp of the baby in a circular motion. This will peel off the scales, it will be easy to remove them from the hair.
Shampoo the baby's head with shampoo and leave for the bath time. This will make it possible to neutralize the oil, then you can easily wash it off.
At the end of bathing, it is necessary to wipe the crumbs with a clean towel and gently comb the hairs again with a soft brush.

The crusts on the head of the child will begin to disappear gradually after such procedures. Therefore, from time to time they need to be repeated, but this should be done infrequently - a maximum of twice in 7 days.

How to remove the crust on the head of a baby with medicated shampoos

Ask your pediatrician what shampoos are there to remove the crusts on the baby's head. If you are using a special treatment shampoo for seborrheic crusts, lightly apply it on them and wait for two minutes. Next, carefully rinse off the drug, you can repeat the procedure again. After the first application, the entire process of washing your hair with this shampoo can be repeated once a month until the crusts are completely eliminated.

A good medicated shampoo must:

have a mild detergent base, do not contain harmful additives;
do not disturb the balance of skin microflora;
contain elements to increase the barrier functions of the skin and an intense effective substance to combat crusts on the head.

Combs for newborns

A special brush is suitable not only for combing, but also for a small head massage. The natural bristles of such a brush do not irritate the sensitive and receptive skin of the child.

The comb is needed to remove the crusts on the baby's head. This comb, as a rule, has frequent teeth with rounded tips. This comb is perfect for thin hair, it can help detangle frizzy hair.

Preventive measures

Crusts on the head of a child are sometimes a manifestation of an allergy to a certain milk formula. If, at the same time, the crumbs have reddish rashes on the face, then be sure to consult a doctor. He will tell you how to switch to the formula that is most suitable for your baby.

Use a humidifier in the children's room to maintain the right humidity.
Moisturize the baby's scalp with special creams after washing. Use ointments or lotions specially formulated for the sensitive skin of babies.
Don't overuse hair cleansers.
Do not buy baby hats and underwear made of synthetics.
Keep your baby in clean hats at all times.
Do not use a hair dryer to dry your baby's hair.
Watch your own diet if you are breastfeeding your baby.

If, during absolutely all the required hygienic procedures, the crusts on the baby’s head do not go away, and there are more of them, then you definitely need to consult a pediatrician who will prescribe the optimal therapy for your baby.

Almost every second child has crusts on their heads, so the problem has long been known to everyone and does not make mothers panic. But that doesn't make it any less of an issue. First of all, parents are interested in how to remove them, and then they begin to find out the reasons and think about prevention. Let's try to figure out the problem.

The main reason for crusts is quite simple. The thing is that newborns have very delicate skin, which in itself predisposes to the appearance of any skin disorders. And now, to the low protective properties of the skin, add a violation of thermoregulation or water balance of tissues, and the conditions for the occurrence of such a problem are further enhanced.

But all this only creates favorable conditions, and crusts appear due to the peculiarities of the work of the sebaceous and sweat glands. In infants, the former work too actively, while the latter are still too tight, and their number is much larger than in older children or adults. And they will start working normally only by the age of 7. As a result, milky (they are) crusts appear.

In a nutshell, the reason lies in the insufficient work of the sweat glands and the excessive work of the sebaceous glands. All this is inherent in nature and does not depend on any extraneous factors. But there are other causes of seborrheic crusts, which are caused by improper care.

Overheating as it leads to excessive sweating.
Shampoo. It means if it is incorrectly selected. Ideally, its composition should be as close to natural as possible and not contain a variety of fragrances, dyes and other chemicals.
Frequent washing of the head, which washes away the already thin protective layer and causes dry skin. Which, in turn, stimulates the work of the sebaceous glands even more, and the child’s crusts only thicken.
Allergy. Children with this diagnosis have reduced immunity, which significantly increases the likelihood of milk crusts.

How to prevent them from appearing

A crust on a child's head is not a disease, but it does not give us the right to ignore the problem and pretend that everything is in order. Start with an allergy, if there is none, then all you need to do to get rid of milk crusts is to follow the basic rules of personal hygiene.

Don't wrap the baby. Please note that this has already been written more than once and not only in relation to the appearance of seborrheic crusts. And especially you don’t need to be zealous if you and your baby are indoors and not outdoors. This also includes children's hats, if the child's head is constantly sweating, change it to a lighter one.
Use shampoos only on a natural basis, and even then, no more than twice a week.
A comb for a child should be with natural bristles.
Read and follow the rules.
As a matter of fact, only this is enough for the crusts on the head of a newborn to gradually begin to pass. If this did not happen and they became even more rigid, it would be more correct to seek help from a doctor who will help find the cause and tell you how to get rid of them.

How to remove milk crusts

Please note that it is impossible to remove seborrheic crusts with a sharp comb or fingernail. Thus, you will only hurt the baby and damage the scalp. There are more gentle methods for this.

Soften

About an hour before bathing, lubricate the crusts on the child's head with sterile vegetable oil, petroleum jelly or salicylic ointment. After that, put on a baby cotton cap, and after an hour, remove and gently massage the scalp. To do this, use a comb with natural bristles.

Wash off

Milk crusts will gradually be washed off when washing your hair. But just remember that you do not need to lather your hair again and, moreover, try to wash them all off in one bath.

Combing

After bathing, when the hair begins to dry out, it's time to brush. Comb your hair gently with a blunt, wide-toothed comb and then with a soft brush. This will help remove the remaining crusts. But keep in mind that this procedure should not be repeated more than once a week.

Prevention

All of them follow from the points listed above, but if we summarize, we get the following: follow the rules of hygiene, comb your baby regularly and watch the length of the hair, make sure that the child does not have allergies.

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

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

Suddenly I discovered such a miracle on the head of a small one, very similar to milk crusts, but we are already 2.7 years old. What to do? What could it be and what causes it. On the Internet, it all looks like only seborrheic eczema. If someone had it - can it be cured and is it a long-term treatment? Maybe this is an allergy, then what? Help. Advise what to do?

Obolonka 08/04/2009 at 14:56:09
I'll wait, listen - we have the same thing, 2.7 years.
they were from birth, but then it passed - my girl was practically bald, so her head was clearly visible for a long time :)))))))))
now the hair is already shoulder-length, and recently in the bathroom I noticed that these crusts were again on my head: (((((
"At the Academy of Sciences
Prince Dunduk is in session.
They say it's not right
Dunduk is such an honor;
Why is he sitting?
because<жопа>there is."
A.S. Pushkin
Deirdre 07/04/2009 at 20:38:12
we had this problem at the dermatologist
The diagnosis is seborrheic dermatitis. The nature of origin - most likely problems with HCT (stagnation of bile). Treatment - diet + hofitol + vitamins + talker. From myself I added a sorbent on an empty stomach + drink a lot of water.
First smear the crusts with warm oil (preferably burdock), then carefully comb out, wash your head without shampoo - with yolk + lubricate with a talker 2 times a day.
I was allergic to a small talker. The doctor said to remove the talker, use therapeutic shampoo (Kenazol) to wash the head + smear the places where crusts form with ointment (pimafucord).
We managed only with Kenazol, I have been washing my head with it for 2 months already. The crusts went away TTTCHNS, in parallel they treated the gastrointestinal tract and neurology.
- Curious_me 08/04/2009 at 15:14:48
  in the same way - seborrheic dermatitis at 3 years
  they washed their hair with Friderm Tar shampoo, it went away after a couple of months and since then there has been nothing.
  And I'll add - the dermatologist categorically forbade combing out the crusts. On the contrary, he said to try not to touch even with a comb, because the more you comb out, the more they will spread.
  This is not a child's play as in infancy. I am glad that I listened to the doctor and forgot about this problem.
  I love myself :)
  Everything said here is my IMHO...
  - Naliya 08/04/2009 at 15:36:02
    I also heard about this shampoo, but how many times a week can they wash a baby's head?

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

I’ll listen too. We have crusts for the fourth month. A little, with one spot. Interestingly, we didn’t have crusts at all in infancy.

and there was a strong allergy for the first months after birth, then a bit, but almost up to a year. But crusts have now appeared. Although there is stagnation of bile on ultrasound a couple of months ago.

Ira+Andrey=Romashkin

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

still listen

Loving and caring parents will always notice any change regarding the health of their newborn child and baby. Many questions from parents can be heard about the frequent formation of yellowish crusts on the head and face. Can such changes on the skin be considered a disease, and what measures should be taken to ensure that the baby's skin is cleansed? Is special treatment needed for the baby or is it okay to worry? Seborrhea (this is how it is customary in medicine to designate crusts on the scalp of a baby) disappears completely after the main cause of its development is eliminated. Therefore, it is necessary to find out what causes crusts on the skin in infants.

Causes of seborrhea

The term seborrhea is not the only one that is used to denote yellowish in color and greasy to the touch spots on the head of a newborn baby and a little older baby. Such changes are also called milk crusts, gneiss. But we are always talking about the same change in the skin and it is associated with increased work of the sebaceous glands in infants. This is considered a physiological norm and gradually disappears completely during the first year of life. But you can see that some babies have very few milk crusts, while others can cover not only the scalp, but also form on the face, behind the ears. There are several reasons for the increased formation of crusts and they include:

Mom's poor diet. Fatty foods, spicy and salty foods, sweets affect the quality of milk, which leads to increased work of the baby's sebaceous glands.
Overheating. Parents may notice that the number of crusts increases in hot weather or when the child is heavily wrapped up.
Non-observance of constant hygiene or soap and shampoo unsuitable for babies.
The appearance of crusts on the head may be due to increased reproduction of yeast-like fungi called Malassezia furfur. There is a growth of these fungi in case of non-compliance with hygiene, impaired metabolism, after severe stress.
Often, increased crusting begins in infants with the introduction of complementary foods. So an allergic reaction to a new product can manifest itself and this is the reason for the temporary refusal of a new dish.
Provoke the appearance of seborrhea can be treated with antibiotics or other strong medications that lead to dysbacteriosis.

Manifestations of seborrhea

Seborrhea on the head of a newborn appears around the third week of his life. The work of the sebaceous glands intensifies by about the third or fourth month of the baby's life, so at this time you can see the greatest number of crusts. Uncomplicated seborrhea of infants passes by about 8-10 months without special treatment.

It is not difficult to determine that the appearance of crusts on the face, eyebrows, and head is caused precisely by the excessive work of the sebaceous glands. Seborrhea of the skin appears in the form of small, slightly raised spots with a greasy texture, their color is usually yellowish, but in some newborns it can practically merge with a shade of the skin. The crusts that appear in infants do not cause any changes in well-being, that is, there is no irritation, itching, or tightness of the skin. The only problem is the untidy appearance of the baby, which naturally worries the mother more.

Separate crusts can merge with each other, and then seborrhea will affect almost the entire skin on the head. Such a change is often referred to as a "lullaby cap". When combing the hairs of the baby, the scales easily move away and remain on the head, resembling dandruff.

How to deal with seborrhea in infants

A few small specks of milk crust on the head of a newborn baby do not cause inconvenience and over time they will come off the skin on their own. With the increased development of seborrhea, there is no urgent need to show the baby to the doctor and select medication, first you need to apply a few recommendations that will help remove greasy crusts.

Most importantly, parents need to remember that it is impossible to scrape off the spots on the face and head of the baby with sharp objects. The skin of a newborn baby and a little older children is very delicate and thin, and therefore the slightest careless movement will lead to injury, and this contributes to infection. Home treatment for seborrhea in babies consists of following several stages of scalp treatment:

First you need to soften the crusts. To do this, use a fat baby cream or sterile (boiled) vegetable oil. All spots are well moistened with the chosen agent about two hours before the planned evening bath. From above it is desirable to put on a cotton cap, this will enhance the softening of dry scales.
Before washing, the head should be carefully combed with a soft, children's comb, making movements in different directions.
While bathing, you need to use baby shampoo and additionally massage the scalp with a soft sponge, paying special attention to places with crusts.
After taking the bath, you can additionally walk on the scalp with a children's comb.

Not always with the extensive appearance of crusts, they can be dealt with several times - gentle treatment of seborrhea in babies can take several weeks. But also it is impossible to carry out the gneiss removal procedure too often, it is enough to practice softening followed by washing once a week.

After you have successfully returned clean skin to the baby, you should follow preventive measures that prevent the new appearance of crusts. They consist in observing the rules of hygiene, the baby should not be overheated, and the nutrition of the mother and her child should always be correct.

When is special treatment for seborrhea needed?

It is possible to cope with seborrheic dermatitis in infants only if the manifestations of this disorder are minimal and do not cause any symptoms of a general deterioration in well-being. But if, in addition to the spots themselves, redness, areas of irritation appear on the child’s head, the skin itches and bleeds at the same time, then you should definitely contact a dermatologist. Treatment is prescribed only after a complete diagnosis and after identifying the underlying cause of complicated seborrhea. The doctor will prescribe special therapeutic shampoos, if necessary, probiotics to restore normal intestinal microflora. Treatment of advanced seborrhea can be lengthy and the recovery of the child largely depends on the implementation of all the doctor's recommendations by the parents.

In the proposed video, a young mother will tell you how best to get rid of seborrheic crusts from the baby's head. Enjoy watching and stay healthy!

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

Information about the enemy
Why do crusts appear
Is it 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. The hormonal and protective mechanisms still do not fully work, the gastrointestinal tract is only “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 peanuts develop their “adult” form.

reference Information

First of all, in order to solve a particular problem, it is necessary to collect as much information about it as possible. Seborrhea is a chronic inflammatory process that develops in the structures of the skin, near the sebaceous glands. The skin is unevenly equipped with sebaceous glands. For example, on the soles and palms there are none at all. But in the hair, on the forehead and wings of the nose, behind the ears, on the neck - a lot. The glands are located next to the 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.

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

In the course of their life, among other things, they secrete unsaturated fatty acids. These components irritate the skin, causing inflammation and flaking. Due to the fact that the skin does not “feel” very well, its barrier, protective function is significantly weakened. As a result, oleic acid, which is a component of its own secret, also becomes an irritant.
But why are all these mechanisms suddenly triggered?

Reasons for the development of seborrhea

A disease such as seborrheic dermatitis has a variety of causes. However, most of them are united by a single "stigma" - a decrease in immunity.

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

infectious processes in the mother's body during pregnancy or the baby itself;
non-infectious chronic diseases (including oncology), congenital developmental anomalies;
pathology of the gastrointestinal tract;
violation of the feeding regime, deviation from the rules for the introduction of complementary foods;
the presence of allergies, especially food or contact;
insufficient or, conversely, excessive hygiene;
treatment with drugs of the glucocorticosteroid series (for example, ointments with corticosteroids for contact allergies), antibiotics;
medication intake by the mother (during pregnancy and 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, and the use of drugs. There are only specifics - for example, the issues of complementary foods and the type of feeding are no longer relevant. But the lack of hygiene, combined with high physical activity, gains weight (kids are already running, jumping and not sitting still for a second). In addition, from the age of three, the little ones are usually transferred to a common table, which can also cause the development of dermatitis.

But children in adolescence have much more "opportunities" to get sick with seborrhea. The previously listed diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, stress and allergies are joined by:

activation of the endocrine system, causing incredible activity of the sebaceous glands (hence the "teenage acne");
hormonal failure (in puberty, hormones are the most unstable category);
malnutrition (pocket money appears, and, consequently, all sorts of "harmful things");
bad habits;
psychological instability.

Another group of causes that are relevant for all ages is induced, i.e. artificially induced activity of sebocytes. 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, here - synthetic bed linen, low-quality pillows, etc.

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

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

And we caught seborrhea!

Is such a statement correct, seborrheic dermatitis: 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 all the time. These are the so-called saprophytes - they do not cause any harm under "normal conditions" and everyone has them. Roughly speaking, the baby is “infected” from birth, as soon as the first interaction with the skin of another person occurs - the mother.

The skin of the crumbs is populated by a variety of flora, and innate immunity does not allow the development of pathologies. In the future, with the development of the 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 - a great time comes for mushrooms. The activity of their vital activity increases several times, and a person cannot cope with their pressure. As a result, the disease develops.

Symptoms of the disease

How to remove the crust on the head of a child - this question arises from parents as soon as they see what is happening with children's skin. The manifestations of the disease, although unpleasant in appearance, do not cause much concern to the child. No general symptoms like weakness, fever, etc. not visible. Therefore, it is impossible to call the sore 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 the baby's life.

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

Why there? In small sebaceous glands, they are not yet active, because. the endocrine system as a whole practically does not function. But they have maternal hormones in their blood. These substances have a tropism (i.e., they have the most significant effects in terms of strength) to the head sebocytes located near the hair follicles.

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

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

Almost never gneiss is accompanied by itching or pain, usually does not cause any concern to the baby. Weeping does not occur either - sweating of the rash with tissue fluid. This increases the feeling of dryness and tightness of the skin.

However, because the rash does not "open" the risk of infection is not reduced. If an infection joins, pyoderma develops - a purulent inflammation of the skin, provoked by staphylococci and streptococci. Appears exudate (weeping), itching, pain, the child becomes restless and capricious.

Often, parents, not knowing how to remove the crust on the child’s head, begin to “pick” it, trying to remove it with a fingernail. You can’t do this - the risk of infection increases several times!

Dermatologists distinguish two stages of the disease:

Light. The rash and the gneiss covering it are found only on the scalp (sometimes on the auricles, cheeks, rarely on the forehead), do not spread. The general condition is not broken;
Medium severity. Eruptions 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 in physical development (lag in weight) - it's time to sound the alarm! Perhaps the crumbs developed Leiner's desquamative 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 and a year, and 2 years. Often, parents who coped with the pathology when their child was in infancy, practically do not pay attention to the newly appeared symptoms. Their answer to the question of how to remove a crust on a child’s head is simple advice: wait, it will pass by itself. In most cases, it proceeds in the same way as in infants - a scaly gneiss appears on top of the papular rash. The skin does not itch, nothing hurts, the kids do not worry.

Crusts on the head of a child of 3 years old are a fairly common occurrence. Perhaps this is due to the serious stress of a three-year-old little man - enrolling in kindergarten. However, they are slightly different in appearance from the "baby". There are rare cases when a child of 3-4 years old has "milk" crusts. Formations, firstly, are less dense, usually there are fewer of them, and more and more they become like 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 off not only on the head, but also on the body - in the elbow and knee folds, 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 old and older, a chronic form of pathology has most likely developed. This means that there are periods of remission ("health") and exacerbation, determined by the general state of the organism. It is likely that any disease (banal acute respiratory infections) will cause the appearance of a new "portion" of crusts.

Differential Diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is the choice of one disease from a list of similar diseases. This stage is extremely important (both in evidence-based medicine and even more so in self-medication). After all, if you make the wrong conclusion, start treatment “not for that”, you can aggravate 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 in the eyes of the layman), there is a difference:

with seborrhea, foci are almost always only on the scalp, psoriatic rashes are common throughout the body;
psoriasis looks like a macrofocal 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 with dermatitis are greasy, yellowish in color, and with psoriasis they are white, dry;
when you try to remove the crust, seborrheic ones go away, usually painlessly. But with the second pathology, this “number” will not work - the process causes discomfort, the skin under the scale 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;
manifested by a rash on the face, in the area of the elbow and knee bends, rarely in the head area;
the rash tends to become wet.

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

Seborrhea treatment

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

However, if the baby has more and more crusts, they cause him anxiety, itching, getting wet, the skin turns red significantly, it is better to start treatment. "Prophylactic therapy" is also necessary if the crumbs are prone to allergies, skin pustular infections, and soreness.

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

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

If "simple" exfoliating shampoos do not help, they resort to antifungal agents.

One of the most effective is the Nizoral shampoo, based on the antimycotic substance ketoconazole. Effective against fungi Malassezia furfur is shampoo "Kelual D. S.".

Usually antiseborrheic drugs are used 1-2 times a week. If you need to wash your hair more often, you can use a 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 not remove it with a fingernail - you can injure the skin, and a scar will remain. Secondly, you need to do this with a comb, very carefully. And if the baby breaks out, screams and resists - do not insist.

Oil can be used to soften the scales. Any baby product (for example, Johnsons Baby) that the baby is not allergic to, as well as ordinary olive or burdock oil, will do.

Tar soap for seborrheic dermatitis, judging by the reviews, helps no worse than the products of the Mustela line. In principle, there are no prohibitions on its use, however, be sure to use oil or cream in combination with it. Bioderma Sensibio D.S. is considered an effective remedy. As an emollient, the Zinocap ointment is used, which is an analogue of the well-known Skin Cap.

It is permissible to use special therapeutic ointments containing antifungal, hormonal and antibiotic components. For example, "Pimafukort" treats seborrheic dermatitis in both adults and children over 1 year old. But metronidazole is not recommended for use as the drug of choice.

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

Thus, no matter how frightening and unpleasant outwardly the symptoms of seborrhea may be, it should not be considered a really 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;
timely and efficiently treat emerging diseases, paying special attention to the state of the gastrointestinal tract.

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

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

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

If the baby has crusts on the head, then this is the norm. They are also called generic.

A common cause of the appearance of yellowish crusts on the scalp is the hyperactive work of the sebaceous glands. That is, the discharge cannot be so easily removed from the newborn during normal bathing. There is a drying of the liquid and the accumulation of a layer - a crust. Naturally, outwardly they look ugly, but you should not be very upset, because the baby does not feel discomfort.

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

1 Causes of crust formation

As early as the 19th century, seborrheic dermatitis was known. Then this disease was called xerosis. The active development of the sebaceous glands has been described. Seborrhea as an ailment is most characteristic of the age of newborns, however, there are cases when children under 14 years of age also suffer from dermatitis of this form.

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

Among the factors affecting the appearance of crusts on the head, note:

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

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

2 Clinical manifestations of seborrheic dermatitis

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

With regards to the localization of the lesion, this is the scalp, eyebrows, sometimes auricles, inguinal region, wings of the nose or armpits of the child. Therefore, it can be seen that it depends on the location of the sebaceous glands.

As a rule, seborrheic crusts do not provoke 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 be inflamed, there is an increase in temperature in the focus of redness.

If symptoms are found in the baby, you should immediately seek the advice of a doctor and begin an examination.

3 Classification of seborrheic dermatitis in children

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

oily;
dry;
combined;
physiological.

The appearance of a fatty form is caused by hyperactivity of the sebaceous glands. As a result, close-up scales begin to form, which stick together into a strong layer. Increased oiliness of the skin becomes a provocateur for the vital activity of pathogenic microbes. The development of this type of dermatitis in children during puberty contributes to the appearance of acne and pimples.

If the disease is caused by the 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 of the first year of life. Appearing scales form a film on the head, but they are quite easily separated from the surface of the skin. The crusts have a color from yellow-whitish to white-grayish. At that time, the baby's hair becomes thinner, breaks, and may fall out. The appearance of bald spots on the head of a child is a common occurrence in seborrheic dermatitis.

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

The combined type of seborrhea is the result of a fusion of symptoms of several types of the disease. Clinically, the disease may look like 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 work 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 can carry symptoms of quite serious diseases. Examples are exudative diathesis, atopic dermatitis or psoriasis.

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

Due to the fact that the mother will quickly notice the changes, as well as consult a doctor, it will be possible to make the correct diagnosis and conduct competent treatment.

The first step is to make sure that the child has seborrheic dermatitis. You should carefully monitor the scalp of the baby during water procedures and the toilet. When combing the scales, it is important not to injure the skin. So, damage can lead to the multiplication of pathogenic infection. Sometimes there is redness on the skin and increased discharge.

During complex treatment, one of the most important actions is a thorough washing of the hair and scalp. For this, only a specialized and completely hypoallergenic shampoo or detergent is used. Seborrheic crusts themselves should be removed from the skin carefully. You can’t just take and pick off the scales, as this can cause damage to the epithelium. It should be understood that the penetration of infection into the affected areas occurs quickly, and treatment will not be easy.

First, you should take sterile vaseline or other cosmetic oil and apply to the scalp. For the best absorption and softening of the crusts, put on a cap for 15-20 minutes. After that, you should thoroughly wash your hair using a special shampoo. Comb your hair with a soft brush. With such simple actions, it is possible to get rid of the crusts on the baby’s head, without damage.

It is important to understand that seborrheic dermatitis can occur both without a trace and with consequences. The disease can progress. Therefore, it is important to wash the child's head thoroughly. No need to be afraid that you can easily harm your hair and skin. This is not true. Insufficient combing and shampooing may not get rid of crusts. It is important to clean the ducts from the secretions of the sebaceous glands.

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

5 Prevention

It is not worth relaxing after the disease has receded. Parents should clearly understand that prevention is better than cure. Therefore, in the arsenal of baby care products there should be a place for anti-seborrheic shampoo. Using this tool, 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 on the baby's hair. Head monitoring is a must. In case of discomfort, allergic reactions, itching, peeling and other signs, you should immediately stop using the cream. Your pediatrician will be able to recommend alternative skin and hair care products for your child.

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 foods that can provoke it from the baby's diet. It is important that the diet of a child (or a nursing mother) contains foods high in vitamins such as A and C. Daily intake of group B elements is also mandatory.

Timely detection of the disease, contacting a specialist and competent therapy will be the key to a quick recovery and exclusion of relapse.

And some secrets...

You may have already tried some remedies for scalp problems:

oils
vitamins
shampoos

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

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

Features of the disease

Seborrhea is an inflammatory process that occurs with the involvement of the sebaceous glands. It can be allergic or non-allergic in origin. The cells of the sebaceous glands, sebocytes, produce sebum. 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 production 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 only being adjusted. Most often, the sebaceous glands work too actively, and the sweat glands are still not enough. As a result, the skin becomes easily vulnerable to any factors, including infections and various fungi.

Reasons for the appearance of crusts

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

non-compliance with the rules of nutrition;
skin overheating;
sweating;
reaction to hygiene products;
non-observance of hygiene rules.

One version says that the activation of the sebaceous glands in the first weeks of life is caused by androgens, which entered the body of the child during pregnancy. The process of removing hormones and, accordingly, normalizing the work of the sebaceous glands, takes some time. During it, the baby has milk crusts on the skin.

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

The immaturity of the digestive system also provokes the development of dermatitis. Until the body produces the proper amount of enzymes, therefore, new foods can cause skin rashes. Lack of vitamins of groups B, PP in breast milk can lead to the fact that the baby will suffer from the appearance of milk crusts.

The use of shampoos that are inappropriate for age can also cause inflammation of the skin. Some parents are too zealous to observe hygiene, washing their child's head daily. In this case, even the use of the most gentle means will cause seborrhea. Infrequent washing is also unhelpful and causes exactly the same symptoms.

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 older than 2-3 years, crusts on the head can cause:

allergic reactions;
stress;
medications;
eating disorders;
dysbacteriosis and malabsorption of nutrients in the intestine;
infrequent washing of the hair or the use of detergents that are not for age.

In adolescence, seborrhea of the scalp is caused by:

Hormonal reorganization.
Stress.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Wrong nutrition.

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

Heredity practically does not play a role. Numerous studies have shown that the appearance of crusts in a newborn has nothing to do with whether his parents had similar phenomena in childhood.

Symptoms

In the photo of the crust on the head of the baby

The leading symptom is the appearance of fatty crusts of yellowish or whitish color on the scalp. They can be located in foci 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, groin.

A scab may appear as early as 2-3 weeks of a child's life. Sometimes they spread to the eyebrows, forehead, behind the ears, cheeks. Scales are easily separated from the skin. In children older than 3 years, seborrhea can occur in oily, dry and mixed types. With an 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, under them, the hair breaks and falls out. In adolescence, these two forms are combined with each other, forming a mixed one.

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

If the scales are separated with difficulty, and after them there are wounds, then there is a completely different skin lesion that requires special treatment. Since infantile seborrheic dermatitis does not cause itching, scratching should not be done. If they are, most likely it is a seborrheic variety of atopic or allergic dermatitis. Seborrheic 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. With moderate lesions appear on other parts of the body. In severe severe course, desquamation erythroderma may develop, in which developmental delays and diarrhea will be noted.

Diagnostics

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

Treatment of seborrheic crusts in children

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

Classic seborrheic dermatitis in infants goes away by itself by three months, in extreme cases by six months or a year. However, this does not mean that it is not necessary to deal with crusts, because the untidy appearance of the head does not paint the child. Moreover, in large quantities, crusts can already cause discomfort.

You can not pick off 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 bathing time, the crusts are generously lubricated with oil. It can be a special oil for baby skin care or any vegetable oil, preferably olive or almond oil. Next, a hat 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 haunches. To wash your hair, you can use special shampoos from crusts. Mustela and other manufacturers have such lines. If there are a lot of crusts, then the next bathing procedure will have to be repeated. The hair of older children can be washed with anti-seborrheic agents such as Nizoral, Kelual. From 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 can fluconazole or metronidazole be used. No pills are prescribed at preschool age. With a protracted course, older children can be helped by Zinocap, Pimafukort ointments.

Prevention

In order to get rid of seborrheic dermatitis or prevent its development, you must follow some rules. First of all, do not wrap up the child and put on clothes that are out of season. Secondly, walks, air baths will be useful. Thirdly, bed linen should be cotton or linen, pillows should be made of natural materials.

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

Diet for children

Proper nutrition will allow you to get rid of crusts faster. For babies, it is important to follow the schedule for the introduction of 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 usually goes away without a trace and does not lead to allergic diseases in the future. If it is found in children older than 7 years, then it can then be complicated by atopic dermatitis, allergic reactions or erythroderma. But in most cases, with adequate therapy, skin problems disappear completely by adulthood.

Scalp problems are common in children. You should not be afraid of this: these layers look unsightly, but the kids do not cause much discomfort. However, they must be treated to prevent the development of the disease. To do this, you first need to find out the causes of the appearance of crusts on the head.

Crusts on the head of a child: causes

The main reason for the formation of crusts is the so-called seborrheic dermatitis. The skin of children is very delicate, so it is prone to the appearance of skin disorders. In young children, the sebaceous glands are actively working and the sweat glands are not enough, but with the growth of the baby, 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:

Hormonal fluctuations.
Hereditary predisposition (sometimes this disease can be transmitted from parents).
Lack of vitamins in the body, especially vitamin B.
Disorders in the work 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.

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, the baby may also develop bald spots or red spots.

Crusts on the head of a child at 5 years old

It also happens that children do not have crusts in infancy, and 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.

They can be caused by poor hygiene, a malfunction 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. Do not try to remove it, so as not to damage the skin.

Well-sterilized oil will help you best to cope with the trouble, which you need to carefully lubricate the affected areas, then put on a hat and leave for 15-20 minutes. Vaseline or salicylic ointment is also suitable for this purpose. At the end of the procedure, it is necessary to wash the child's head well and remove the remaining crusts. A comb made of natural material with rare teeth is suitable for combing, and you can remove the remaining crusts with a soft brush.

How to remove crusts on the head of a child

The main method, without which you can not do in the fight against crusts - combing. In addition, you will need a special tool, such as a baby exfoliating cream. The child's head should be washed well, blotted with a towel and applied to the entire surface of the head. The cream should be left on the head all night under a cap made of natural material. In the morning, you should comb out all the crusts well, rinse and dry your head.

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

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

In addition, you should avoid washing your hair too often. This causes dryness of the skin, which activates the sebaceous glands and can cause thickening of the crusts.

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

It is very important to regularly examine the child's head for flaking, itching, and allergic reactions. Together with the pediatrician, a good drying cream should be selected for the child.

Since the appearance of dermatitis is sometimes associated with allergies, it is recommended to make a special diet. It is necessary to exclude from the menu products that cause a negative reaction of the body: fatty foods, sweets, starchy foods. Be sure to increase your intake of foods containing vitamins A, B and C.

Timely treatment and regular prevention will help the baby get rid of this disease.