children with smelly scalp

[sbrun]

I have searched smelly/stinky scalp and am finding very little to help.  I have two children ages 11 and 8, and only recently noticed that when I smell their scalp (at the top of their heads) it stinks!  It alwasys smells, however it doesn't smell bad unless I put my nose on top of their heads and sniff.  I have done this right after their shower and hair wash, even when shampood twice.  Doesn't matter, hair is still wet and stinks!  Some research says it is oily scalp and fungus.  But it smells right after a wash!  Should they be using some special oily shampoo?  They seem so young to have this.  They do have oily hair and have to shampoo every other day.

[Papa_Concerned]

MY TWO YEARS OLD DAUGHTER had this very bad smell hair in the last rainy season and it grew worse and it stopped only after she had fallen seek and had medications for the same. But surprisingly after her recovery her hair had stopped smelling. Next 8-9 months she hadn't smelled once. But as the rains began hair once again started smelling bad. I worry if it's something to do with her health problem,it's just another common problem in childhood. But now I'm going to try not to use any oil as suggested here in one of the post above that says oily hair attract dirt around the house. Fingers crossed.

[alina_1988]

My 6 year old has this same problem. I started noticing after I would wash her hair it would still stink. She has long and thick hair for her age with natural beautiful waves and curls. I took her to her doctor who just looked at my child without looking at her scalp and said "Cut her hair off and have it thinned out". Seriously??? that's my only solution. I think NOT! I have tried many different shampoos and oil treatments such on her scalp. I have only found one thing that helps some and that's Moroccan Oil Shampoo. Doesn't go away but it's as bad!

[T4eni]

Sorry I don't know how to edit my post and I just noticed autocorrect changed *zinc pyrithione to sink. Also, a quick clarification my daughter has no dandruff, itchy scalp or scalp discoloration "just" the odor. Thanks for any advice :)

[T4eni]

Hello, I appreciate your post as I am looking for a "cure" for my 9 year old daughter for months now. I did take her to the dermatologist but was told that this aweful odor is normal! At my insistence they tested her but for fungus only (which I already knew she doesn't have) and of course it came negative. The odor is there right after the hair wash. Her pediatrician suggested shampoo with sink pyrithione which helped for short period of time but not any more:( I have tried Teetree etc no results. I am hoping someone could give me more clues as to what to do. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Lehigh11]

Same problem here but : The smell went away when I spray some viniger onto my sons hair and rub it throughout. We have to do it every couple of days. Obviously some kind of fungus.  

[brownsock]

My wife used to have problems with very smelly scalp (quite a sickening smell) and she read that a sulfur shampoo would fix it, which it did, but that shampoo left a nearly equally awful sulfur smell. So we looked for a non-smelly sulfur option and FOUND THE SOLUTION in MSM. We buy POWDERED MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), in the form of capsules intended as a dietary supplement. It is key that it has to be capsules with powder inside (some stores sell MSM in tablet form, but you would have to crush them—capsules are simpler). I buy NSI brand (Nutraceutical Sciences Institute) from Vitacost *******. I break open the capsules (just lick your fingers for traction and twist and they come right open) and empty the powder from 2 or 3 capsules into a half-full pint water bottle of warm water. After she washes her hair, she shakes up this potion and pours/rubs it into her hair/scalp and then doesn’t rinse. It has no odor and you can’t see it. Poof. Problem solved. If she forgets to do this for a while, the scalp odor comes back but if she uses it every couple of days, problem solved. I have no idea why this works, but tried it after reading on a message board that a guy had this problem and then it went away when he moved to an area where the water had high sulfur content, and then it came back when he moved again. Try it! Cheap, easy, odorless.

[Mommyof30814]

My daughter is 8 years old and has the same problem with the smelly scalp. I have bought all of the medicated shampoos and salon brands and none seem to really help. I am going to try some of the suggestions above. I did want to mention that my daughter has Arnold Chiari Malformation Syndrome and had a brain surgery when she was 6. This is around the time the smelly scalp began. I was just wondering if anyone above with this problem has chiari malformation. The doctors say "oh it could be related, but not sure". Thanks for all the tips from everyone.

[demers_family]

I have just started looking for an answer to this for my son who is 7.  His head smells oily even the morning after a wash which isn't normal I don't think.  I myself had a very smelly scalp at one time and what cured it for me was increasing my essential fatty acids by taking a daily dose of Udo's Oil.  I am going to try that for him too.  Maybe he is deficient and his scalp is overproducing oil to compensate?

[redhead360]

I am 16 year old and i started having this smelly scalp problem about a year and a half ago. I wash my hair religiously every day and yet towards the afternoon I start to smell this muggy sweaty smell. Its just gross! For a girl who exercises almost everyday it only makes the problem even worse. I have used head and sholders and tea tree shampoo since the problem started. These works the best out of everthing else but dosent quit get the job done. I would like to try Jason Dandruff or SAL3 soap and hope they help. This condition is so embarassing and teenagers are a tough crowd to hang with, so you see my problem. I wish all of you the best in your search for your cure and if anyone has any suggestions i would appreciate it.

[Tangy1985]

WHAT WORKED FOR ME: I had the same odor coming from my scalp.. tried it all- tea trea oil, acv, coconut oil, medicated shampoos, etc. One thing is working for me is CITRONELLA oil. First I applied it every night for 3 nights and this cleared the odor. However the odor came back after a week so obviously whatever infection was on my scalp wasnt killed completely. Now I apply the citronella every 4 days and will continue to do so for a month. the citronella itself is found at pharmacies (its famous as an insect repellent, and remedy for lice in kids). hope this helps.

[gizmo9001]

ok, i hAVE THICK CURLY Hair AND WHENEVER I ITCH MY Head this gross oily white/yellow gunk comes off. its not just on one spot its everywhere on my scalp. THERE IS Flaking or white dots towards THE Parting of my had. i wash Every Day AND I USE Suave cherry kids shampoo, and herbal essence conditioner ANd i occASIONLAlly use A LITTLE BIT OF SELSON BLUE BUT IT SMELLS LIKE MENTHOL.
ITS NOT ITCHY
ITS ONLY RED WHEN I CONSTantly itch
AND IT SMELLS like something undescribABLe

[Simpleman74]

Here is a link to a post where she swears nothing else worked for her. Even the ones that people above mentioned didn't work for her. She explains what cured her and what to do.
http://www.hairsite.com/female-hair-loss/board_entry-id-8892-page-1-category-18-order-last_answer-descasc-DESC.html

It is on a hair loss forum but she didn't use a hair loss shampoo.

[LSPF]

Sorry, I meant to say a fungal culture test done on a hair strand, not a follicle.

[LSPF]

It is unbelievable how many people are posting all over the country about this problem. And doctors are NOT HELPING. None of their advice or medications work. I too developed this problem about 6 years ago and have been battling it ever since. I've tried everything. I do not have any flaking and very little itching. I have no sores or anything on my scalp. Yet if I don't wash my hair for 3 days it develops a nasty odor that is not the normal scalp odor one would expect. It's more like a strong, rotten nutty smell that transfers to pillows etc and is hard to remove. It's ruining my life. All I do is go from one product to another hoping it will cure it. I'm convinced it's contagious as my young niece, who stayed with me occasionally, got it. None of her other family members did. The medical profession is not taking this seriously. I wonder if the problem is that most of us are too embarrassed to see a doctor about it without washing the odor out just before the appointment. I read that you can have a fungal test done by culturing a hair follicle. Has anyone had this done?

[mcvillaranda]

hi i'm from the philippines and have the same problem.i've tried t-gel too and whole lot of other products available in the market.at first try,for 2 days the smell goes away but after that,my problem returns.i've also tried rising my hair with cider vinegar and baking soda and washing my hair with sulfur soap altogether.same thing happened.where can i buy this jason jojoba?thanks.

[MrsMoo3]

Hi I've just found this forum and I'm delighted!  I have to wash my hair EVERY day and by lunchtime it smells!  I've tried T-Gel, Nizorel, Vosene, anti dandruff stuff prescribed by the doctor (who actually didn't believe me, she clearly didn't get close enough!) and I'm starting to get paranoid, not to mention worried about the condition of my hair due to constant washing, drying straightening.  I've even gone to the extremes of washing my towels every time I use them, changing my pillows every other day, buying new combs etc and I'm beside myself with it now.  I'm not a smelly person by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I sweat excessively.  I also don't have greasy hair, if anything its dry!  Do you think this Jason stuff will work for me, if it does I will be eternally grateful!!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Two possibilities are there for your children’s symptoms.First of all,stress or hormonal changes may lead to excess oil produced by the oil glands in your scalp. This causes the harmless bacteria that live in the scalp to proliferate and feed off the oil, which produces the odor.

Second possibility is of a fungal infection causing tinea capitis.It is contagious and can spread direct contact with someone who has the condition, or if you touch contaminated items such as combs, hats, clothing, or similar surfaces. Diagnosis is by clinical examination of the scalp as well as a skin lesion biopsy with microscopic examination.Anti-fungal medications, taken by mouth, are used to treat the infection.

It is important to keep the area clean. A medicated shampoo, such as one containing selenium sulfide like selsen may also help.

If the symptoms persist then it will be best to get it evaluated from a dermatologist.

I sincerely hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how your children are doing or if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.

[farhee]

Hello there..iv just piosted and saw your question. Iv had the same problem for many years and had come to the end of my tether and went onto a forum (iv posted the link before for u to check) where i found my cure!!!!

http***www.hairsite.com/female-hair-loss/forum-page-0-category-18-order-last_answer.html

Iv been using Jason Dandruff shampoo which i got online. It has neem oil and tea tree in it which i think has taken away the nasty yeasty smell. I can go without washing my hair for 3 days now and can smell nothing. Im so happy this has worked as the Dermatologist and doctors were no help at all!!!! My hair feels so clean and fresh too. The smell is a bit strong at first but once my hair is conditioned and dry it smells lovely :o) The conditioner i use is Jason Jojoba which also has no Sodium Laurel Sulphates which is bad for ur scalp anyway.
Try it and see what you think...hope all goes well

take care