My son has had cradle cap on and off since he was a baby (he's nearly 13 now!). When he was small he had significant problems in that he wouldn't eat solid food. He was also lactose intolerant. The reason for this his refusal to eat remains undiagnosed despite seeing several paediatricians. He was subsequently diagnosed with failure to thrive but thankfully at the age of approximately 2 he began to eat normally. The effect of this was however that he had developmental delay in walking and talking. Today he is a healthy and happy nearly teen who although thin (this runs in his father's side of the family) is of average height and average intelligence. He now has a normal very well balanced diet. The cradle cap has been on and off over the years, but recently has become worse. On the advice of my hairdresser, I bought a special shampoo which has nearly cleared it, but have noticed that on some areas of his scalp the hair is sparse compared with others. His hair has thickened in recent years and is now becoming quite coarse but again this runs in his father's side of the family. I am wondering if the cradle cap has caused damage to his hair follicles and whether it will grow back?