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.
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I had smelly scalp for a year and a couple of months. i tried everything. I even paid a visit to the dermatologist and he didn’t even believe me. BUT!!!! I HAVE NO MORE SMELLY SCALP! WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?!?! DIAL ANTIBACTERIAL BODYWASH. seriously- it works. Wash your hair once a day for about a week and a half. This was my system
wash your hair in the shower three times, each time leaving it on for about 2 minutes. and then finish it off with Neutrogena T-gel extra strength anti-dandruff shampoo (the brown liquid).
Trust me. This works. I’ve had it for over a year and in just a week and a half, it’s totally gone. Hope this helps someone.
I posted some time ago and mentioned that I tried the Candidase made by Enzymedica but since then I had stopped taking the enzymes. My oily smelly scalp was back, so I’m not sure if Candidaise was helping and I stopped trying.
Well, last week my problem grew out of control and my scalp got so bad that I started developing bumps on my scalp and neck. It was itchy and kind of painful. This time not only was it stink and oily, but now it was itchy with bumps. I don’t have health insurance so I was going to give it one last shot on my own before giving into going to find a dermatolgist who could help me solve my embarassing problem.
This is what I tried again. I went straight for the Braggs Apple Cider vinegar and for 3 days in a row I used it as a shampoo. I thought it was working after the 1st day so I did 2 more consecutive days. 3 parts vinagar (about 1 cup) and 1 part water. I didn’t want to continue just to be safe since it is an acid. It did not work for me. By the 2nd application I reeked worse than ever (I didn’t shampoo after using the vinegar and I think that was the problem with the overbearing smell. It was stinky. My scalp bumps were inflamamed and very, very irritated. I tried one last time and that was it. The smell was too. (bacteria or yeast mixed with vinegar is not pleasant) I had to get the smell out, and I tried to shampoo it out of my hair but I could still smell it. The next thing I tried was lemon. (I’m on a budget) 3 parts lemon juice from 1 whole lemon (remove pulp-so it donesn’t get stuck in your hair) and 1 part water. This is an acid too so if you try it be careful it doesn’t go into your eyes or ears. I left it on for 15 -20 minutes and massaging my scalp with my finger tips to get in all over, while showering and let it do it’s thing. It kind of burned. I don’t know the details on if it is bad for the scalp or not but it worked. I did 2 applications, 1 each day and shampooed and conditioned afterwards with regular store shampoo. It’s been about 5 days now and the bumps are not itchy or painful. I think it’s healing and bumps are gone. My scalp feels normal, no build up. I don’t want to get too crazy excited like the last time so I am being cool about it to see if this lasts. I will do an application 2x a week or another week and see how it goes. I’ll do more weeks if necessary but I feel good about it this time. My scalp does not have that oil crud that it used to. Sometimes my scalp got really dry and I would scratch it and it felt like I could just keep dig my nails deeper and deepr into my scalp with no relief. That scared me alot because it was like I was digging a hole in my head and it was still itchy. This was 2 weeks ago so things have turned around dramatically. This lemon solution worked for me (This time. Last time I tried the lemon I did not leave it in very long). So simple! Caution: If you are allergic to citrus I would not recommend this. Please keep in mind that I was experimenting so I’m not sure of safety with lemon soaking into your scalp pores so consult a doctor before trying. Also, I don’t know if this strength will weaken the hair schaft and like anything else results are individual. If there is irritation, do not proceed. I am not a doctor, just trying to help. Let’s compare notes and I’ll update when more time passes…the ultimate test.
I’ve found the cure to this!!!!!!!!!!!
After months of searching for an expensive treatment for scalp odour i’ve finally found a solution to stinky scalp. My scalp would start to smell like @$$ only a few hours after a shower and i was getting really tired of coming up w/ excuses to justify my foul smelling hair.
I searched for days and found a very inexpensive solution to this very frustrating problem…. LISTERINE!!!
*I recommend doing this 2 hours before bed*
1) Start w/ a deep cleansing shampoo like Suave clarifying shampoo or Vichy Oily Hair Shampoo. Rub it in and let it sit on your head for 4-6 Mins. Rinse and if you like repeat.
2) Grab 2 Cap-fulls of Listerine, tilt your head forward and rub them in Aggressively but QUICKLY ( too much friction on your scalp will trigger you sebaceous glands to produce more sebum) Rinse under the shower without touching your hair and repeat with 2 more cap-fulls and rinsing with the same method.
3) Pat dry your hair GENTLY
***DO NOT*** Shampoo or condition your hair. The smell fades away when your hair completely dries.
Do this for 2 nights and VOILA! this may not work for everyone as all cases are diff. but it doesn’t hurt to try this once you’ve exhausted all of your resources.
Google ‘alternative uses for Listerine’ and you’ll understand why this works
Tea tree oil & mint/rosemary shampoos or conditioners help tremendously with scalp conditions. I’ve heard great things about Neem shampoos for fungal issues as well.
[As a side note, Hibicleanse (mentioned in another comment) will not only harm you but can cause blindness if it gets in your eyes. As such, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this particular cleanser for the hair or face except perhaps in the most extreme of cases with health care advice.]
Just try this 5 days a week , wont harm in any case. Mix 2 tb spoons of Apple Cider Vinegar n Lime juice (4ts)and apply it before having bath say like 1 hr . And After that shampoo ur hair with nizoral (any Ketoconazole).Scalp probs must be treated frm inside in that case eat some neem leaves early morning . It works fine for sometime , This oily hair has made me a scientist u can say trying all the stuff in the world.
I am so embarrassed. I hear you guys talking about smelly scalps but mine is worse than all of this. My hair is so smelly that sometimes, flies buzz around my head. I am a clean person who showers and washes my hair daily. It started off in hot weather, I would sweat but even in normal weather or in air-conditioned room, there will be a fly that is buzzing around my head. People notice. The only reason I could think of is that I have reallly thick hair that takes like 2 hours to blow-dry and I have to cut it down to one. Usually I let the rest air-dry. Maybe it gets ‘mildewy’? I wish my hair would stop smelling and the flies would go away. Does anyone know what to do?
I’ve been suffering from scalp odor for as long as I can remember – my mom used to point it out to me when she was brushing my hair, but she never helped me get help for the problem! I’m now in my mid thirties and can’t believe I still haven’t found a cure for this problem. Maybe there is no cure and we can only deal with this on a daily basis by shampooing often and using products that help control the smell. What does your odor smell like? Mine smells like an oily smell mixed with vomit! It is not pleasant at all. It does NOT smell like “wet dog” as others have pointed out…mine literally reeks of vomit.
Not sure if this post is still active (today is 9.11.09) but I just wanted to verify that the dial antibacterial bodywash treatment worked for me. I had tried all the drugstore options (Head & Shoulders, Tea tree oil shampoos, etc. etc.) and none of them worked. My scalp smelled horrible by the middle of the day (and not b/c I didn’t wash my hair often enough). I have used the Dial 2x and my hair does not smell anymore at all! I hope this treatment lasts! I have also noticed that I don’t seem to lose as much hair now that my scalp doesn’t smell anymore. Thank you to all who suggested this! I hope everyone else finds this treatment as useful as I did.
hi i want to share with everyone how i got rid of my smelly scalp. i tried it all the sulphur soap, head and shoulders, apple cider vinegar rinse, but the one thing that cure my smelly scalp was virgin coconut oil, i smeared it all over my scalp for 2 hours and after only one session no more smell, virgin coconut oil works so well cause it anti bacterial anti viral and anti fungal,
I am a 61 year old woman who ran across this website a few weeks ago and was immediately excited. I have suffered with smell hair proble….and the same odor on my uoper arms, neck and chest. I, too, am a very clean person but I can’t stand this any more. To date, I have tried every product listed on this website except fpr SAL-3. I am now on Candidase. Has anyone else noticed that their skin smells like their hair? I have been using all of the products on my hair and skin. I am begoinning to wonder if I have some sort of toxins built up and they are trying to get out. Help for AMC in Phoenix!
Thank you so much for the different remedies. I tried an anti-bacterial soap on my grand daughters hair and it worked.
hi,i am black and as u might know i dont have white hair that you can just wash and blow dry without even styling it. Since i cant wash my hair everyday, how do i treat this smelly scalp problem? It usually occurs when i have sweat and the sweat drys up on my scalp. Its embarrassing because i have to wait until people have left if i want to pass by so that they wont smell it. I thot about cutting my hair so that I can wash it everyday to solve this problem. What should i do?
To Haircase:
In your case you should look into buying “African Pride Hair deodorizer”. Its a spray specifically for people who cant wash their hair everyday. I’m not black, but I use it because I too suffer from scalp sweatiness.
They sell the spray at Texasbeautysupplies.com. Believe me it works and its only about $3 a bottle. I’m trying to help you because I feel your pain.
it was 12 midnight when i first found this website (and i was very sleepy). but i was so excited that i spent 1.5 hours to read all posts.
well, i started to have this problem when i came to ireland (to study), and its been 3 years. i’m from an Asia country. i had sweaty scalps back in my hometown because the hot climate, but my head didnt smell bad. but since i came to ireland, i found that my scalps started to be oily and it smells very bad. so i guess, the scalps produce some oil because the air here is drier. i have tried so many shampoos but none of them worked. i will try to do all your suggestions, one by one of course, and i will post the result. thanks very much for all your comments/advice.
Hello everyone. Like you, I have been suffering from smelly scalp for years. My scalp adopts a cheesy/muggy smell a few days after it is washed-in fact, while I am washing my hair while I am in the shower, I often rub my fingers across my scalp and can smell that it is not clean ( when my hair is wet, it smells like potatoes….?)
Anyway, a read Clean’s latest post about rinsing her hair with lemon. What I did was juice a whole lemon, and mixed it with about half a bottle of water. I rinsed my hair with water while I was in the shower, and then poured this mixture over my scalp. Then I vigorously rubbed my scalp so that it would really get to the skin. After that, I washed my hair with Dial antibacterial body wash (not the BAR kind) and did the same thing. After that I rinsed my hair and applied my normal conditioner and rinsed it once more. This was all done, for the first time, last night, November 6, 2009.
Now it’s a day later. I can honestly smell my hair a little bit, but I am not sure whether the lemon has made a difference yet. I will post in a few days (promise!!) and let you guys know how it works out. BUT, I must tell you: when I normally wash my hair with regular shampoo and condition my hair, with the same conditioner I used last night, my hair and scalp smell soooo strong that I can smell it a few days later-ewww!! And the smell is not a good frangrant smell either. It smells like perfume mixed with nasty muggy sweat. My scalp does not smell llike this yet but we’ll see.
*I just wanted to add that I’ve ALSO been drinking lemon water. I juice 1 lemon a day and add it to regualr bottled water. Good luck
O yea, and one more thing. I know that I have very smelly scalp because when I get my hair straightened, it smells strongly of the products my stylist puts in my hair (just like the conditioner I use) and she barely uses much. And while I am in the salon, some of the women cover their noses when it’s wet. However, I can’t seem to smell other people hair when it is straight. Worse part is, I have course hair so I have to use daily moisturizer, so their is always some type of odor emittiing from my scalp. Even when I apply nothing on my hair for days after I wash it, it gets this cheesy smelly, almost like yeast (?)
I am getting my hair straightened naxt saturday (nov 14), so i guess that will be the ultimate test. I will post on monday because I am going to do the lemon and dial soap routine again, except this time I will try the bar soap.
I have a question though; do any of you suffer from body odor as well? I do (bad breath, smelly skin) and I am sure whatever causes my bodily smells has cause my scalp odor, too.
Thanks
Hello,
Im obsessed with cleanliness and shower twice a day but nothing is working for my problem.
f/ 30′s /White. My background is half Middle Eastern and half South American. I sweat a lot, and use to exercise every day, stopped for other reasons. I have tried changing eating patterns ect. Nothing is working. Im stressed. I have some crazy and embarrassing stories.
I was a fun, always good time very social person. Not since I’ve had this odor have I returned to that! It’s horrible.
First of all, this is really astonishing to me. I thought I was alone in this suffering. For about 6yrs now my life has resulted to being on edge, and not wanting to be close to anyone. I hate it, and it’s tormenting me.
I can’t say exactly when this started, it’s very weird! Sometime 6 yrs ago I started to have to wash my hair everyday! But, my hair smells great; it’s my scalp that stinks.
I unfortunately don’t have insurance now but when this problem first began, I went to see a dermatologist. Which was of no help! I got prescriptions and so forth but nothing worked. I have tried all most all product out there. Dermatologist said that I had excessive fungal growth on my scalp. My symptoms are primarily extremely horrible scalp and scaly irregular shaped thick flakes……ewwwwwww!The smell is enterable. The flakes disappear when I use my medicated shampoo. But I’m more concerned with the SMELL.
What I think are possible causes! Since I was about 14 I washed my hair every day because the “style “that I wanted, I had to have my hair wet before product application. I would let my hair air dry and I did that for about five years. Then in high school, I also would let it air dry but tied back tightly and WET! It was easy and the fastest style. I think leaving my hair wet and pulling it back for all those years might be one possible reason. ANYONE ELSE!
The other is My chemical imbalance, combined with my stress. It seems that the flare up worsens when I’m stressed! Maybe that correlates to also my stomach. Alsures, chemical imbalances inside other medical reactions. Just hoping I can connect with someone else out there and find out correlations in life style, medical background ect.
If I think of anything else I will post. I need desperate help in a solution bec I cannot live life this. Other people don’t understand It’s something that is uncontrollable and makes life really difficult. I have beautiful thick hair but my self confidence is in the negative at this point, I pull it back everyday, people comment how come I always wear my hair tied back? But it doesn’t even make a difference. I went to work yesterday and couldn’t properly do my job bec. even though I just washed it, my scalp was terrible giving off the scent. Every time I passed someone or leaned over, walked in a direction…..ect
If there’s anyone out there that wants to compare notes and find out the cause, please!!!!!!write. In the mean-time I’m trying the Dial, virgin coconut oil, lemon, and candidase!
Good luck!
To the person who wrote, “What is this?”, what does your scalp smell like? Maybe people on this forum might be able to offer you some helpful advice if you described your scalp smell.
I am 72 years of age…pretty healthy,not old looking and my hair has what I call the “old persons odor” …I shower and shampoo my hair every day, but I still have the old persons smell! Can anyone help?
Hey guys. I jsut wanted to tell you that after I did the lemon juice wash the first time, it didn’t work. I know it didn’t because my hair had that same skunkish smell to it that it always gets when the sun hits it and I have my favorite moisturizer in my hair. I’m really at loss of what to do….
I was reading something on exercising and immunity to bacteria today. It said that noderate exercise (i think about 20-30) helps to move antibodies throughout the body and thus kill bacteria more efficiently. It also said that people who regularly exercise and athletes have about half as many colds as people who do not stay active. I am not saying exercise is our problem (for many people who are smell-free dont exercise at all) but maybe it would help. It is possible that our immunity to pathogens are low; usually scalp odor is from fungus or bacteria feeding on oil, not the oil itself (there are people out there who get tons of dandruff but still dont have our problem). Also, I notice when exericise on the eliptical macjine or treadmill and build up a sweat, my sweat smells like NOTHING, it is almost normal. However, on a hot day if I start to sweat i have a body odor similar to meat/hot dogs/hamburgers, and sometimes it is even sour. So im going to start exercising for thirty minutes everyday starting tomorrow, because at this point I am desperate to try anything. Just to give you all my history, I have tries sooo many things and literally spent up to a thousand dollars on products and doctors that could not help me: apple cider vinegar(orally AND topically), kefir, yogurt, different brands of probiotics, prebiotics, chlorophyll, mms, food grade hydrogen peroxide, betaine hcl hydrochloric acid tablets, goldenseal, digestive enzymes, accupuntures, just to name a few. I don’t knwo whether to laugh or cry sometimes, because while I’m spending my money on all this crap that doesn’t work, my friends are using thier money to go out and buy clothes. O yea, one more thing; when i was in highschool, I LITERALLY bought over 50 freaking deodorants to try and hide my body odor. Now i’m a sophmore in college, never had a boyfriend, never even kissed a guy, and its all because of this smelly demon that I have had to cope with since eigth grade. So when I’m writing all of this, I’m thinking about you guys because I have highly been affected and know what your going through first hand.
Anyway, like I said i’m going to exercise tomorrow and try and sweat out some of this funk. I’m also still drinking lemon water (one lemon juiced per bottle of water) I’m going to increase this to two bottles of lemon water and see if this makes a difference.
Thanks Guys, and Good Luck
Hi,
Bout a month ago, i suffered from the smelly scalp condition. I noticed it had appeared since starting going to the gym. I would wash my hair, and still be able to smell i horrible smell from my scalp. During the day it got worse and worse which lead me to take a trip to my GP. She prescribed me a shampoo called Selsun, you can buy this from pharmacys, and within an wash with it, the smell went! … Its great, I would recommend it to anyone with the condition.
Thanks x
Hi. I have been battling smelly scalp for a few years now. I’m female, in my 30′s with long thick hair and just minutes after washing I can feel my head start to tingle and itch and I know its starting. I have tried everything: dandruff shampoo’s, sulfur bar, J/A/S/O/N tea tree shampoo, Zinc Plex, Folli-Cleanse, Dial anti bacterial body wash. I even went to the dermatologist. Twice! He never heard of such a thing and seemed to not even believe me which mad me very angry! Like I would spend the $ to goto him if I didn’t have to! He suggested Nizoral…hasn’t helped. My GP had no idea either. She suggested the dermatologist. Why don’t these doctors have a clue?! It sounds to me like its a real problem for a lot of people yet doctors don’t know anything about it.
I guess in the mean time I’m going to try the coconut oil and the listerine. What do I have to lose?
If anyone has any luck or finds a doctor who actually knows something, please post it. Thank you!
Gosh, I really sympathize with so many of you here. Corrin, I truly feel for you with all that you’re going through at such a young age. And Miss ‘What is this’, I know what you mean by not wanting to walk by people, especially having people walk behind you. So so embarrassing.
I’m 36/fem/Asian and it hasn’t been this bad, but started this past year. After the first shower, I smell great, but it’s the next day that gets bad for me….a nasty sour odor. So my money’s been going to perfumes and Bath and Body lotions! And since I’m 5′ 6″, I can wear heels that make me taller, hoping I can put my head in a different stratosphere! I thought perhaps it was because of my long hair and putting it up in a bun everyday. Well, I finally cut it, but that wasn’t the answer.
I read everyone’s post…lemon juice, coconut oil, Listerine, Dial ab soap, tea tree oil…. I guess I’ll try the Dial antibacterial first since that’s what I have and it’s cheap. I’ve been using Head and Shoulders for a year and Pantene conditioner, but no help on the scalp smell.
You’re all beautiful people, despite what we smell like. And Jesus loves us for who we are too. I’m grateful for that.
Oh yeah, on the lemon juice drinking, Corrin, make sure you take care of your teeth well because the acidity of the lemon can wear down your enamel and cause teeth problems on top of the smell problem and you don’t want that! You can try drinking out of a straw to reduce contact with teeth.
Well, I’m glad to have found a common group of people to share our miseries with. Here’s to striving for better smelling days!
its funny how i googled in “why does my hair smell so bad” and first ended up with a video of “why does burned hair smell so bad?” lol. google completely offset me. so i typed in “why does my SCALP smell bad” and VOILA! here i am reading all your interesting posts at 3:30AM. im an asian female who had this scalp smell problem for years. i too would notice the odd musty smell of my scalp, and i’d feel so nervous when i go out in public wearing this awful smell. even if i spray myself a million times with perfume, its like my scalp over powers the smell and just doesn’t give me a break! so im fighting to find decent solutions to this. but i dont want to wash my hair everyday, as it is already very dry and so is my scalp, and im guessing the natural oils that come out of my scalp are better than none. sometimes when i scratch my head i can see the dandruff and my nails would smell musty and heavy ugh. i feel so ugly when i carry this smell around. i havent tried this yet, but has anyone sprayed their hair with products to moisten it while keeping it smelling nice? my mom drowns her follicles in perfume, but id rather not to that degree. gosh im going on a date in 2 days and im worried of this smell!
Hello, First of all I want to say that I am sorry to all you girls who are suffering. My problem isnt nearly as bad. But its enough to make me want to research a solution. I am a dancer and I dance 5-6x a week. if I wash my hair and wear it wet, It smells great the first day, even the 2nd day ok, by the third day its time for a wash and its not too annoying and the smell is not as horrible as many of you describe, just smells a little oily. I am a Latina, but I have thick hair, coarse i guess some would call it, although when wet its naturally wavy. My problem really arises when i straigten it and flat iron it. When i wear it DRY~~ Even after the first wash, and drying and flat iron, it smells netural, not of the shampoo, and definitely a burnt smell a little from the hair products. I really like to wear my hair straight. But after one day, my scalp starts to smell. I can only go one day before i need to wash it. It smells oily and dirty even thought i washed my hair only a day before. It takes so much work and heat to get my hair pretty and i hate that right after I go thru all that and one night of dancing, it doesnt last. I know the dancing adds to the smell because i am sweating but i always figured something was wrong, or that there had to be something i could do. i read thru all the posts and I am going to start with the cheaper products first to see how that goes. I am self conscious as well, and if i can smell my hair/scalp and i uncomfortable thruout the whole day. the only time I am comfortable is 1-2 days after i wash it ,. towel dry and let it air dry. other wise I can’t not wash it before I dance because i will know that my dance partners can smell it , and its terribly embarrassing and uncomfortable to the point that I want to leave. So for me wearing it straight is the problem, but I cant stand always wearing it wet, especially during winter or the times that i want to go out and feel sexy, that look isnt for everything. i will let you know what worked for me, and my situation is mild compared to most of you, but still a problem for me. good luck girls with ur problems as well.
Bless all your hearts!
I feel unwell and doctors are not helping. I found this site while researching various health conditions I may be experiencing (generally ones that are not recognized as “legitimate” by the medical professionals we’re supposed to trust).
My hair smells rank. Musty, moldy, sour at times. After reading all the comments posted here I am convinced I need to follow the Candida & weak immune system path.
I had been drinking a lot of alcohol for the past few years and my health began rapidly declining. We even developed a mold problem in our basement from storing all the empty damp beer bottles. I can only imagine that if my basement grew a fungal problem from this beer that my body must have too. Even our dog is displaying some signs of skin irritation now.
I am grateful for some of the tips posted here for dealing with the smell and itch. I have been using Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Castille Soap (liquid) for a shampoo and body wash and while it does make me feel much cleaner I still get the smell back, sometimes within 12 hours. I think I may try the Dial AntiBacterial Body Wash next…but only in the meantime – while I research finding an excellent Alternative Healthcare Practitioner who actually believes in Candida and diseases fueled by weak immune systems.
Good Luck and All the Best to You
Think: Solution, Think: Natural, Think: Alternative
omg i tried the dial antibacterial body wash today n it worked….i have tried everything n finally i have found it thank you sooooo much everyone ………….i’m sooooo happy i found this website last night ……….thank you everyone n god bless
my now 13 year old son has had this problem for several years now also. his hair smells like he hasn’t washed it in a few days – like a pillow case that hasn’t been washed in months or a jacket that’s never been to the dry cleaner. he is a very clean child – always has been.
glad to report that we had sucess on the first try with sulfur soap and the dial body wash! my health food store special orders the soap for me so i don’t have to pay freight. after using an entire bar he was good for 2-3 months using just the dial bodywash. over the years, the period of time between stinky episodes has increased – this last time being 9 months.
FYI with the sulfur soap… keep it in a soap dish away from the shower when you are done with it. it disolves/disappears quickly when constantly exposed in the shower. we took to patting it dry with the towel and putting it in a travel soap dish on the window sill to dry off between uses. definetely extends the life.
Well I have had this for as long as i can remember. When I was a kid my mom would say I had a musky smell. Well I’m 26 now and my girlfriend has been the only person to point out that my head stinks like a diaper. And yes it dose. I haven’t tried a lot of stuff but tonight I’m going to. I wash my hair nightly and by morning my scalp stinks. I have had some bad dandruff spurts but head and shoulders with some tar shampoo cleared that up. I have had the thought of fungus in the back of my head for some time but after reading this i think that’s the case. I’m not going to rule out bacteria so I will assault that also. I’ll let you all know how it turns out. And good luck to the rest of you stinkers.
someone from another forum mentioned that rotating between Stieprox (contains Ciclopirox Olamine), body shop’s ginger shampoo (piroctone olamine), and head and shoulders (zinc pyrithione) worked for her. It’s important to rotate otherwise your scalp might build resistance to it. (and this lady suffers from some yeast overgrowth so i guess i’ll have to work from there..but havent figured out how to do so yet)
i’ve found that ‘audace regan hair reactive and hair fall control shampoo’ (contains piroctone olamine) paired with ‘antabax deodorant shower cream’ (contains bergamot oil and triclosan) helps too. i’m not too sure about triclosan for me – some products with triclosan helps but some others does totally nothing for me.
i’ve noticed that massaging shampoo on your scalp from certain angles removes the smell more effectively than others (eg for the crown area – look straight and massage from back to front with your fingertips works better). It also helps to massage with shampoo for 5-10secs non stop on each part of your scalp. remember to use a light hand though otherwise your scalp will hurt after a few days.
sprinkling ‘protex cooling powder’ (contains triclosan) or spraying a good dose of deodorant on the scalp helps too (rexona helped but not those natural deodorants that contain mineral salts)
my face smells the same way too but only if i wear sunscreen – whenever i wear sunscreen and stay out in the sun , i’d smell like rusty metal eww. so I’d just skip sunscreen. i think washing my face with a cleansing oil (those used to remove makeup) before putting sunscreen seems to eliminate the smell but i haven’t really tested it out under the sun long enough to confirm this.
oh n for the lemon juice drinking – i’ve been drinking that for over a year and it doesn’t help with the smell at all .. i still stink:( .. ( but rinsing with lemon juice didnt’ help with the smell so maybe for those who found relief from the lemon juice rinse then maybe drinking it might help? )
for “AMC” who posted about her upper arms , neck and chest suffering from the same smell – use a facial cleansing oil/oil makeup remover and massage on the spots that smell …then wash with your normal shower gel (preferably a antibacterial/deodorizing one) . this will help eliminate the smell.
i guess the same method will work for scalps but i’m not brave enough to shave my head bald (i needed alot of facial cleansing oil to reach each part of my scalp and it will cost way too much to do this everyday & coconut oil didnt help).
i need help!! I am a GUY, and I have the stinky scalp smell also.. i noticed it about 2 months ago, ok so while im in the shower i washed my hair and i smelt the soap i grbbed from my head and it stunk like WET DOG! and i literally almost threw up.. i washed it literaly 5 times in a row… and i could still smell the stink!! its been 3 months and i still cant get rid of the smell. i dont know what is causing the smell, i shower daily and i am a clean person.. i just dont know how this happend… has anyone had the same problem. or have any solutions. i tried bar soap, head and shoulders, zest, axe, tag, nothing gets the stink out.
I’m so happy to hear that other people have this same issue! Every morning I get the not-so-pleasant surprise of waking up with my face buried in my bf’s pillow…which reeks of some sort of head funk. I’ve gotten him to try tons of different things and though he showers every morning and now every night, nothing has seemed to help.
I’ll definitely be giving that Dial Anti-bac body wash a shot since it looks to be more successful on this thread. Also what seems to help (only a tad) is getting him to soak in a bath (scalp submerged) with A&H baking soda mixed in. It only seems to rid him of his scalp smell for a good solid day but it’s better than nothing!
I’ll also follow-up and let people know how that Dial works. I’m gonna pick some up tonight and douse him in it!
I have a 11 year old daughter who has bad smelling hair. I am not sure what to do for it. I have read all the post and I do not know what to try first. This problem just started and with the holidays here I do not want the family saying anything to her. She is at that age when every little thing said or done could hurt her feelings. Her father is from West Africa and I am not sure if this is common in his family or something else!! Please help
glycerin soap worked for me. my hair smells great now.
Hey I have the same problem I am 14 years old and I never quite noticed my hair being so smelly until summer came i noticed my hair began to smell horrible and it would feel oily, my hair doesnt smell that bad anymore but sometimes when i’m outside in the sun i could smell it hitting my nose. Ive tried switching shampoos and that isnt it, sometimes when im with my boyfriend we cuddle amd stuff but since im so much shorter than him he likes to put his chin on my head and give me kisses on my head as well I fell emberrased bevause i know he could smell it I really need something that will help get the smell out im not comfortable when people touch my hair because i feel that theu can smell it. I also straighten my haor everyday when i go to school and the smell gets worst If there are any other treatments o could use thanks!
I’m in my late forties and have suffered from stinky scalp all my life. My mom used to call me ‘stinky head’ as a term of endearment, but this condition has killed my social and romantic life. I remember going out with this guy I really liked and rubbing my scalp with perfume. It just made it worse, so I couldn’t relax to dance with him or anything else that involved close contact. Once, in college, one of my classmates rubbed his finger on my scalp and smelled it in front of all the class. I guess it was that pungent. Ever since I have been washing my hair every other day and I can smell it as soon as I finish. It’s a ‘skunky’ smell. I am about to try SAL-3 and dial, after trying every other thing. For a while, swabbing my scalp with a solution of baking soda worked, but lately the effect only lasts hours and then the smell is even worse. I tried Listerine, but the combination of that smell and my own is unbearable.
We are not alone in our suffering. Hang in there!
Wow! I am so grateful to find all of you, and your amazing advice! 1st of all- thanks a bunch for all the people with great tips to try. I haven’t tried yet but looking sooooo forward to a possible solution!! So far- I am just beginning to figure this out- and have no tips to offer yet- But I wanted to write to give some more possible insight on causes. I read- possible bacterial cause, and some have mentioned immune difficiency as a possible curious cause. My hair began smelling a few years ago– at first– I thought i was going crazy- imagining- that my hair smelled initially – like burnt hair– when I was washing it- so I really noticed it when it was wet in the shower, and then the heat of the blow dryer made it very pronounced as well. Just smelled like if you lit your hair on fire and the risidule smell of burning. So Weird!!! Now – it sometimes smells burnt- but also smells like wet down, or wet dog hair, sometimes a little sour. YUCK! Soooo unbelieveably embarrassing- as you all know!! I’m not sure– but I suddenly started to notice my smelly hairscalp (?) very soon after a GYN surgery, gone-wrong which resulted in early ovarian failure at age 35. Among the eefects of this condition- not important to get into now— But – within the year after- when my hormoes went completely out of wack and almost non-exiastent, is when I noticed this stinky hair initially. I always felt this was the cause until now i am reading other possibilities- but wonder if anyone else has had any hormonal deficiencies along with the onset of their stinky hair? Maybe not even necesarily estrogen, but any hormone deficiency or imbalance in general? Wonder if it could be a cause/factor? I do have some general health issues resulting from the GYN surgery that I had- and enough people mentioned they had some sort of medical , and stinky hair to make it a considerable possibility of the cause. So I wanted to confirm- I noticed this occured soon after my medical issues began and progressed. Well- thanks everyone for the advice- i am hoping thy’ll help!
Please post if anyone has had similar hormonal or any confirmed medical issue along with the onset of their hair beginning to have an odor? HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! XOXO. Let’s hope we’ll all have nice smelling hair in the new decase! 
LOL!
Hi I do hv smelly / oily scalp from time to time, and it is usually cured when I do 2 things, first I go to this salon that has a sensitive scalp treatment, where they rub a liquid into yo hair to treat it, wrap yo head in saran wrap, and steam it. This is followed with something they call
gud luck everyone, Hapi Nu Year!
“frequency treatment”, it is a glass rod attached to a machine and they deliver like an electrical impulse using d rod (they cud never tell me what its called exactly). I will also use Oily hair shampoo daily after d treatment. So before the bottle of shampoo is finished, its usually “cured”. But this time round, Ive had to do 2 treatments of the frequency and onto my 2nd bottle, which my hairdresser said dont shampoo with Oily shampoo everyday, as it’ll dry d hair out. So I am going to try d Dial wash (dont know if they sell Dial in Malaysia, but I did use it when in USA). If its still a problem, then I probably hv to visit this hair centre that I heard is good, but the treatment costs a couple hundred RM (or dollars, if comparing dollar for dollar). I am also going out right now to buy a new pillow, just in case d current one has “bacteria” which I read about. Sigh.. such is d extent of what we have to go thru and endure.. women’s beauty problems
After nearly 8 years of trying different treatments, I think this may be the one that works. Everyday, wash your hair and scalp using the following regimen:
1. First, coat hair and scalp with “Denorex Extra Strength 2 in 1 Dandruff Shampoo + Conditioner” (green bottle with orange cap) and scrub in. Rinse.
2. Then, apply “Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo + Conditioner, 2in1 classic clean” (for normal hair) and massage throughout entire scalp. Let sit for a minute or two, then rinse.
3. Apply conditioner other than Head & Shoulders brand to ends of hair only. I only emphasize using a brand other than Head & Shoulders, because this brand can really dry out your hair.
So far, it has been about 2 weeks, and I have not noticed a smell. I’m not a dermatologist, but I think the reason this may work, is because the 3% Salicylic Acid in the Denorex works to remove any oily buildup on the scalp, allowing the Pyrithione Zinc found in the Head & Shoulders to penetrate and treat the underlying condition (fungus maybe?) more effectively. Hopefully this will work for you, too! God bless.
Research needs to be done. I’ve had stinky scalp since 26 up till now. However, I noticed when I was pregnant (2 kids) the smell went away until my hormones went back to normal. Hmm something to consider. Will try antibacterial soap. Thanks for everyones thoughts.
i’ve only tried this for a very short period of time but so far i’ve managed to remain smell-free:
I use stieprox shampoo 2-3 times a week and on days when I don’t use stieprox, i use ‘Lakme K-Therapy peeling shampoo oily hair’ [the bottle with a pink label] (an anti-dandruff shampoo for oily scalp that contains piroctone olamine and rosemary extracts)(this shampoo works like Rene Furterer’s shampoo for oily scalp but with piroctone olamine). I’ll massage the shampoo onto my scalp with both my fingertips and a shampoo scalp massage brush (well i just use the bath brush from the body shop – the 1 with nylon bristles and a long handle – and massage in circular motions). After giving my scalp a long, thorough massage with shampoo, leave on for a few minutes or even up to 15-20minutes. Repeat.
Then dry hair thoroughly with hairdryer. Finally, spritz some deodorant (natural salt deodorants) onto the scalp. (The salt and minerals keep the bacteria (which make you smell) from growing. this provides a saline envionment that is hostile to bacteria.). On the first few days, I sprayed deodorant onto my scalp for about 4 times a day, then now I can do with just 1 or maybe 2 times. Well as a precautionary measure, you can always carry a bottle around with you and if the scalp starts to smell jus spritz some onto the scalp. By the way, i like using Dr Mist – it helps dry up my oily scalp too. I’m thinking of trying saline solution on the scalp too (the ones used for contact lens) since it contains boric acid which I think should help too. (it’s anti-bacterial compound, and can be used to treat yeast and fungal infections). I use to sprinkle dry shampoo on to my scalp to conceal the smell but it actually made my situation worse because those dry shampoos contain cornstarch and other starches (well i don’t really know if applying starches on my skin will really make my yeast/fungal overgrowth any worse but the fact is it did make my scalp smellier).
i’m also looking into herbs with antibacterial/antifungal properties (eg neem, cloves, lemongrass, etc) and will give those a shot too to see if they work. Maybe try using shampoos with such extracts, or essential oils, or making tea with them and rinsing scalp with it, or even ingesting it, etc
since I’m suspecting my case to be the cause of a yeast/fungal overgrowth/infection, i guess the only way to a permanent cure would be to work on it from the inside.
like many others have said, i am excited to have found this site! i washed my hair at 4pm yesterday afternoon and by 10am today my scalp smelled like @ $ $ (sorry, no better way to put it!) This has been going on for the last 5 months or so. i am going to try antibacterial soap (i’ve only got bath and body works on hand, but it has triclosan .3% just like the dial soap) i take great pride in my hair, being a 35 year old woman with graying hair i get it colored every 3 months and to prevent damaging my hair i USED to not wash it every day – i’d go 2-3 days between washings. now i can barely make it a full 24 hours without stinking and itching! i’ll wash w/ the b&bw soap and condition the ends only with my usual conditioner. i’ll report back with my results =0)
OK washed with the Bath and Body Works hand soap last night at 830 and tonight at 930 before I went into the shower I had my husband smell my scalp and he said he couldn’t smell anything! I knew it had gotten a bit better since I couldn’t smell it on my fingers after rubbing my scalp. I’m thrilled! I actually bought Dial Body Soap today, and used that tonite in the shower. It seemed a bit easier on my hair. . . the B&BW soap made my hair feel like straw even after using conditioner. Thing is, the Dial soap as .15% Triclosan and the B&BW soap has .3%, so we’ll see tomorrow if the Dial is as effective as the B&BW.
Either way, I’m SO glad I stumbled upon this site and everyone’s comments/stories!
Thanks mom_of_2! Let me know how that works. I’m also 35 and a mother of 2. Been to the dr and the dermotologist 2x with no answers. The dr sent me to derm and the derm seemed like he didn’t believe me. So I’ve been on my own trying every product and home remedy I can find with no luck. I’m really starting to believe its a hormonal thing. Maybe even something to do with my immune system?? Since my divorce I have been diagnosed with eczema, alopecia (lost a small patch on top of head), acne, impetigo, and now smelly scalp. So needless to say the stress has taken a toll on me.
But the smelly scalp is my biggest concern right now. So if anyone out there finds something, anything, please post it!!
Thank You!
Tersaseptic has 0.5% triclosan.
a little update from my previous post:
i found that using a scalp massager actually hurts my scalp. Washing with a baking soda solution deep cleanses a lot better.
- Run warm water through hair and scalp for a minute (hot water opens hair cuticles for a deep cleanse)
- Dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 400ml water. Pour over scalp and hair. Simply massage it over scalp and wait for about 1 minute. (Baking soda is an alkali and it’ll help open hair cuticles). DO NOT RINSE.
- Apply antibacterial/antifungal shampoo (use an alkaline one – it cleans better) to scalp. (If you need some water to help it foam use more baking soda solution and try not to use tap water). Wait for a little while then massage the shampoo very thoroughly on to the scalp. Rinse.
- Repeat if needed. Then follow up with a clarifying shampoo to remove all the baking soda residue.
- Follow up with a conditioner (to seal hair cuticles)(I think conditioners carry a neutral PH – which helps counteract the alkalinity of the baking soda and shampoo and bring hair back to normal PH). Rinse with cool water but not cold water as this can shock the hair cuticle and actually force the cuticle to remain open.
- Finally it is important not to leave hair+scalp damp for a long period of time (bacteria/fungus will grow) so try to blow dry.
I’m not sure if I got the PH stuff correct. I’m just making estimated assumptions and conclusions based on articles I’ve read.
I’ll post back about how long lasting the effects are.
I came across something interesting that might help point out what causes the smell – a hair mineral analysis test.
oops i keep on forgetting all the things i want to say – hence the numerous number of posts
regarding the hair mineral analysis test, i’ve emailed dr l. wilson about a smelly scalp and he mentioned that it COULD BE due to low zinc, or perhaps high copper, or maybe toxins coming out of the scalp. so a hair mineral analysis test will be able to reveal that, then you can correct it by following a nutritional balancing programme and the problem should go away.
if you’re suspecting your case to be due to some sort of yeast/fungus/candida try to read “chronic intestinal yeast infection” and “copper toxicity syndrome” (copper and yeast infection) on dr wilson’s site. there are a lot more articles there but i got tired from all the researching and reading and went to bed :p
All I know is that I have tried products and home remedies. Nothing has worked, but something I noticed is my boyfriend also has the same flaky/itchy/smelly scalp that I have and neither one of us had this 3 years ago. So I am guessing that what ever we have is contagious. I have been to doctors and dermatologist and have had blood test and it seems I am completely healthy. So why is my hair thinning, and my scalp smells like an old shoe and itch like I have fleas. Please I can’t wait until I’m bald to find an answer.
patticake – i am in the same boat as you. as my scalp gets worse my hair gets thinner. the problem for me with my scalp is the amount of build up(sebum) on my scalp- it’s insane! i wash my hair daily and within hours i could scratch my scalp and there is this oily buildup. i feel like i could never get my scalp clean:( sometimes my b/f is like did a skunk die on your head and i’m like i know i know and then it’s back to trying something else. i have used the dial antibacterial hand soap and though the problem improved somewhat it didn’t make it go away and that is a little drying for my hair. this week i have been using bath and body works antibacterial hand soap the lemon one and it’s ok but the smell and build up are still there. if i use conditioner it just goes on my ends and i rarely use products (i don’t want to add to the build up). i don’t know. my mom is like you better do something- something has got to work. yeah, well people who don’t have this thing have no idea. everyone around me has a nice clean nonoily scalp and i am always like you never get a buildup you never had this oil slick on your scalp and their like no. and i am just like jeez you sure are lucky. i asked my mom if my dad scalp was like this and she said it was. so maybe i am stuck with it cuz it’s heredity. this week i am going to try paul mitchell tea tree shampoo i hope hopeful:) will let every know if that helps at all.
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