Cradle cap and eyebrows/eyelids

Cradle cap mainly affects the scalp but can also spread to other parts of the body such as behind the ears, face and neck.

But it can also affect the eyebrows and/or eyelids which some mothers are anxious about. They worry that this rash may affect the eyes although this isn’t the case.

These scales can harden which prevents the baby from being able to open her eyes properly but this tends to be rare. Yellow or whitish scaly patches can form on the eyebrows and/or eyelids but these are treated in the same way as the scalp. This means using a special cradle cap shampoo or a steroid cream if the rash has spread to other areas of the body.

Some people find that massaging baby oil into the affected scalp helps.

These are discussed further in our cradle cap treatment section. 

What we would advise is to take care when using shampoo on eyelids affected by cradle cap. If your baby has yellow or whitish scaly patches on his/her eyelids then dilute the shampoo first and apply it using a small cotton wool ball. This will prevent it from getting in baby’s eyes. It is better to use a special ‘baby’ shampoo instead as this will reduce any risks.

If you are concerned about this issue then speak to your local pharmacist. He or she may be able to suggest a remedy which will not irritate your baby’s eyes.