The Cause Of Smelly Hair Syndrome

March

The Cause Of Smelly Hair Syndrome

Betty`s got a problem:

Hello! I am so GLAD I found you! I have had this problem now for about 3 months. I wash and condition my hair on a daily basis and by the middle of the day my hair has a sweaty, muggy smell. I just can`t describe it, it just smells! Even worse when I`m running late in the morning and I am not able to wash my hair I could smell that sweaty, muggy smell throughout the day. I there anything I can do to stop this?

The Left Brain responds:

Betty, I had never heard of this problem before so I was surprised when I found out that you’re not the only one who suffers from hair malodor. A quick search turned up several discussion boards on smelly hair. There’s even a website that specializes in Smelly Hair.

What Causes Smelly Hair?

They claim the problem is a fungus that grows on oily scalps. That sounds plausible since the odor you describe as sweaty and muggy could be caused by microbial growth. I know that sometimes the towel I used to dry my hair develops a funky smell kind of like the one you describe. That happens when it doesn`t dry out completely, so I assume there`s some mildew or similar organism that responsible. If I don`t notice it right way, that mildew odor transfers from the towel to my hair. Could this be the cause of your problem too?

What can you do about it?

Smellyscalp.com says use an antimicrobial shampoo. That certainly could help. You can also try changing your towel and your pillow case. If that doesn’t work, you might try shaving your head, like Britney. (Just kidding!) You could also try using a product like the Stila hair refresher, but that will just cover up the odor. It won`t address the source of the problem.

I hope this helps, write back and let The Beauty Brains know what happens.

34 Responses to “The Cause Of Smelly Hair Syndrome”

Office Hair Says:

It’s awful, but it’s funny. Being a hairdresser I know how prevalent a smelly scalp is, but what I don’t understand is why don’t these people ask their hairdressers? It’s my responsibility to look after not only their hair, but their health if possible. Recommendations? I love Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Shampoo & Conditioner, feels good, smells good.
OFFICEHAIR » Where’s Ours? Says:

[...] best I could come up with today was about the problem of “smelly scalp”.Â It’s not much to go on unless you’re a teenage boy, but on the off chance you need a [...]
Sillysil Says:

My 13 year old daughter has very oily hair. Poor thing can get out of the shower and her hair already has that yucky smell. I thought it was just hormnoes but now i’m worried.
Any thoughts.
Michele Says:

At the end of the day, my scalp has a sour odor to it. So washing it is the only way to get rid of it.

Last week, I picked up a sample of DaddyO shampoo (for silver hair) at a Lush store in Seattle. Tried it. I never got the sour smelling scalp, even when I skipped shampooing the next day. I went back to my regular shampoo just to check if I was imagining it. Nope. The DaddyO acted like a deodorant.

Amazing. I’m going to do some research on this.
Roland Says:

I was researching this issue and found the following web site: SmellyScalp.com -who would have guessed? Check it out. They talk about using a sulfer soap. And claim it does the trick.

Hope it helps!

-RR
South Carolina Says:

My daughter has the same problem as Sillysil’s. Her hair smells dirty straight out of the shower. So I got online and did some research and found out it is caused by a fungus. The treatment is to shampoo with a sulfur based shampoo. I read every label of every shampoo bottle at every store, and none of them list sulfur as an ingredient. The only shampoo I have found with sulfur is dog shampoo, and am a little reluctant to try it. I thought I’d take he to the doctor and see what he can prescribe. But if anyone out there is braver than I, good luck!!!
Lorraine Says:

I tried the sulfur soap, and it works, but not consistently. It also made my head sweat PROFUSELY for no reason, so I stopped using it, and the sweating completely stopped, but I’m still stuck with smelly hair.
michelle Says:

i am a hairdresser and always shampoo my hair regularly,and i had this issue for months. almost drove me crazy.i decided to use dial antibacterial body wash for a week –gone ! give it a whirl
Justin Says:

hi guys.

i followed the advice of a few different posters on the net.
i had a smelly scalp, and it was quite bad. i could shower before sleep, and wake up with a smelly scalp and oily scalp.
head and shoulders didn’t help.

i got the paul mitchell tea tree shampoo, and saw results the next day.

success for me!

thanks!
pookie Says:

I have the “sour scalp” syndrome, but it only happens every once and a while. I notice that anything with Tea Tree, Lavender, Rosemary, Mint, etc. helps a LOT. Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat is fantastic and a bit less drying than Paul Mitchell’s because Giovanni’s version DOES NOT HAVE SODIUM LAURLY SULFATE!!!! A virtual rarity among shampoos. They also make a conditioner. You can find it at Whole Foods and any good health food store. T-Sal by Neutrogena also works (Salicylic acid works well on any scalp problem) and if you just want to keep it simple, believe it or not, the new line that Head & Shoulders just introduced is pretty good. Try the Citrus formula.
Susan Says:

I’ve had scalp odor for years. I remember having extremely oily scalp and dandruff in the 5th grade. I’m now 36. I Read online that a guy had this odor and the only time it dissappeared was when he lived in a house with well water that had high sulfur content. Bar sulfur soap, not the liquid kind, is what works for me. I also avoid regular shampoos b/c of Sodium Lauryl sulfates.
johnny Says:

I have notice a smell in my hair for about 6 months tried head and shoulders worked slightly saw my doctor he recommended hibicleanse you can find it at your local drug store for about ten dollars be cautious when using if it gets in you eyes it can really harm you but did work for me smell went away with one use
Chrissy Clark Says:

OMG…. I never knew that other people had suffered like I did, I am sooo goin to try all the techniques I have read here, I am 26 and I have had “SMELLEY HAIR” since about 24, and it was so embarissing! Well Good Luck to all, and I will let u know how my experiences work!! tata
jam Says:

this isnt a fungus in the scalp or hair related. its all to do with weak immune systems. how many of you with oily smelly scalp have been on any anti biotics? washing your hair with all these different shampoos and soaps will cover the smell, but not cure the underlying problem. it is a difficult treatment to undertake to cure, candida will require a drastic diet change, lots of healthy bacteria for stomach and products like threelac or candigone. i had the problem from 8 years old to 26. its not nice.
Andy Says:

lol, Candida…I’m in a medical mycology and parasitology class at the UW (Washington), and one of the lecturers, before his section was over, ranted about the “candida” craze. A few people hyped it up to be a big problem and people started selling all sorts of stuff to get rid of candida. I guess they forgot to mention that Candida is ubiquitous and impossible to get rid of. There’s also poor association between Candida and the alleged ailments in immunocompetent people. I wouldn’t trust Jam’s speculation; it can’t be that everyone with a smelly scalp is immunocompromised. I have a smelly scalp and I have never been on anti-biotics because frankly I don’t get all that sick.
clean Says:

Hi-I used to have an oily, smelly scalp for years and would wash my hair every day or every other day and the odor was so unbearable. I know my co-workers could smell it and I was so embarassed. There was actually a thick oily flour like substance on my scalp. Gross!!! I tried everything-tea tree oil on my scalp, baking soda, apple cidar vinegar, lemon, coconut oil, nutrogenas t-sal, shampoos without additives, sodium laurel sulfate, aloe, you name it, I did it. I had a feeling it might be candida and years ago I tried taking acidophilus, probiotics and still no change. What did help was not eating fried foods but it would only buy me couple more days without smell and then if I perspired, it would smell again. I hope that I will be able to help others because I was at such a loss. I accidently found the cure. That’s right, I said cure because I no longer have this oily scalp odor!!! And it I was cured right before the 3 days intense heatwave we had. I did not have a/c so it was nasty hot. But here it is. It is called Candidase and made by Enzymedica. You can get this in a healt food store. I took it because I have other symptoms but what I noticed after taking it for 3-5 days was that my scalp odor/itch problem just went away. I can’t even tell you if it was 3 days or 5 days because I had other issues that I was trying to take care of and then I just noticed that my scalp feels clean and it was 1 days of not washing. Then I waited one more day and nothing, no odor, no oil and then I realized that I had been taking this Candidaise. I’ve also been taking aloe for my digestion. I think that has been helping with my sinuses. I used to have constant dripping and congestion for years (10+). Always sound like I’m stuffed up and then after some time of taking the aloe it disappeared to. I think my immune system is finally getting stronger which is why some things I’ve tried before didn’t work but ow they are. I hope this helps some of you out there. I can’t make any guarantees, only want to share what has helped me with others. Please post and let me and others know if this helps anyone. Now I can go out and buy those great smelling shampoos and have some bit of confidence now. I finally feel clean now.
dutchy Says:

clean i was wonder did Candidase cure ur hair odor, and will you think it will cure fecal scalpe odor? and aloe juice cure really cure ur nose problem?!! hit me up asap

dutchy
Sierra Says:

Hi,

Clean & everyone thank you so much for posting your comments. I’m so happy to know I’m not alone. I have had the same exact experience as clean and its been so horrible for me. I go to work everyday because I have no choice, my co-workers are very cruel to me because of the bad odor they smell coming from my head. But they don’t know how hard I try to take care of this problem. Anyways, I’m going to try Candidaise. I hope it works its my only hope. I will keep you updated. Its nice to know I’m not alone, you begin to feel like your the only one. Thanks so much!
Phoenix Says:

Hello

Like most of you, I feel grateful to have this blog. I have been having a problem with the smelly hair thing myself and it has been driving me crazy,I am a clean freak. I just went out and bought the Tea Tree shampoo and the Dial soap, they both contain sulfate. I will give it a week and get back with you. The funny thing is I have had issues with Candida since I was 12, So CLEAN might be on to something. It wouldnt surprise me at all. I will let you guys know what happens with the soaps.

And yes it’s nice to know that there are others with this issue.
Sheela Says:

I would check out sites that explain a mite called demodex mites. Also a there is a site called borax cures. I’ve used sebulex,DHS shampoo and Soda water helps. I’ve had this for years and it took alot of research to find this info. Hope it helps.
J Says:

I agree, this is NOT just an external bacteria/fungal problem for most of us. I am at the end of my ropes, trying everything in site from antibacterial pills to apple vinegar on the hair. I’ve tried everything! T_T i don’t know what to do…I haven’t tried the candida yet…maybe i’ll give that a try before i just give up.

Thank you, everyone, who have contributed to this forum.
gijay Says:

I’M SO HAPPY TO KNOW I’M NOT A FREAK, I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE THIS CONDITION, FOR THE EFFECTS THE DERMATOLOGISTS I’VE BEEN TO ARE NOT WELL RELATED TO THIS.
gijay Says:

I’M GONNA TRY NEW THINGS TO SEE IF IT WORKS FOR ME, THANKS YOU GUYS
smokey Says:

Try taking a chlorophyll supplement. It’s an ‘internal deodorant’ that helps many types of body odors, from breath to feet. I’ve taken it for about 3 years and have noticed improvement in scalp odor and morning breath. Word of warning–start slowly and increase to recommended dosage. It does funny things to your bowel and you can have some pretty creepy poopies if you start all at once! LOL
lulu Says:

I’ve also had problems with candida for years and have wondered if there is a connection. Does anyone else have hair loss/itch/bumpy scalp along with the odor problem?
knowledge Says:

To Andy…your professor can rant all he wants about the candida craze, but he’s never been sick with it for 15 years. Dr. Crook, author of The Yeast Connection was a pioneer in bringing this finding in sooooooooooo many people forward. Europe has known about it for way over 75 years. The USA, with the pharmaceutical companies as their decision makers lord over the minds of medical schools. Plus everything must be measured by a blood sample. If it is not in a blood samble the lab says it doesn’t exist. This causes them to be narrow-minded concerning prevention, and they have no knowledge of nutrition. Countless histories have been made on people connecting the dots. Some candidas/funguses (virtually the same)are connected with parasites as well. Europe does not have a blind eye. Countless people, including myself, have taken 15 years to cure what antibiotics did to ruin their natural flora. Probiotics are good, but they don’t work until the yeast/candida/fungus is killed. For me, it took about 8 garlic gels a day to kill it off. Then the probiotics work. Yeast/candida/fungus exhibits itself in various ways. Doctors in the USA have caused it. They certainly don’t understand that there is such a thing as healthy bacteria that prevents illness, so they just kill all the good stuff. Any way for those of you who are interested in info, read the candida and yeast books. It will make a difference in your other symptoms as well.
DREW! Says:

It’s probably just AIDS. Relax.
Patricia Says:

Nice to have this website. I have had this problem- oily, smelly, head, since I became a teenager. Now age 65, with thinning hair; you can imagine how many products I have tried. The one thing that I used that worked, so I don’t have to shampoo every day, is antibacterial liquid hand soap, that I tried only when I ran out of shampoo in the shower. It worked for the smell. Now I am looking for other remedies, that might help my thinning hair too. I also use hair powder - a baby powder of corn starch to fill in the VERY thin spots on my head of white hair. It is not entirely satisfactory, but OK for now. Keeping thinking and sharing.
Nikki Says:

I have the same problem. I’m still not 100% sure what it is or what causes it, but after doing some research my best guess is that it’s seborrheic dermatitis, which is mainly caused by a yeast called Malassezia furfur. It also may be caused by a lack of certain nutrients like biotin.

I’ve tried everything to get rid of it. It’s a pretty embarrassing condition to have. Everyone who gets close to you can smell it, and it smells like you haven’t showered in a month. I tried Nizoral, Selsun Blue, T/Gel, other kinds of Neutrogena, Head & Shoulders, Denorex, pretty much every kind of medicated shampoo there is. I tried taking yeast supplements. I tried washing my hair more often or less often. I also tried herbal shampoos and tea tree oil. And if you tell people about your problem, they give you all kinds of bad advice like, “Why don’t you just wash your hair more?” Ugh. Not helpful.

But anyways, I have an actual answer! The only thing I’ve tried that helps is sulfur shampoo. Sulfur shampoo is hard to find but you can order it on the internet. Sebulex is the more expensive brand, but there is also Sebex, which is kind of like a knock-off brand. I promise you this works. It worked for me and my mother (who has the same problem) and it worked the very first time we used it.

I have been using it once a week for about a year and it’s still working. The problem is that if you stop using it the smell does come back. I’m also worried that if I use it too much it will stop working, so I try to use as little as possible.

Hope that helps!
Cris Says:

I have been suffering with smelly hair and was told by a FNP that I had seborrheic dermatitis, and that I should use Nizoral, which is really expensive. I tried that and it was better, but I still would get that smell less than 10 hours after washing my hair. After looking at all the entries, I just now (today!) went to a pet store and decided to try out some medicated antibacterial shampoo (pricey, $17). It IS for dogs and cats, but the ingredients are the same as those for human antibacterial shampoo. For the bacteria, it has triclosan, sulfur (2%) and it also has salicylic acid which is good because I have oily scalp. I’m familiar with all these ingredients (mostly used for acne) so I thought it’d be ok to use dog shampoo. I washed and dried my hair about 5 hours ago and so far so good. If it doesn’t work out as well as I think it will, I’ll post again…
Good luck everyone. It IS nice to see that I’m not alone. It’s a very embarrasing problem to have, especially because people might think it’s a hygiene problem when it’s not at all.
Chona Says:

hello everyone! thanks for all the tips.
I have a similar problem but extra problems with the scalp and was wondering if anybody knows about it. My scalp has been smelly for at least 4 years. I wash my hair almost every day because my scalp gets sweaty easily, and with that comes the odor and oil on the scalp. I especially sweat at night. And for the last 8 months or so, i have noticed that my hair is thinning (I’m only 26 and female)
I am wondering if mites can be the cause, or the constant washing. how would I find out? Dermatologists don’t seem to be a great help..
I’m otherwise healthy, eat healthy no medications, allergies or anything. Only on birth control (necon), which I don’t know could be the cause
Amelia Says:

So I am sensing that it’s all to do with yeast somehow?
smelly head Says:

i have always had oily thin smelly hair. And im glad that Im not the only one. the truth is, besides the fact that it has to do with genetics, it is also a build up of yeast,(malazzeisis furfur),,seborrheic dermatitis and can only be controlled with certain shampoos. but you will always have it, it just needs to be controlled like acne.
Karen Says:

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I, too, had tried everything for the past couple of years, including the Sulfur Soap that I got from smellyscalp.com. I couldn’t get it to lather enough and it really dried out my hair. What works? I use a combination of: the generic equivalent of Neutrogena’s T-SAL shampoo, Sulfur Soap and Dial Antibacterial Body Wash with moisturizers. First, lather in a generous amount of the shampoo and rub in the sulphur soap. Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse and wash with the body wash and leave that on a few more minutes. Spray on conditioner keeps my hair soft, but prevents my scalp from getting oily again. I am so relieved to have found a solution!