19 Month Old with Itchy Scalp

Updated on January 13, 2010
C.M. asks from Chicago, IL
11 answers

hi moms,
my 19 month old daughter scratches her head alot. i look on her scalp and dont see anything. no flakes no scabs, nothing. the winter has been pretty cold, so not sure if its dry skin, but like i said, i checked her scalp and dont see anything. its usually the top of her head but sometimes she scratches the side. i also do not wash her hair every evening, so as not to dry out her scalp. not sure if its just become a subconscious habit? what can i do to help??

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So What Happened?

thanks for all the great tips. i did double check and look and i do not see any indications of lice. i looked really good and looked for leasions and that is not it. she does seem to do this more when she is tired. but after reading everything i really do think its mostly that her scalp is dry. with the cold weather and everything.... also, she does wear a hat when outside and sweats easily so that adds to it i'm sure. i will look into changing shampoos/body wash. i am currently using johnson & johnson body wash and a no tears shampoo. i will definitely look into the natural products mentioned. and look for the items you all mentioned in the current products i use. if those dont work , i will definitely take her to her pediatrician. thanks everyone!

Featured Answers

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G.J.

answers from Chicago on

I hate to say this, but it could be lice. It is very difficult to see. Look at the base of the neck and behind the ears. If you see tiny oval shaped white things attached to the hair shaft near the base of the scalp, it's lice. You might need a magnifying glass to see them. You might see red lesions in places, too. If it is indeed lice, this is the absolute best web site. We've used the method twice successfully. Other things we tried did not work.

www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/theliceprogram/

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N.L.

answers from Chicago on

our 16 month old son scratched the back of his head (has for some time now) when he's tired. it's great because it's a clear indicator to us that it's his nap or bed time.

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G.W.

answers from Rockford on

3 generations of moms used V05 on are kids when the weather got crisp. It stops the itches. I used the tube and still use it for my head now.

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K.K.

answers from Chicago on

I read on a message board for people with toddlers that a lot of mom's were using Burt's Bees shampoo for their toddlers. It costs a little more but lasts a long time and people were raving that it was so much better and not as drying.

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K.A.

answers from Seattle on

Possibly eczema... Eczema usually itches first then the rash appears. It's an allergic reaction, did u try any new food, maybe a wool hat? Sweating can cause eczema to itch too.

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D.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

If they are head lice, they'll most likely be behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.

They will camouflage into the hair and are really small (about the size of a sesame seed). Here's a site with some good pics: myheadlicetreatment.com

I'd recommend, the next time you're at a store with a pharmacy, to ask the pharmacist to see if they see anything that might help you figure out exactly what it is. Or, your pediatrician may be able to tell you if there's something going on. Being in Indiana (hello fellow Hoosier), I've noticed that our daughter's been having more dandruff with the colder, drier weather.

Good luck. I hope it's an easy issue to resolve with a good conditioner.

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S.E.

answers from Chicago on

This is going to sound a little strange but it works for me. Before you wash her hair, that pure organic coconut oil and put it on her hair, messaging it into the scalp. Let it sit on the her had for at least 15 minutes before washing her head as usual. Also look at the shampoo you are using. Does it have alcohol or any kind of drying agents in it?
If so do not use that shampoo. You need to use a good natural shampoo without any drying agents.
Finally, you should not need to was her hair more than a couple times a week. She is a baby/toddler. How dirty does she get?? Washing your hair everyday is not good for anyone unless you have very oily hair.
Good Luck,
S.

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J.D.

answers from Chicago on

Hi Celina Take your daughter to see her peditrican and see what he/she say about it.

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A.R.

answers from Peoria on

What kind of ahampoo do you use on her? That could be causing a problem, even though you don't use it every day. I have a 6 month old who has had cradle cap on and off since he was almost a newborn. I use head and shoulders dry scalp for that. A very tiny amount (because he has a very tiny head). That may help. Massage it in, let it sit for a couple minutes and wash out.

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C.S.

answers from Chicago on

Celina,
Does your daughter use a hat? Do you have a city water supply? Think about the things that are touching her head.
There may be detergent chemicals that you don't see effecting her. Many times just the chlorine in the water supply gives a drying effect (to anyone). Skin doen't always flake when dried out. If you took off her hat, gently brushing the hair into place may relieve the itchy feel of slight hair movements of getting back into natural growing mode. She may be feeling hair movement due to forced air from the furnace or ventilation unit. See if her scratching occurs a short time after the heating system is blowing in warm air.
Don't be too scared that she is scratching, as long as her scalp is clear and clean. It's good for her scalp circulation, she should have a wonderful head of hair as she grows.

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D.V.

answers from Chicago on

I do talks on "The Real Dirt on Clean, Could I possibly be harming my family." One of the things I teach in the talks is that products have some ingredients in Personal Care Products which are also found in household cleaners.

The ones that you would typically think are safe, have some ingredients that could be causing the itching.

I hand out a sheet with 6 of the biggest offenders. I would be happy to share that with you. Also, no matter what, I would change shampoos and body wash for her as well. I can recommend some great products as well. I can suggest a couple of different lines that meet the criteria.

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