View Full Version : Bad Hair Smell
keight425
July 7th, 2009, 09:00 PM
Alright, I'm new to this and have searched some on the forums about this problem but maybe you guys could point me in the right direction.
My husband has shoulder length very thick hair (2C/C/ii-iii) and currently an oily, oily scalp. Unfortunately he can't go more than 1 day without washing it or the oils in his hair REALLY, REALLY stink. I will smell his head and it is so gross.
He has tried many different shampoos but conventional ones, nothing natural or what is frequently discussed here. We were going the "clinical" kind of route before I knew any better. Lastly he has tried that T-gel stuff which sort of helped but the smell of that is almost as bad.
Do you think the problem may be over-washing? Anyone else seem to have this stinky oil problem?
Thank you so much for any input!
Brat
July 7th, 2009, 09:02 PM
I've read here that washing too much can kick the oil glands into overdrive.
Nat242
July 7th, 2009, 09:27 PM
It could be dietary - a poor diet can lead to or contribute to a smelly body.
Pierre
July 7th, 2009, 09:33 PM
I agree, it could be dietary. Other things to try are tea tree oil (or close relatives), to kill bacteria, and ylang-ylang oil, to regulate sebum production. If it's fungal, henna would help, if he's willing to try it.
nowxisxforever
July 7th, 2009, 09:39 PM
Agreeing with the above, but just wanted to commiserate re: the T-Gel. My boyfriend swears by the stuff and it STINKS!
Kirin
July 7th, 2009, 09:39 PM
I'm not a great proponent of the less washing oil production stops routine. That never worked for me or my daughters, it only made a bad problem much much worse.
Have him try to shampoo daily with a very gentle shampoo, not one thats "super cleansing" which will be irritating. Mix the shampoo with 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda, rinse well and finish with conditioner. The baking soda will really help neutralize whatever the odor monger is. Chances are as other posters said it could be dietary, but very oily hair has a tendancy to hold moisture and........ mold. I'm serious. As well as fungus, much like a foot or arm pit would smell. Since you aren't about to use deodorant on his cranium, trying the baking soda should help. Other things that help if the baking soda is too rough on the hair, is to mix shampoo with a teaspoon of witch hazel.
Flynn
July 7th, 2009, 09:56 PM
I agree, it could be dietary. Other things to try are tea tree oil (or close relatives), to kill bacteria, and ylang-ylang oil, to regulate sebum production. If it's fungal, henna would help, if he's willing to try it.
Tea tree oil is an even better antifungal than it is an antibacterial agent, so if tea tree oil doesn't do it, henna wouldn't either.
freznow
July 7th, 2009, 10:19 PM
Not to offend your nose or anything, but do other people notice the smell? Chances are that if it's that bad, there is an issue, but I have to point out that sometimes people just have their own personal smell that only certain people really smell. Like, my little sister. Both me and my other sister say she has this rank smell about her - her hair especially, but mom and dad don't smell anything. I'm not sure why, but there it is.
Flynn
July 7th, 2009, 10:56 PM
Not to offend your nose or anything, but do other people notice the smell? Chances are that if it's that bad, there is an issue, but I have to point out that sometimes people just have their own personal smell that only certain people really smell. Like, my little sister. Both me and my other sister say she has this rank smell about her - her hair especially, but mom and dad don't smell anything. I'm not sure why, but there it is.
It's very common for siblings to find each other's smell unpleasant, even to the point of nauseating. It is not common for a long-term couple to find each other's "healthy" smell unpleasant.
manderly
July 7th, 2009, 11:19 PM
It's very common for siblings to find each other's smell unpleasant, even to the point of nauseating. It is not common for a long-term couple to find each other's "healthy" smell unpleasant.
True that. I always knew it was time to break up when I thought my BF stank ;) I never disliked their smells before, but my subconscious and my body knew that I was over them :)
Flynn
July 7th, 2009, 11:30 PM
True that. I always knew it was time to break up when I thought my BF stank ;) I never disliked their smells before, but my subconscious and my body knew that I was over them :)
Ooh, yeah. I was going out fairly briefly with a guy who was all wrong for me in a lot of ways (he was a very good friend, and I didn't know how to say no... dumb, dumb Flynn!)... but what really did it was when I realised how bad it was that after a couple of months, I had to get changed and have a shower after I'd spent any time with him because I couldn't stand the smell of him on my clothes, on me, and in my hair.... O.o
Smell is important!
Edit: sh17. I hope his mum or his sister don't read that and tell him. Maybe I should get rid of this.
embee
July 8th, 2009, 06:46 PM
True that. I always knew it was time to break up when I thought my BF stank ;) I never disliked their smells before, but my subconscious and my body knew that I was over them :)
Heh. When my marriage was hitting the rocks I found doing his laundry was just about more than I could stand, it almost made me sick. I began separating our clothes, so mine were not washed with his. When we were separated I would burn incense or use air freshener after he came to get the kids...
I thought I was losing my mind.
manderly
July 8th, 2009, 07:29 PM
Hehehe, last month my BF started exhaling the most wretched, foul odor whenever he breathed. I actually had to have him sit further away from me. I was so worried!! :lol:
It went away, was probably just a sinus infection or something. :silly:
Flynn
July 8th, 2009, 07:32 PM
Hehehe, last month my BF started exhaling the most wretched, foul odor whenever he breathed. I actually had to have him sit further away from me. I was so worried!! :lol:
It went away, was probably just a sinus infection or something. :silly:
*Laughs* I can see that being a problem...
Sinus infection (or even just a bit of a cold turned a tad nasty) is probably right.
HisForever
July 8th, 2009, 07:51 PM
I dont have a suggestion for the poster, but thats pretty weird how smell really effects your relationships lol.
Fractalsofhair
July 8th, 2009, 08:03 PM
Does the shampoo he's using have a fragrance? Sometimes scented products "clash" with someone's natural smell. Think of the people that have that weird deodorant /bo smell! XD
Speaking of relationships, I love the way my bf smells. Since going on the pill though, he seems a little more iffy, he still likes me, but he hasn't said you smell great in a while. I mean, he hasn't said I smell bad, but he used to be OMG you smell great. XD Of course, he would generally say those things either when I was on my period or ovulating, so who knows? Pheromones do exist, and prevent us from falling in love with our relatives! XD(Or at least they do that in animals.)
Flynn
July 8th, 2009, 08:12 PM
I dont have a suggestion for the poster, but thats pretty weird how smell really effects your relationships lol.
The explanation I have been given by many people (though I have not thorouhly researched it myself) is that smell gives and indication of various things about a person's biology, and by smell people (and particularly women, apparently) are able to (unconsciously) gague suitability for producing the "best" offspring. I have been led to believe that this has been well-demonstrated in terms of picking a person, by "attractiveness" of smell, with an immune system complementary to one's own. The opposite, however, is true of women when they are on the pill: they apparently tend to pick a like, and therefore less "suitable", smell and immune system. This is one of many arguments against the pill: it may hinder the selection of a genetically appropriate mate.
Also, if you think about it, when you are that close to someone, you will be "recieving" (for want of a better word) their smell all the time. It seems to make sense that you will make a space in your brain for it: BF's smell, likeable. When the relationship is starting to go stale, perhaps the re-enforecement of the "likeable" part of that label will weaken, even slightly before you are consciously thinking "they need to go".
manderly
July 8th, 2009, 08:23 PM
It just occurred to me that the last seeral posts are kind of close to telling the OP that she doesn't like her DH anymore. :silly:
I want to apologize for that, I certainly don't wan to put any doubt in her mind about her relationship, I just kind of got on a tangent/hijack.
Back to the problem at hand. Would your DH be willing to try more natural hair products? SLS may be over-irritating his scalp to produce more oils. And since there is a scent, I also agree that it's possibly dietary. Would he be open to changing his diet to see how that clears up? He could do an "exclusion diet" wherein he removes a staple from his regular diet for several weeks to see if the smell goes away. So say he removes beef for 2 weeks and the smell remains, then remove dairy for 2 weeks, and so on and so forth. Once you hit on something removed and the scent disappears, you have found the culprit and he can add the other removed items back to his diet, one at a time over a 2 week period (to monitor that no scent reappears).
Good luck to you both!
Flynn
July 8th, 2009, 08:27 PM
It just occurred to me that the last seeral posts are kind of close to telling the OP that she doesn't like her DH anymore. :silly:
I want to apologize for that, I certainly don't wan to put any doubt in her mind about her relationship, I just kind of got on a tangent/hijack.
Back to the problem at hand. Would your DH be willing to try more natural hair products? SLS may be over-irritating his scalp to produce more oils. And since there is a scent, I also agree that it's possibly dietary. Would he be open to changing his diet to see how that clears up? He could do an "exclusion diet" wherein he removes a staple from his regular diet for several weeks to see if the smell goes away. So say he removes beef for 2 weeks and the smell remains, then remove dairy for 2 weeks, and so on and so forth. Once you hit on something removed and the scent disappears, you have found the culprit and he can add the other removed items back to his diet, one at a time over a 2 week period (to monitor that no scent reappears).
Good luck to you both!
Yeah, sorry about that. The start of that wander-off was the important thing: if you're in a good long-term relationship, all tht stuff we are going on about shouldn't be true, and it is probably unlikely that "that's just his smell", as I think someone was suggesting. In other words, you should be able to do something about it.
I'd look into what Fractals said about the perfume in the 'poo clashing with his normal smell, too. It's a very good thought.
Debra83
July 8th, 2009, 08:31 PM
Honestly, I met a woman who had serious body odour due to her kidneys not functioning properly. The doctor told her to try to combat the problem by drinking at least 1 beer every day to help her kidneys flush. Honest.
manderly
July 8th, 2009, 08:45 PM
Honestly, I met a woman who had serious body odour due to her kidneys not functioning properly. The doctor told her to try to combat the problem by drinking at least 1 beer every day to help her kidneys flush. Honest.
MY doctor never suggested beer!! : pout:
Melisande
July 8th, 2009, 11:31 PM
My advice would be: drink more water, and add a tablespoon of baking soda to a glass of water once a day (old German belief: it will make your body less acidic which is especially important for people who eat a lot of meat or processed foods). Herbal tea that flushes out the body is good, too - different kinds of peppermint. Peppermint tea is very refreshing in summer.
I would massage the scalp with jojoba oil plus trea tree oil regularly to relax the scalp, kill bacteria and fungi, and loosen the oil, and I would wash every day with very gentle, diluted shampoo. No conditioner but instead a herbal rinse - rosemary or sage.
this is probably too involved for a man, but it should help.
Pierre
July 9th, 2009, 06:05 AM
You could also add raw greens and other raw foods to his diet. I eat cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, carrots, and sweet potatoes often. Chlorophyll deodorizes.
Norai
July 9th, 2009, 11:12 AM
If it smells sour and really off, it could be a yeast/bacterial infection on the scalp too.
KaasKnot
July 9th, 2009, 11:56 AM
I've just recently gone NW, and there were a few times when my scalp got a distinct sebumy funk. I would massage, preen, and scritch the odors right out (still can't quite believe it works so well...) My advice being: perhaps you might be able to scritch up and brush out some of the smell?
keight425
July 9th, 2009, 07:47 PM
If it smells sour and really off, it could be a yeast/bacterial infection on the scalp too.
Yeah it does kind of smell like this!
Thanks for all your input!! And I wasn't offended about the smell-relationship discussion, it was pretty funny! Seems like for you guys it was more of a last-straw thing.... His regular body smell smells REALLY good and his hair smells good within the day he washes it, it's just it "goes bad" after a day and starts smelling RANK. Like... a rancid oil.
He is willing to try some concoctions and so I'll have to try the baking soda one first since that seems more simple.
I think it being a diet thing may also be true.... we'll try that next if the baking soda doesn't seem to cut it down.
Thanks yall!!:waving::waving:
keight425
July 9th, 2009, 07:48 PM
Agreeing with the above, but just wanted to commiserate re: the T-Gel. My boyfriend swears by the stuff and it STINKS!
Oh yeah... it smells BAD. Like old man. The first time he used it I was like "Well, now I know why my 80 year old grandpas closet smells so weird."
Fractalsofhair
July 9th, 2009, 08:29 PM
Yeah sorry if it came off as odd with the BO smell. If it's just the oils, he likely has some weird sort of fungus or bacteria or other fun thing on his scalp, eating up all the oils!(If it's after a day or so) And well, it's not that pheromones are always needed, it's more who would you produce the best babies with, not who is best to date. And it was useful in eras when people lived in small villages and inbreeding was an issue.(Hopefully you're not in a romantic relationship with your cousin... Or brother! If you are... o.O, well, it's your choice.) If it's recent, it's unlikely to be diet! Perhaps just have him wash his hair daily?
Flynn
July 9th, 2009, 08:42 PM
Yeah it does kind of smell like this!
Thanks for all your input!! And I wasn't offended about the smell-relationship discussion, it was pretty funny! Seems like for you guys it was more of a last-straw thing.... His regular body smell smells REALLY good and his hair smells good within the day he washes it, it's just it "goes bad" after a day and starts smelling RANK. Like... a rancid oil.
He is willing to try some concoctions and so I'll have to try the baking soda one first since that seems more simple.
I think it being a diet thing may also be true.... we'll try that next if the baking soda doesn't seem to cut it down.
Thanks yall!!:waving::waving:
Oh, good. Good luck with it!
(I'm also going to reiterate the usefulness of tea tree products for fungal and bacterial issues. The Thursday Plantation tea tree shampoo and condish are actually rather nice... my brothers were using them for a while.)
keight425
July 9th, 2009, 10:09 PM
yeah we will also have to give the tea tree a go!
Thanks guys! And nope............. not dating my brother or cousin, so no probs there!!! ;)
Melisande
July 10th, 2009, 06:16 AM
Thanks guys! And nope............. not dating my brother or cousin, so no probs there!!! ;)
Wow, you took a WEIGHT off our minds ... :D
Darkhorse1
July 10th, 2009, 08:49 AM
Oil secretion in the scalp has an odor. Some people don't like it. I can tell when my hair needs to be washed, because I can smell it.
Now, a FOUL odor would imply a fungus that is starting--does he have dandruff? It could be the start, as the fungus that causes dandruff lies below the scalp.
I used head and shoulders or a zinc based shampoo for that, for a mild case. Perhaps your husband can try this.
I find for my oily scalp, I HAVE to wash every other day or my scalp itches like the devil. Your husband may need to wash his hair more frequently. Especially if he is active, works outdoors, and/or sweats a lot.
Especially with thick hair, sweat is odorless, but bacteria grows in dark, moist places. I'd always suggest washing after a sweaty day.
Hope that helps! :)
keight425
July 10th, 2009, 05:14 PM
Oil secretion in the scalp has an odor. Some people don't like it. I can tell when my hair needs to be washed, because I can smell it.
Now, a FOUL odor would imply a fungus that is starting--does he have dandruff? It could be the start, as the fungus that causes dandruff lies below the scalp.
I used head and shoulders or a zinc based shampoo for that, for a mild case. Perhaps your husband can try this.
I find for my oily scalp, I HAVE to wash every other day or my scalp itches like the devil. Your husband may need to wash his hair more frequently. Especially if he is active, works outdoors, and/or sweats a lot.
Especially with thick hair, sweat is odorless, but bacteria grows in dark, moist places. I'd always suggest washing after a sweaty day.
Hope that helps! :)
Yeah, it's definitely a FOUL STINKY odor, not like a normal body odor smell. He's definitely tried head and shoulders and graduated onto that T-Gel stuff (which is stinky too!!). His hair is very thick and he does work outside sometimes, is pretty active like what you described. I'll have to look into this fungus amongus. Thanks! :)
keight425
July 10th, 2009, 05:30 PM
Just as an FYI I did some other searches and compiled this list of things people have tried to get rid of stinky sour fungus scalp:
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree
DaddyO shampoo for grey hair by LUSH (apparently natural)
Sulfur shampoo (one called Sebulex or Sebex, or there is a sulfur shampoo bar you can get online)
Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat
Dial antibacterial body wash
Tersaseptic
HibiclensThe thing most people were going wild about was using Dial Antibacterial body wash.
We'll have to do some trials.
Nes
July 10th, 2009, 05:58 PM
Wow I can't believe so many of you hate the smell of T-Gel
DH uses T-Gel (he gets dandruff) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the smell of it. After he showers I grab handfuls of his hair and just inhale the smell of it.
He is at serious risk of me eating his hair after each shower.
Oh well - i'm weird :o)
Nes x
ladykemma
July 14th, 2009, 07:39 AM
in houston texasm\ where i live, i get stinky sweaty. i simply have to rinse my head off everyday or my head smells gross. a conditioner only seems to keep things fresh with shampoo every few days.
Feye
July 14th, 2009, 09:55 AM
True that. I always knew it was time to break up when I thought my BF stank ;) I never disliked their smells before, but my subconscious and my body knew that I was over them :)
... And the scent clues me in when I'm interested in someone. I don't have a specific type when it comes to looks, I just suddenly find myself thinking "Hmm, this person smells good!"
That aside, I don't like my own hair when it's not freshly washed. I've tried to stretch the time between washes, but it doesn't help much. People are very different, and washing every day is not a bad thing if your scalp is oily.
Feye
July 14th, 2009, 09:59 AM
The explanation I have been given by many people (though I have not thorouhly researched it myself) is that smell gives and indication of various things about a person's biology, and by smell people (and particularly women, apparently) are able to (unconsciously) gague suitability for producing the "best" offspring. I have been led to believe that this has been well-demonstrated in terms of picking a person, by "attractiveness" of smell, with an immune system complementary to one's own. The opposite, however, is true of women when they are on the pill: they apparently tend to pick a like, and therefore less "suitable", smell and immune system. This is one of many arguments against the pill: it may hinder the selection of a genetically appropriate mate.
I've also heard the theory that when a woman go off the pill to get pregnant, she gets her scent back and might suddenly find her man unattractive and break up with him. Scary
Apparently they made some study of men who got to smell women's T-shirts. The majority thought that the ovulating woman's T-shirt smelled the best...
Feye
July 14th, 2009, 10:08 AM
Sorry for the multiple posts, but a few more thoughts.
When taking garlic pills, the scalp might start to smell less. It seems that something in the garlic goes out through the pores and it kills smelly bacteria on the scalp.
Changing shampoos often might help too, as the body gets used to something and builds up a tolerance to it. Rinsing on non-wash days is also a good idea.
Not everyone is comfortable with this I'm sure, but the Monistat thread is said to help cure fungus problems, balance the scalp and remove itchies.
earthdancer
July 14th, 2009, 10:12 AM
I notice that a lot of people have bad-smelling hair, mostly men, but I've had that problem, too. I didn't think about it until reading this thread, but I haven't had smelly hair since I started drinking a lot more water and eating a lot more vegetables and fruit.
I would definitely try changing the diet, but also try putting either tea tree oil or a little baking soda in the shampoo. Baking soda is great! I use baking soda with my toothpaste, I wash my face with it, and I use it instead of deoderant. At the risk of giving TMI, my whole life I have had a hard time finding any deoderant or antiperspirant that works for more than a few hours. My son is also very concerned with antiperspirants being a possible factor in breast cancer. After I found blogs on the internet talking about using baking soda as a deoderant, I tried it, and it's wonderful! I wish I had known years ago! I just rub a little into the skin and I'm good to go. I really didn't think it would work, but it does (squeeling with delight).:D
embee
July 14th, 2009, 07:30 PM
When taking garlic pills, the scalp might start to smell less. It seems that something in the garlic goes out through the pores and it kills smelly bacteria on the scalp.
It may kill smelly bacteria on the scalp but it sure does stink up the rest of the body. My neighbor takes garlic pills and she *reeks* of the stuff, it stinks up the car if I give her a ride, I want to air out the room she was in if she visits... It's much worse than real garlic in food.
There must be different preparations of it....
Feye
July 15th, 2009, 12:19 AM
It may kill smelly bacteria on the scalp but it sure does stink up the rest of the body. My neighbor takes garlic pills and she *reeks* of the stuff, it stinks up the car if I give her a ride, I want to air out the room she was in if she visits... It's much worse than real garlic in food.
There must be different preparations of it....
He hee... Taking away one smell and replacing it with another :eyebrows:
They say that there are certain brands that are smell-free. Perhaps it's best to check with someone else after trying them to be on the safe side.
Oh, by the way, some posts say that rubbing garlic onto the scalp helps. I don't see how that is odor-free either though...
long-hair-lover
January 26th, 2013, 09:39 AM
Definitely due to over washing.
Try to get him int a every other day wash routine, it may be painfully smelly to begin with but once his hair starts realising its being washed every two days instead of everyday it will calm down with the overproducing oil fares.
I had the same problem!
x
long-hair-lover
January 26th, 2013, 09:40 AM
*farse that should say, silly iPad!
raingirl
January 26th, 2013, 09:58 AM
It could be dietary - a poor diet can lead to or contribute to a smelly body.
This. It's probably diet/body related before the oil actually gets secreted. Can you describe the smell? Does he eat a lot of garlic, etc?
jacqueline101
January 26th, 2013, 12:30 PM
I'd suggest trying something to neutralize the scalp ph balance.
GrowingGlory
January 26th, 2013, 12:51 PM
How about a trip to the doctor's office to rule out medical conditions as the primary cause of the unpleasant odor? Also, I can personally recommend washing with soap nuts (try Alta Dishwashing Liquid by Naturoli) and rinsing with a small amount of vinegar in a pint of water. I can also personally recommend Tate's The Natural Miracle Odorless Shampoo for hair and body. HTH.
leslissocool
January 26th, 2013, 01:09 PM
Has anyone mentioned monistat? If it's some kind of bacterial yeast in the scalp, monistat would get rid of it. Dilute it in water, spreay daily. It might make his head hurt, but it's worth a try.
About yeast infections in general, too much sugar and carb consuption actually fuels it. So have him cut the sugars and do the monistat. It's worth a try.
ravenreed
January 26th, 2013, 01:23 PM
When I was using traditional washing methods, my hair was super oily and would get smelly within 24 hours. The smell I am referring to is sebumy smell, like builds up inside a hat. But in my hair, it would be pretty pungent. I switched to CO, and my hair doesn't get as oily as fast, and it takes a lot longer for the smell to appear. I think, like mine, your husband's scalp may be reacting to the shampoo. FWIW, going with sulfate-free shampoos didn't do anything either, and I find them incredibly drying for my hair and scalp. CO worked best for me.
Kiwiwi
January 26th, 2013, 03:00 PM
This post is over 3 years old, guys 'n girls.
Just fyi ;)
ravenreed
January 26th, 2013, 03:12 PM
'Doh! 0.o
GrowingGlory
January 26th, 2013, 03:20 PM
I'm glad that you revived it, anyway.
leslissocool
January 26th, 2013, 03:22 PM
News? Hey I'm curious :p
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