Baby · 3 min read
Flaky newborn scalp, explained gently
Those yellowish flakes on a newborn's scalp are extremely common, usually painless, and almost always temporary.
What you're probably looking at
In the first months, many babies develop soft, greasy-looking flakes across the crown. It usually isn't itchy and it usually isn't a sign that anything is wrong with your care.
It tends to come and go on its own schedule. Most parents find it eases over weeks, not days.
What we'd do at wash time
The goal is softening and lifting — never scraping. Anything that leaves the scalp red has been too much.
- 01A few hours before bath, warm one or two drops of oil in your palms and smooth it over the scalp.
- 02Let it sit while you go about your evening.
- 03At bath time, wash with a dime-size of gentle shampoo and fingertips only.
- 04Lift what comes away easily with a soft brush or wide-tooth comb. Leave the rest for next week.
- 05Rinse until the water runs clear and pat dry.
What not to do
Don't pick at flakes with your nails, don't use a fine-tooth comb, and don't scrub. The skin underneath is new.
Don't run the routine daily. Once a week, calmly repeated, is the whole approach.