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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Hello all. I cant believe there is other people with the same problem as me. I’ve been dealing with this problem for the past 4-5 years, I would take a shower in the morning and by the next day i couldnt stand the smell of my scalp, and it did start when I was using Head & Shoulders. I dont use it anymore, but I did see that some people have that in common. I did go out and bought myself the Dial Antibacterial Soap. I washed my hair last night and so far its still smelling good. NO SMELL! I will keep you guys updated. If it starts coming back, I will go to the dr and not rest until they give me something that works. I hate this smell!
Ok here’s an update. So I tried Dial Antibacterial Wash. It didn’t work at all. All it really did was leave my hair really flat. The only solution that works for me right now is using Selsun Blue leaving it in for about 3-5mins, and then using Axe antidandruff shampoo afterwards for 3-10mins. The Selsun Blue is for the sulfur content to get rid of the dead skin, fungus, oils, all that junk out of my scalp. The only reason I use the Axe antidandruff shampoo is for the zinc content to kill off anything the sulfur stuff might have missed, and to try to mask the stink from the Selsun which is only somewhat successful. The days that I decide not to use the selson/axe combo, I use jasons tea tree shampoo to try to repair the damage caused by the selsun/axe treatment. So far this seems to be working and I’m still experimenting with how many days in a row using this method corresponds with how many days afterwards before the stink returns. I think I’m going to give that selsun botanical stuff a try hopefully it has the same sulfur content without the stench and I can cut axe out of the equation.
I’ve had smelly hair for years, especially since I moved here to Phoenix, AZ. I’ve noticed that my hair smells bad once I have come in from the outside. My hair smells as though I’ve been “digging in the dirt” all day – that’s the best description I can give. The smell is even worse if it’s windy outside. I am so self conscious about it; it’s embarrassing! Can anyone help me?
Same here, smell, no itch, no bumps but worse w/ period. Yeast I am guessing as I took meds for sinus for about 20 days after that It got worse. Started 4 yrs ago after we moved into our new house. When I went to NC (salt water & pool) and PA (well water, sulfer) the smell was gone. My house also is an issue, I think. My 5 yr old says it smells (5 yr olds are honest), and like all of you it is no fun. My garlic intake has gone up, I ate healthy for a while thinking cleans inside out, right… NOPE! So, I will try what you all left. I am always saying to co workers I have an issue and they say no hormons is all. My bloodwork is fine each time. Depending on the coffee creamer I have my hair smells like that too…funny! Then I thought I just have a good smeller. There are people I bump into that have a smell and yes, it is gross… Just wanted to add that I am just one more person in the world w/ this issue…ugh!
Dear Friends,this stinky”smelly”fungus/bacteria is contageous and i
picked it up at a hair-salon at age 48.I believe God gave me this remedy.
It is on the internet…God lead me to it. It works.It is amazing.
HONEY+CINNAMON has always killed bacteria+fungus.I also drink it morning+evening before bed:Make 12 cups and drench hair in this,leave on
few hours,plastic-wrap your hair+towel and then wash off.Recipe: Boil one
cup of water,add half teasp.cinnamon,let steep 30 min.,add 1 teasp honey.
Times 12 if youre doing the hair.Very effective.Drink daily so you kill
bacteria+fungus on inside as well. God is good.Ask Him anything and He
always provides you with an answer. God bless you all.
ABSOLUTE TRUTH: IT HAS TO DO WITH A WEAK IMMUNE-SYSTEM.
You pick it up that way.Exactly what happened to me. I agree 100% with
comments of “knowledge”/Sept.10,2008 and “jam”/May30,2008.
Fix your stomach,eat loads of garlic(fungus hate this)/cabbage/onions/
pumpkin. Im busy curing myself.Immune is absolutely about eating right
and getting rid of candida/yeast/fungus in your stomach,so the good bacteria can build up and your immune can improve.Takes time.Be patient
It will all come right…Just carry on doing it.Stop eating white sugar,white
meal,oily food,you know the story..Wash your smelly
hair with 12 cups of honey-cinnamon (is on internet as well)and also drink
this forever to kill the fungus on your insides.AND LOADS OF GARLIC.
That’s it. As easy as that.God bless you all.
Just wanted to thank all of the posters here for sharing their stories and the helpful information.
The only advice I have to offer is that Moroccan Oil shampoo does mask the smell pretty effectively for much longer than most shampoos. It is the shampoo I use (unfortunately it’s expensive) from the salon, and when my husband used it we both noticed a huge difference in his “smelliness”.
I still think it’s better to solve the problem rather than just mask it, but for those who are desperate (especially you young people who are being socially affected) it is at least a short-term solution to try.
I will definitely post results after my husband tries some of the suggestions here.
Good luck to all!
@Belinda Schafer
You said that you obtained the scalp odor at a hair salon, yet you said that the odor is due to a weak immune system. Did you acquire some kind of virus that weakens your immune system at the hair salon?
I’m curious because I suffer from the same thing.
By the way, I’ve tried the cinnamon+honey treatment for the past week, but I haven’t seen any improvements thus far.
Well I tried using Dial, and left it on my hair for 10 min. then washed out. It helped for the day then was back again the next day. I have stomach issues and was on a strict yeast-free diet along with Diflucan for 6 weeks. Stomach much better but still have this hair problem. I will try the honey & cinnamon and see if that works. Great to know that I am not alone in my struggles with this….it’s so embarrassing to me!
An old folk remedy calls for apple cider vinegar. It can’t hurt, since hair is naturally acid. Obviously, keep it out of your eyes.
Dear Scalp Challenged Folks
I have had a smelly scalp condition for about 14 years that occurred at the onset of menopause. It became really unbearable about 6 years ago. I went to my GP and he had me test for mercury poisoning from my dental amalgams and we found elevated levels of both mercury and lead. I believe that the filings created a bio-accumulative condition that led to parasites and a fungal conditions in my brain and the toxins are escaping through the scalp. I had the filings replaced and started chelation therapy. In the presence of mercury, you will find parasites and other bacterial infections because of the impact mercury has on your immune system and other body systems. In January, 2011 I added Humaworm to my regime. It is an anti parasite formula the outcome of which caused my scalp to itch like crazy. I continued taking it for 30 days and the itching went away. The scalp odor is less now but not completely gone. I am hopeful that it will end soon. In the meantime, I am taking 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (unpasteurized, raw) in hot filtered water and drink 10-15 minutes on an empty stomach before breakfast. This is taking care of the parasites that includes candida. I also take chlorella and ALA (alpha lipoic acid) to clear the mercury, in addition to vitamin supplements. Bottom line, if you have amalgam fillings, that could be the culprit. Topicals are okay, but they won’t get to the cause.
i tried dog shampoo once.
left my fur shiny and smelling like oranges
I FOUND THE ANSWER…I’VE BEEN SUFFERING WITH THIS ISSUE FOR 8 YEARS. I READ ON THIS BLOG THAT SMELLY SCALP IS CAUSED BY A FUNGUS THAT GROWS ON HUMAN HAIR FOLICLLES AND ON DOG HAIR FOLLICLES. IT’S CALLED MELASSEZIC FUR FUR YEAST..I DIDN’T FIGURE THIS PART OUT, ONE OF YOU BRILLIANT PEOPLE DID. I READ ABOUT THIS YEAST AND FOUND OUT THAT IN RESEARCH DONE ON THIS YEAST THERE WERE SOME PLANT EXTRACTS THAT PREVENT ITS GROWTH. THE 2 BEST ARE EUCALYPTUS OIL AND ALOE VERA OIL. I’VE USED THEM ALTERNATELY FOR A WEEK AND THE SCENT IS NOT THERE, EVEN WHEN I WORK OUT. I HOPE THIS HELPS ALL OF YOU OUT THERE. IT’S CHANGING MY LIFE, NO KIDDING. WHAT I DON’T KNOW IS IF I NEED TO USE THIS FOREVER OR NOT. I’LL KEEP YOU POSTED. LOVE TO ALL THAT HELPED ME FIGURE THIS OUT AND HOPE YOU ALL CAN FEEL GREAT WHEN YOU BREATH IN AND CAN SMELL SOMETHING OTHER THAN A STINKY SCALP. I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW I HAD USED EVERYTHING ELSE, I MEAN EVERYTHING, EVEN LOPROX FOR 8 YEARS..EUCALYPTUS OIL AND ALOE VERA OIL REALLY WORK . ALL MY BEST, SIENNA
Hi, I have read most of the postings on this site. About a year ago I noticed my scalp was very smelly. I mean embarrassingly even when I went to the hairdresser. As soon as the water would hit it, it smelled like garbage…YUCK! After getting my hair done, within 2 days my scalp would start stinking and I had to wash it. I kept rehashing in my head if I was doing anything differently. Now more than a year into this, I had to do something when faced with an embarrassing moment of ‘smelly scalp.’ It was brought to my attn from one of the postings on this site that I had been taking antibiotics for awhile which causes yeast overgrowth which then leads to ‘smelly scalp.’ It was so bad that my scalp would actually ache, hurt, and have dandruff. I had NEVER experienced this before because I’m so finicky about my hair. I tried the Candidaise and the Jason’s Dandruff shampoo. The flakiness started to diminish within a week and the Candidaise had me peeing a lot which I assumed was cleaning out the yeast. However, I visited a natural health doctor for another reason and just mentioned to her about my scalp. She said the Candidaise will just clean your system but it won’t cure the problem. She said there’s a fungus in your scalp which causes the smell. So she gave me liquid ‘candida’. I put 10 drops under my tongue 2x a day. I started on Saturday, today is Tuesday and I must say the smell in my scalp is definitely diminishing. It made sense to me like getting a flu shot – but it’s replacing the ‘good candida’ while the ‘bad candida’ and ‘fungus’ are dying out. If you live in the Phoenix area her website is http://www.docberni.com. and she’s located in Mesa, AZ.
I am so excited because I just left the gym and did a scratch and sniff in my scalp like I always do and even had my daughter smell my scalp and it’s nothing more than a regular sweat smell…not that unbearable smell like before.
If anyone is interested in aluminum free deodorant that is safe for children to use as well; please check out my site at http://www.kiddiefresh. com. Read the feedback from adult usage as well as the children.
@HANNAH- Is this “liquid candida” medicine something you can buy online because I don’t live in Arizona, where your doctor is located.
Hey Guys,
My wife has been complaining about my smelly hair for quite awhile so I have been trying different techniques for the last year with no results. But, last week I started drinking the cinnamon and honey drink (1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon steeped in 1 cup of boiling water for 30 min. Add 1 teaspoon of honey, mix well and drink daily). See Belindas post on Feb 26 2011 for more info and it taste pretty good.
I am also using the Dial antibactial bar soap with 0.6 % Triclocarban twice a day. Today NO smelly scalp after working in the yard all day. I am keeping my fingers crossed that one of these if not both techniques are the answer for me. Reading all the postings it sounds like some things work for certain people and not others. Keep trying different things folks and I wish you all the best. I will update this site to let you know if this is still working for me. God bless everyone!
Also, I have been cleaning my brush with Lysol spray and washing it really well. Hopefully this will kill anything fungas/bacteria on the brush.
Hi everybody, I found a cure that worked for me in 2 days!
I have had smelly scalp for over three years now and I just could not deal with it anymore. I have followed this forum and tried EVERY product but to no avail. I thought long and hard about it and as you all know, smelly scalp comes from the bacteria and fungus that thrive on the excess oil on our scalps. Antibacterial soaps and shampoos work temporarily but are EXTREMELY bad for the hair and do not attack the source of smelly scalp, which is oil production. After doing a little bit of research I found that Zinc helps to regulate oil on the scalp. Well, I found a NATURAL shampoo with Zinc in it that has cured my smelly scalp and it is called……..
JOHNN MASTER’S ORGANICS ZINC AND SAGE SHAMPOO WITH CONDITIONER!
It is a little pricey (I purchased mine for $20 at Whole Foods) but it contains no SLS and is all natural so please give this a try if you are tired of smelly scalp! Respond back to this thread to let everyone know if it worked for you or not so that we can conquer this thing together! Thanks and good luck everybody! :]
Okay, it’s actually not just good by itself. But try every other day with Meted Shampoo (Sulfur/Sal Acid) Shampoo and it should do the trick!
I had suffered from this since I can remember and it was really BAD!!!!! I tried everything from Dial to sulfur soap to no avail. I was already going to give up when I read Hannas advise to take the liquid candida. I tried it and with in a week the smell was GONE!!!!!! I ordered it on amazon.com and took it as directed 15 drops under my tongue every two hours. It worked it killed the bacteria and there is absolutely no smell coming out of my scalp!!!!
Thank you Hannah!!!!!!!!
Hi Anne, can you please put a direct link of where you bought that product. thanks!!
Hi Ken, i ordered the JOHN MASTERS ORGANICS shampoo, are you cured? do you still need to take this shampoo every day?
thank you all
Here is the link. I am so glad that we found this. It works!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish you luck. Let me know if it worked for you.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=liquid+candida&x=0&y=0
Thanks Anne !!
i will let you know
i see there are a lot of brand, do you recommend a particular brand?
thank for your time.
I took the NatraBio in the purple box…. It’s for all types of candida infections.
Anne,
Can you give us an update as to whether or not the ‘Candida Yeast’ is still working for you? Some products work temporarily but start to lose its effectiveness, as the scalp bacteria/odor begins to build resistance to it.
Also, how would you describe your scalp odor before using this product? Did it smell oily, muggy, etc?
Thanks.
I too am suffering from a smelly scalp, and it’s really bad…the smell is just awful! It doesn’t seem to matter how often I wash my scalp or what kind of shampoo I use. I tried all kinds of shampoos like Selsun, Tea tree etc..without luck. My doctor has been giving me different kinds of creme’s, shampoo’s. lotions for the past few months…also without luck. I’m seeing a dermatologist in a couple of weeks.
I should note that some days, for some odd reason, I don’t get the smelly scalp. However, my scalp is always very oily/greasy, whether it smells or not, so I’ve established one is not necessarily connected to the other.
I’ve actually started keeping up a log/diary of my daily routines/activities to try and figure out what’s causing the smell, as I don’t always get it…there must be something triggering it. At this point, looking at my “logs”, I’m actually suspecting that eating bread or meat is somehow causing the bad smell. Could I have developed some kind of intolerance for this kind of food, that my body can’t properly digest/detoxify whatever is in this food, as a result causing a smelly scalp?! I don’t know, I’m going to not eat meat or bread all next week and see how that works out (gonna be tough though, I love bread and meat!!).
Okay the smell did come back after 10 days or so but it’s not as bad…. It used to be that I would smell it so strong it was all I could smell. Now I dont smell it unless I rub my scalp. It’s an un describable smell but if I had to put it into words is smells muggy and kind of like dirty sox. I think you’re right the bacteria develops some kind of tolerance for the medication. There has to be something that can kill this bacteria.
Anne, I think it’s normal for your scalp to have a slight smell, especially after not showering for a day or after strenuous activities.
To a lesser extent, does your scalp smell similar to how it did before taking ‘candida yeast?’ I know you said it’s not as strong anymore, but was the odor similar?
Well, the ‘no bread, no meat’ diet didn’t work unfortunately. I’ve been trying the T-gel I saw recommended somewhere for a couple of days, but it’s not helping so far.
When I get it, I can smell it straight after I’ve had a shower in the car on the way to work. Then at work (in the office) I can smell it getting worse and worse as the day progresses. It actually does smell like dirty socks or something like that.
The dermatologist better take this seriously and not send me off with another crappy lotion, or I’ll get really pissed off. I will demand a biopsy atleast.
@Name- Does your breath smell, too? Maybe the two are related somehow.
I can tell you that without a doubt the best ingredient for smelly scalp or scalp odor is Zinc PCA. Zincplex makes the best shampoo and conditioner with zinc pca. Do a search online for Zincplex to learn more about it.
I personally used it because I had a very itchy, flaky scalp and it got rid of that but one of the main, positive side effects is that zinc pca also kills the primary fungus that causes scalp odor as well as itchy scalp and flaking scalp.
@Lowell:
My breath smells when I wake up in the morning or when I have a very dry mouth for whatever reason, but I think that applies to most people, So I don’t think my breath smells.
It’s weird, yesterday I had no bad smell coming of my scalp whatsoever! My scalp was oily as always, but no smelly socks smell. Today, it’s back again. It’s really frustrating as it seems completely random whether I get it or not. I’ve been trying to isolate the possible cause by keeping up a daily log of my activities/habbits, but there’s just no sense to make of it!
@Scalp Guru
Zincplex is a fraudulent company. I, along with other people, have squanders a lot of money on their products.
To all those people out there, do NOT buy zincplex shampoo. You’d be wasting your money.
Did someone tried this shampoo?? : http://www.clearporeformance.com/smelly-scalp-shampoo.php
@Mick- I’ve tried that, and it did nothing for me.
THE ONLY THING THAT HAS REMOVED MY SCALP ODOR IS ZINCPLEX.
I’VE BEEN USING IT FOR 1 MONTH AND I HAVE NO ODOR AT ALL, EVEN AFTER 4 DAYS OF NOT WASHING IT. NO ODOR AT ALL. I CAN’T EVEN BELIEVE IT.
MAYBE IT WORKS ON SOME AND NOT ON OTHERS, BUT SO FAR IT IS THE BEST THING I’VE TRIED, AND I HAVE USED EVERYTHING AND MORE!
Have any of you guys tried digestive enzymes to treat scalp/body odor? I read somewhere that people with poor digestive systems have difficulty breaking down the food. As a result, the acids start to seep through your pores when you’re sleeping.
Also, from past experience, I have a feeling that anything applied topically is just a temporary fix.
I found something that cured me of my smelly hair and wanted to share it with others! I’ve tried all sorts of products before to get rid of the smell. But thanks to this website and a little experimentation, I no longer have smelly hair!
What has made the difference for me is…
1) I wet my scalp with a mixture of baking soda and water. Then apply some Jason Natural Products Shampoo Dandruff Relief, which includes sulfur (I found at my local Whole Foods). I then wash my hair out after several minutes.
2) To dry my hair, I now use a fast drying micro-fiber hair towel. Before I used a regular cotton towel but suspect that it didn’t completely dry between uses and might have contributed to my hair smell. I love my new towel! And can be purchased at your local Bed Bath and Beyond.
3) I let my hair completely dry before pulling into a ponytail/bun.
Other steps I take with my hair…
- I use an all natural soap (like Yardley’s) to wash my hair after the Dandruff Relief Shampoo primarily to rid my hair of the sulfur/medicinal smell that lingers.
-I don’t use commercial conditioner and instead use a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water to condition my hair.
-I make sure to wash my pillow case regularly. Also do the same with any hair accessories like hairbands, scrunchies, etc.
What I have tried and failed for me…
- All drugstore dandruff or scalp treatment shampoos (i.e., Head and Shoulders, T-Sal, etc)
-Dial body wash as shampoo (helped but didn’t cure)
-Listerine mouth wash (Don’t recommend! Kills your hair!)
-Tea Tree Shampoo (helped but didn’t cure)
-so many others I’ve lost count!
I have just read up on Zincplex shampoo and this is supposed to help for odor, oily scalp, buildup, dandruff and also balance the scalp so i am going to try this. They also have Zincplex conditoner…..
Any updates, guys?
If you find a cure, please let us know!
I went to the dermatologist today. She took a biopsy and in a few weeks she’ll have the results.
In the meantime I got some other type of medicinal shampoo to try. I’ll post back and let you know how it went.
If you feel as though oily hair is the culprit of your smelly scalp, I think jojoba oil will work. What Jojoba oil does is that it manipulates your scalp into thinking that it has produced enough sebum (oil); therefore, the production of sebum will stop.
Personally, I’ve been using jojoba oil for the past 3 days, and it stopped my oily scalp (so far), which I’m elated about. However, I don’t want to get my hopes up too high because I’ve been let down by other products before.
While there are many jojoba oil products on the market, I feel as though ‘Nourish jojoba oil’, which is sold on healthyhairplus.com, works the best.
It has a more subtle scent than other brands, and even though it’s a little more expensive ($20 per bottle), I think it’s worth it.
Give it a try, guys. In the meantime, I’m still looking out for other products, just in case jojoba oil stops working for me. I’m crossing my fingers that it’s a permanent cure, though.
Hi, everyone.
There’s this French shampoo, called La Biostethique, that’s supposed to stop scalp perspiration/oil production. I’ve purchased it while vacationing in Paris and loved the results. The only problem is that they don’t sell it in America.
However, I stumbled upon the same shampoo on Ebay, and the seller, it seems, is located in America.
You guys might want to give it a look:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270767614939&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_949
I have had smelly scalp and hair since three months . I’ve been using head and shoulder and other shampoo but, it doesn’t work ..
You MUST use shampoos and conditioners and everthing else you put in your hair has to be PH Balanced. Preferable one with some type of Fruit acids or smells and wash hair daily.
You MUST use shampoos and conditioners and everthing else you put in your hair has to be PH Balanced. Preferable one with some type of Fruit acids or smells and wash hair daily. Small case of TMAU
I cannot believe the number of people ( 99%) who are thinking that the remedy for this smelly hair is topical. IT’s internal folks. That means look at your diet. Instead of putting vinegar on your hair- drink it: Apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp mixed in water…swallow odorless garlic capsules, take acidophilus capsules, at least 10 billion microorganisms per day. There is also another great product made by NOW vitamins called Candida Clear, with herbs and caprylic acid…all natural. Cut out the junk food, meat, milk with hormones added to it ( Rbhst ) and see what a difference doing all of the above can make. Wash your hair with natural shampoos from the health food store. And bathe in Epsom salts to draw out toxins from your body. It’s what’s INSIDE that is affecting your hair and scalp smell. PS: while doing the above, you’ll notice your skin clears up, you’ll sleep better, and possibly even lose weight.
When I stopped eating chicken, the unpleasant odor on my scalp went away. Still have a greasy scalp, but no embarassment any more.
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