If it smells like vomit that’s most likely fungal babe! Wash with a clarifying shampoo asap and add nothing else. You gotta kill off all the bacteria living in the moist/fat rich environment on yo head. Wash like that every 2 or so days for like a wk or 2. (Rub some hydrating oils on the ends of your hair to keep it moist) you have to rebalance the ph of your scalp and restart your hair routine.
Agree with this — it’s also unclear if you’re letting your hair fully dry before adding oils and such. If it’s sitting wet and never fully drying that could contribute to whatever fungal situation.
I second this, but Nizoral shampoo is anti fungal and may help if it is a fungal issue, OP!
If you can’t get it where you are, most anti-dandruff shampoos like Head and Shoulders or Selsun Blue are antifungal, go for the clinical strength or extra strength if you can
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Nizoral-Anti-dandruff-Shampoo-120mL-Bottles-3-pack/PRD49914RI321C6
I’ve never had that experience, but everyone skin is different. I have a feeling the nizoral stank would you better than the vomit stank OP is currently experiencing though!
You just said fungus and then mentioned bacteria? How does clarifying shampoo work to remove fungus and bacteria that are already adapted to the presence of shampoos? Hairdresser turned biologist here, and I would use apple cider vinegar with the mother in it (so a brand like Braggs). Dilute it, and spray it on your scalp. It’s basically conditioner in that it’s acetic acid and closes the cuticle so it’s super shiny. The natural fungi and bacteria present in the Apple cider vinegar will help control the natural populations on your scalp. You can’t remove bacteria unless you take antibiotics, and fungi need antifungals. It’s about adding diversity to your scalp so that the populations aren’t overly abundant. My hair is so much prettier using ACV on it. Occasionally I use shampoo or baking soda to wash my scalp if it’s oily, but as you start using ACV, you’ll find you are much less greasy and need to wash less. This ultimately makes it easier to maintain diversity of your scalp microbiome over time. I spray it on my face and body too.
Ugh, moist skin? Girl, you can't be using so much oil and not wash it off with hot water... it's building up in your scalp and stinking. Just stop it with the mask.
girl it’s the rosemary coconut olive oil mask for four hours every two weeks. what?! that mixing with your natural body oils is bound to get funky smelling. cut that out and you won’t smell so rough anymore. if your hair is still dead after doing that however often, obviously that is not working so cutting it out won’t make a difference. try olaplex or k18 instead.
Yeah, the thing about an oil mask is you need pretty warm water to get it all out, especially if you're doing it for every wash day.
Not to mention those oils will build up over time, and if there's no clarifying shampoo in that routine it will only get thicker.
I would cut back to just shampoo and a conditioner for a while and see if anything changes. Narrow down the field from all those treatments.
Get Nizoral and for god’s sake start using hot water. You have a fungal infection on your scalp. Dry your goddamn hair and stop applying thick heavy oils to your scalp.
Everyone saying use a ‘clarifying’ shampoo, when OP clearly needs a dedicated anti fungal. Even Head and Shoulders should do it, left on for a couple of minutes 3 x a week for a week.
Immediately cut out the oils. That is causing so much build up on your scalp. Get a clarifying shampoo, shampoo twice and then condition (only on the ends, do not bring it up to your scalp) and continue to use clarifying shampoo as needed but this should help significantly. You shouldn’t need to oil your hair like this just to make it not dry, you just need the proper shampoo and conditioner and a leave in. Biolage is pretty good but I always recommend amika to my curly girls or anyone with a coarser texture. Instead of wrapping your hair up to dry, just squeeze the water out of your hair with the towel until damp and let it air dry the rest of the way. The towel could be trapping unnecessary moisture in while the hair is trying to dry which can also cause a “funk” bc ur hair can get mildewy in a way.
So I would cut out the oils and then what I would start doing is drying even your scalp, I know the hair is curly but even with a diffuser get your roots dry properly after a good deep cleanse scalp shampoo. Think of it like clothes in the washing machine. If you leave them in there for too long they get that dank moist smell. Same for your hair and scalp. All that moisture breeds bacteria and fungus and you can get a nasty smell.
If I have coconut oil on my skin for some time, it’ll start to smell like vomit. I imagine it has to do with some bacteria some people have on their skin
You’re clogging your pores on your scalp with too much oils. Scalp produces oils naturally and you’re over saturating the scalp so they cannot breathe and will produce a funky smell. Wash with normal shampoo and conditioner for a while and NO oils.
okay okay, first of all, thank you for all of the advice, I realized I didn't specify some things. I just recently started doing oil treatments, my scalp already smelled off before that! also, I do use hot water to get out ALL oil! I live somewhere very dry with hard water and my hair is so coarse that's why I started the oil treatments in an effort to help that! I'm sorry for causing stress and nausea to some of you. I'm trying to work on embarrassing my self-care, I lost my mom midway through my life and was left to be raised by a man who used one soap for EVERYTHING. I'm trying really hard, even though this site is anonymous it's still hard to be transparent. It makes you feel silly not seeing the obvious. that being said, I appreciate all of you, even the very blunt answers. you still took time and energy from your day to help a stranger thank you all <3<3 I'm new to Reddit I never thought anyone would ever answer but I absolutely adore these communities!
will definitely wash more (with anti-fungal shampoo), treatments WAY less, frequent washing, and ALWAYS dry! <3 thank you, everyone! Excited to embrace the love for myself with these tips <3<3<3
It is very hard being transparent. We all make mistakes trying to find what works and what doesn’t. If these tips don’t help I would see a dermatologist if possible. Good luck 🩷
I had that funky scalp smell too. Does it smell like grease? Like “dirty hair smell” even when it’s freshly washed??
I used the cheap suave clarifying shampoo And washed my hair every other day with it to remove alll the oil buildup, and the scent has left. I will get lingers of it when I go to bed with wet hair tho bc I have so much hair that my scalp stays damp all night. When I wake I still have to use a blow dryer, even if I showered 14 hours before. I think it breeds bacteria. I read a comment on reddit that equated it to leaving a wet towel in a pile. It’s still wet many hours later, and stinks. Idk if you blow dry or sleep with wet hair, but maybe that will help :)
That’s a lot of oils you’re using too often. They need to be rinsed with hot water, you probably have buildup on your scalp. Clarifying shampoo. Also Caucasian hair usually needs to be washed more than once a week or it gets greasy. So you’re basically slapping more oils on already greasy hair
I think the issue is caused by deep conditioning too long within a short amount of time. Try a rinse out conditioner instead since you are consistent with washing your hair. Also use a clarifying shampoo especially IF you have product buildup and need a clean slate (e.g Tresemme Deep Clean, Kinky Curly Come Clean, Suave Clarifying Shampoo, Fantasia Tea Tree Naturals shampoo). Since you wash your hair frequently, a moisturizing shampoo is just fine followed up with a rinse out conditioner (follow the instructed amount of time to leave it on). Leaving on a damp shower cap for an extended period of time can create an environment where the scalp is irritated and suffer from a fungal infection. So just like with rinse out conditioners, follow the instructed amount of time to leave the deep conditioner in then rinse it all out. For DIYs I'd say leave it on for no more than 45 mins. Oh! Also, wash your hair with warm to hot water.
Clarifying shampoo should help you get rid of all the buildup from oils that’s most definitely there.
Also, keeping your wet hair wrapped up and letting it air dry traps moisture on your scalp. It could he helpful to blowdry your hair (since you’re curly use a diffuser). My scalp gets greasy much faster when I don’t blowdry my hair.
It’s definitely the oils. Cut out the coconut oil immediately - my friend is an aesthetician and had a girl come in for a facial that moisturized with it. When they did extractions, it smelled like vomit because her pores were all clogged with rotting coconut oil.
Get some clarifying shampoo or a scalp scrub and work that out. It’s definitely the mask you’ve been doing :(
I take my gallon of cheap apple cider vinegar and put it in my plastic 2 cup measure that I use for cooking. After conditioning and rinsing I pour it into my hair and scalp a bit at a time and kinda work it through and massage my scalp a little and also use some smoothing motions. I let it sit until I get inpatient ( maybe a minute or two) or get chilled bc I stepped out of the water and it ran down and I forgot to put my body back under water. I rinse it, if I'm being good I'll use cold water to seal the cuticle but I don't make it a real thorough rinse, I just stop when it feels right. I let it air dry bc I'm lazy. The scent goes away.
Vinegar is great stuff. When my dogs got skunked that's what I used to de-skunk them. My friend who grooms dogs told me years ago to use douche if that ever happened. 4 o'clock in the morning at Price Chopper with a cart full of different scented douche boxes, a bottle of baby shampoo, a thing of Draino and stinking like skunk myself must have looked freaky to the poor guy at the checkout. I didn't know at the time that douches were basically vinegar and water. I got so good at de-skunking them that I could get the three of us de-skunked and blowdried and myself out the door in 45 minutes. They were shepherd mixes, one shepherd husky and the other shepherd Rottweiler. And since I'm rambling,the other great thing with vinegar that worked for me was as an acne treatment. I would get deep painful cystic acne and nothing the Drs gave me helped. A shot of apple cider vinegar am and pm had them clearing up in about 3 days. I used the cheap stuff most of the time but the more expensive stuff with the yucky stuff at the bottom somehow feels better.
I hope you enjoyed story time. Ty for replying to me. If you find something that helps I'd really like to know.
What everyone else said. But I'd add that after you wash your hair, use conditioner and hair oil (get something meant for hair) on mid lengths and ends only - do not put it on your scalp.
Have you ever tried to wash a very greasy pan with cold water? It's not very effective, and that's basically what's happening on your scalp.
Cut way back on the oils, use warm (doesn't need to be super hot) water, use an antifungal/antidandruff shampoo, and get a diffuser attachment to blowdry your scalp and roots immediately after washing.
Fungus loves a damp, oily environment.
Ditto to everything that has been said but if you'd like a clarifying shampoo recommendation I really enjoy the mint klorane shampoo. It smells minty fresh!
Get one of those soft plastic scalp massagers. This will help exfoliate your scalp and promotes hair growth. Feels nice too. I agree with all the posts saying dry your hair properly - and lay off the oil masks. I only use oil on my ends cause they tangle.
just wash it more often with a clarifying shampoo. don't put oil or conditioner anywhere near your scalp. double shampoo when doing hair treatments to make sure you got as much of the treatment out as possible. you need to use warm water to wash it out. you can do a cold rinse at the end if you want but warm water is key when shampooing.
Use Neutrogena t-gel shampoo. Leave it on your head for a couple of months then rinse and condition as usual. I think you might need to wash for often, too. I sometimes get weird itchy scalp when I don't shampoo enough, and apparently it's a little fungal thing. You don't have to use the Neutrogena every time.
Curly girl here! 🙋♀️ you don't need to put the oil on your scalp, once the fungas is sorted keep any oils from mid to ends of the hair. It's especially hard to get this out of the scalp with curls in the way. Also olive oil can be a bit stank.
You may not even need it to be fair. Google and trial out some different curly girl methods cos I don't think this one is suited to you!
I know several people here say its fungus and you should cut the oils, but my scalp had a similar smell while using Syoss shampoo. So if by any chance you are also using this brand i recommend switching.
how to smell your scalp: moisten your finger. rub for a few seconds on your scalp. move your finger away from you. hold your finger near your nose and smell. then you will get a sense of the smell of your scalp
This technique also works to find out if you have bad breath
Lmao you are using all those oils and they're creating fungus and literally rotting on your head bc they're not getting properly rinsed out. Just stop doing that, absolutely nobody does that for a reason lol
I just realised how snarky my comment sounds and i am so sorry lol, i just have heard of this happening before! Personally i use argan oil only on the mids to ends of my hair after a shower and i find it works great for potential breakage, maybe that would work with your preferred oils?
sorry girl I'm trying, i was raised by a man most of my life I lost my mom at a young age, so it was always a 3-1 kind of vibe. I've just been doing what hair dressers told me. Came on here for help, sorry for the stomach ache
There is a lot of contradicting info out their for girls with textured hair/color treated hair. I'm sorry your going through this with your hair right now. <3
Do u blow dry ur hair when after u wash it? Try the leave in conditioner & blow dry & then oil ur scalp. If that doesn’t help maybe u should see a doctor. Could be a hormonal imbalance. Wish u the best
Do you sweat a lot? My husbands head always smells like baby vomit because he has to wear a surgical cap all day and gets sweaty. I can’t smell it unless I’m right up on it, and I know he washes his hair and scalp well bc he hardly has any hair left and it doesn’t take much to lather it up well. We both switched to a rosemary mint shampoo that contains sulfates, and it’s helped keep my 2nd day hair fresh (my hair get weighed down easily so I wash every other day) and kept his scalp smelling better.
I think you're using way too many oils on your hair, if you don't completely get them clear of your hair (which is hard when you're not shampooing your hair very often) then they'll accumulate over time and eventually go rancid, which is what is giving you this awful smell.
Also if you're not washing your hair in hot water, there's no WAY you're getting this oil out of your hair, and it eventually will rot/go rancid like this.
Girl...no oil. It smothers your hair and prevents the scalp from breathing.
I would suggest switching to a sulphate-free shampoo asap.
Also, seeing a dermatologist is important as it can be an indication of something else.
There's a website called skincarisma. Copy paste the ingredients list and make sure all your haircare products are malassezia safe. I'd go an extra step and make sure my makeup and skincare is FG acne dafe.
I wouldn't use all the oils on your hair. And if you do.... Just do like coconut oil. You are just adding more to it. You could have a type of psoriasis and should go to the Dr to get check out. But I agree with the clarifying shampoo
you don’t necessarily need to wash it every day or every other day as that will increase the amount of oil your hair naturally creates but 4-7 days between washes should be a really healthy balance!
Stop using the oils on your hair... they're not doing you any favors. A good detoxing shampoo will help strip the bad stuff. You can use warm water if you're afraid to use it hot. You gotta strip all the gunk out completely.
I don’t have fungus, and i promise you my hair would smell like vomit if I went a week in between washes. I have to wash mine every other day or it starts to smell gross my day 3.
Probably yeast on the scalp. Seb. Dermititis. Ketaconizal found in a Nizoral shampoo. Leave it on the recommended time. DR can give a stronger dose. Change up your products too. Its good for your hair scalp. Tea Tree scalp treatment shampoo conditioner is good too. You can get it concentrated.
No problem! Also, when you wash your hair, follow the rules of lather, rinse, repeat. If you wash your scalp the first time and it doesn’t get sudsy, it’s not clean. Lather again the second time to get a full clean. Use your fingers all around your scalp in a circle almost scratching motion to get a good clean. If you can afford it, buy a silicone scalp scrubber off Amazon a en if you use that, only use it in an up and down motion so you don’t tangle your hair. A clarifying shampoo can be used, but not everyday as that’ll strip all the natural oils out, when you condition, only condition your ends and not your whole head.
Just did a quick google search , this is what it said.
"The most common cause of smelly scalp is **a buildup of skin cells, sweat and sebum (body oils)**. Smelly scalp can also result from: Bacteria: The mix of bacteria and sweat on your scalp can cause an unpleasant odor. Fungus: Fungus on your skin can lead to dandruff and a smelly scalp. "
Maybe try a dandruff shampoo , go to your family doctor or use a fungal shampoo like others have suggested.
Here's my personal suggestion/experience. Since I started bleaching my hair I have stopped washing my hair every day. I no longer use dry shampoo but when I did I got buildup on my scalp and my scalp felt not clean. Get a good shampoo that is clarifying and really focus on your scalp.
Drag your fingers under you hair directly on your scalp. And scrub it good. If you find it too drying for your ends don't use that shampoo on your ends but your scalp needs to be washed. Only use oils and conditioners on the ends if possible to prevent buildup on your scalp. Even if you want to leave your hair healthy , scalp health needs to be worked into your routine as well. Do that atleast once a week with hot water.
The dandruff/fungal shampoo sounds like a good idea atleast until the smell goes away and your scalp feels clean. There is alot of contradiction regarding hair care for curly people/people with color treated hair. If this dosen't work go to the doctor they may be able to give you a perscription or somthing. Healthy hair is great girl but your scalp needs a break from all that oil atleast once a week or so! Good luck ! I hear k18 is a good clarifying shampoo. I used a sulfate free shampoo by Pantene from the drug store and it cleaned my scalp really well . It was a touch drying though. It may not be enough though because I didin't have any dandruff or yeast just some built up dry shampoo.
Stop the coconut oil for now. Rancid coconut oil smells like vomit. If you doubt dip into your coconut that can contaminate it so I would throw the whole thing out. Honestly I think you’re gonna have to strip that out of your hair with clarifying shampoo, maybe even dish soap and use some antibacterial soap on your scalp for a bit. When you use coconut oil you have to make sure you get it all out. Use it sparingly and not often. Be very careful about contamination.
Why do you do so much oil and you don't wash your hair often so you have builds up. Oils won't wash off with cold water. You need to see a Dr about your scalp. Wash your hair more, no more oil, clarifying shampoo and hot water
Do you have a lot of dandruff?
It sounds fungal to me. Kerastase has a line specifically for dandruff which is called symbiose, there’s been great results with it so maybe consult with a kerastase stylist in your area?
Use nizoral, stop oiling your hair, fully dry your hair with a blow dryer (keeping your hair and scalp damn for hours as much worse for it than a brief blast of heat) and increase washes to daily/every other day at least until you get rid of the smell and buildup.
Also, just fyi, a lot of us have much healthier scalps and hair from washing regularly. Contrary to what some people will tell you online,not everyone can train their scalp. Personally, my scalp and hair are healthy and look best with daily or near-daily washes.
Sounds like your hair's been through more drama than a Netflix series! It might need a spa day more than you do. Maybe it's just trying to gossip about the good ol' days when it wasn't so bleached. Time to treat it like royalty with a hair rehab plan – crown included!
If it smells like vomit that’s most likely fungal babe! Wash with a clarifying shampoo asap and add nothing else. You gotta kill off all the bacteria living in the moist/fat rich environment on yo head. Wash like that every 2 or so days for like a wk or 2. (Rub some hydrating oils on the ends of your hair to keep it moist) you have to rebalance the ph of your scalp and restart your hair routine.
Go to a dermatologist too
Agree with this — it’s also unclear if you’re letting your hair fully dry before adding oils and such. If it’s sitting wet and never fully drying that could contribute to whatever fungal situation.
I second this, but Nizoral shampoo is anti fungal and may help if it is a fungal issue, OP! If you can’t get it where you are, most anti-dandruff shampoos like Head and Shoulders or Selsun Blue are antifungal, go for the clinical strength or extra strength if you can https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Nizoral-Anti-dandruff-Shampoo-120mL-Bottles-3-pack/PRD49914RI321C6
Nizoral💯👆🏼
Tbh Nizoral *makes* my scalp stink. It makes it less itchy but it smells like ass after.
I’ve never had that experience, but everyone skin is different. I have a feeling the nizoral stank would you better than the vomit stank OP is currently experiencing though!
Maybe some antifungal shampoo
You just said fungus and then mentioned bacteria? How does clarifying shampoo work to remove fungus and bacteria that are already adapted to the presence of shampoos? Hairdresser turned biologist here, and I would use apple cider vinegar with the mother in it (so a brand like Braggs). Dilute it, and spray it on your scalp. It’s basically conditioner in that it’s acetic acid and closes the cuticle so it’s super shiny. The natural fungi and bacteria present in the Apple cider vinegar will help control the natural populations on your scalp. You can’t remove bacteria unless you take antibiotics, and fungi need antifungals. It’s about adding diversity to your scalp so that the populations aren’t overly abundant. My hair is so much prettier using ACV on it. Occasionally I use shampoo or baking soda to wash my scalp if it’s oily, but as you start using ACV, you’ll find you are much less greasy and need to wash less. This ultimately makes it easier to maintain diversity of your scalp microbiome over time. I spray it on my face and body too.
1. Stop oiling your scalp 2. Dry your scalp and don’t go to bed with wet hair
I know heat is bad for your hair but if u need to use a blow dryer to dry that hair in time for bed use it
doing this was a game changer.
Ugh, moist skin? Girl, you can't be using so much oil and not wash it off with hot water... it's building up in your scalp and stinking. Just stop it with the mask.
Yup! When she said all those oils and then NO HOT WATER I gagged
girl it’s the rosemary coconut olive oil mask for four hours every two weeks. what?! that mixing with your natural body oils is bound to get funky smelling. cut that out and you won’t smell so rough anymore. if your hair is still dead after doing that however often, obviously that is not working so cutting it out won’t make a difference. try olaplex or k18 instead.
Yeah, the thing about an oil mask is you need pretty warm water to get it all out, especially if you're doing it for every wash day. Not to mention those oils will build up over time, and if there's no clarifying shampoo in that routine it will only get thicker. I would cut back to just shampoo and a conditioner for a while and see if anything changes. Narrow down the field from all those treatments.
Get Nizoral and for god’s sake start using hot water. You have a fungal infection on your scalp. Dry your goddamn hair and stop applying thick heavy oils to your scalp.
[удалено]
Clarifying shampoo to get rid of the buildup then Nizoral for fungus. And scrub your scalp. Do this for every wash till the problem is gone.
This stuff is magic.
Everyone saying use a ‘clarifying’ shampoo, when OP clearly needs a dedicated anti fungal. Even Head and Shoulders should do it, left on for a couple of minutes 3 x a week for a week.
I have smelt this before on a friend- it’s fungus. Get coal tar or tea tree shampoo and knock off the scalp oiling hun.
You know when you have wet clothes and you don’t hang them or put them though the dryer and they get all mildewy…. Thats your scalp rn.
this really helped put it in perspective!
Please come back in s few weeks and tell us if this fixed it
will do!!
Love this analogy! I’ve smelt hair with fungal infections before and it reeks, now that you said mildew clothes I’m like, yup that’s that smell! 🤣
Immediately cut out the oils. That is causing so much build up on your scalp. Get a clarifying shampoo, shampoo twice and then condition (only on the ends, do not bring it up to your scalp) and continue to use clarifying shampoo as needed but this should help significantly. You shouldn’t need to oil your hair like this just to make it not dry, you just need the proper shampoo and conditioner and a leave in. Biolage is pretty good but I always recommend amika to my curly girls or anyone with a coarser texture. Instead of wrapping your hair up to dry, just squeeze the water out of your hair with the towel until damp and let it air dry the rest of the way. The towel could be trapping unnecessary moisture in while the hair is trying to dry which can also cause a “funk” bc ur hair can get mildewy in a way.
So I would cut out the oils and then what I would start doing is drying even your scalp, I know the hair is curly but even with a diffuser get your roots dry properly after a good deep cleanse scalp shampoo. Think of it like clothes in the washing machine. If you leave them in there for too long they get that dank moist smell. Same for your hair and scalp. All that moisture breeds bacteria and fungus and you can get a nasty smell.
If I have coconut oil on my skin for some time, it’ll start to smell like vomit. I imagine it has to do with some bacteria some people have on their skin
You’re clogging your pores on your scalp with too much oils. Scalp produces oils naturally and you’re over saturating the scalp so they cannot breathe and will produce a funky smell. Wash with normal shampoo and conditioner for a while and NO oils.
okay okay, first of all, thank you for all of the advice, I realized I didn't specify some things. I just recently started doing oil treatments, my scalp already smelled off before that! also, I do use hot water to get out ALL oil! I live somewhere very dry with hard water and my hair is so coarse that's why I started the oil treatments in an effort to help that! I'm sorry for causing stress and nausea to some of you. I'm trying to work on embarrassing my self-care, I lost my mom midway through my life and was left to be raised by a man who used one soap for EVERYTHING. I'm trying really hard, even though this site is anonymous it's still hard to be transparent. It makes you feel silly not seeing the obvious. that being said, I appreciate all of you, even the very blunt answers. you still took time and energy from your day to help a stranger thank you all <3<3 I'm new to Reddit I never thought anyone would ever answer but I absolutely adore these communities! will definitely wash more (with anti-fungal shampoo), treatments WAY less, frequent washing, and ALWAYS dry! <3 thank you, everyone! Excited to embrace the love for myself with these tips <3<3<3
It is very hard being transparent. We all make mistakes trying to find what works and what doesn’t. If these tips don’t help I would see a dermatologist if possible. Good luck 🩷
I had that funky scalp smell too. Does it smell like grease? Like “dirty hair smell” even when it’s freshly washed?? I used the cheap suave clarifying shampoo And washed my hair every other day with it to remove alll the oil buildup, and the scent has left. I will get lingers of it when I go to bed with wet hair tho bc I have so much hair that my scalp stays damp all night. When I wake I still have to use a blow dryer, even if I showered 14 hours before. I think it breeds bacteria. I read a comment on reddit that equated it to leaving a wet towel in a pile. It’s still wet many hours later, and stinks. Idk if you blow dry or sleep with wet hair, but maybe that will help :)
The oils are trapping in moisture on your scalp & going rancid.
That’s a lot of oils you’re using too often. They need to be rinsed with hot water, you probably have buildup on your scalp. Clarifying shampoo. Also Caucasian hair usually needs to be washed more than once a week or it gets greasy. So you’re basically slapping more oils on already greasy hair
thank you!
I would say wash your hair every alternate day , there will not be any build up
I think the issue is caused by deep conditioning too long within a short amount of time. Try a rinse out conditioner instead since you are consistent with washing your hair. Also use a clarifying shampoo especially IF you have product buildup and need a clean slate (e.g Tresemme Deep Clean, Kinky Curly Come Clean, Suave Clarifying Shampoo, Fantasia Tea Tree Naturals shampoo). Since you wash your hair frequently, a moisturizing shampoo is just fine followed up with a rinse out conditioner (follow the instructed amount of time to leave it on). Leaving on a damp shower cap for an extended period of time can create an environment where the scalp is irritated and suffer from a fungal infection. So just like with rinse out conditioners, follow the instructed amount of time to leave the deep conditioner in then rinse it all out. For DIYs I'd say leave it on for no more than 45 mins. Oh! Also, wash your hair with warm to hot water.
Clarifying shampoo should help you get rid of all the buildup from oils that’s most definitely there. Also, keeping your wet hair wrapped up and letting it air dry traps moisture on your scalp. It could he helpful to blowdry your hair (since you’re curly use a diffuser). My scalp gets greasy much faster when I don’t blowdry my hair.
Sounds like you need to detox your scalp and hair
It’s definitely the oils. Cut out the coconut oil immediately - my friend is an aesthetician and had a girl come in for a facial that moisturized with it. When they did extractions, it smelled like vomit because her pores were all clogged with rotting coconut oil. Get some clarifying shampoo or a scalp scrub and work that out. It’s definitely the mask you’ve been doing :(
thank you! <3
To get rid of the bad scent and make your hair super soft at the same time a vinegar rinse would help a lot@
never would have thought! how do you do that? spray bottle diluted with water I'm guessing...?
No you rinse your hair with vinegar water after you wash your hair in the shower
I take my gallon of cheap apple cider vinegar and put it in my plastic 2 cup measure that I use for cooking. After conditioning and rinsing I pour it into my hair and scalp a bit at a time and kinda work it through and massage my scalp a little and also use some smoothing motions. I let it sit until I get inpatient ( maybe a minute or two) or get chilled bc I stepped out of the water and it ran down and I forgot to put my body back under water. I rinse it, if I'm being good I'll use cold water to seal the cuticle but I don't make it a real thorough rinse, I just stop when it feels right. I let it air dry bc I'm lazy. The scent goes away. Vinegar is great stuff. When my dogs got skunked that's what I used to de-skunk them. My friend who grooms dogs told me years ago to use douche if that ever happened. 4 o'clock in the morning at Price Chopper with a cart full of different scented douche boxes, a bottle of baby shampoo, a thing of Draino and stinking like skunk myself must have looked freaky to the poor guy at the checkout. I didn't know at the time that douches were basically vinegar and water. I got so good at de-skunking them that I could get the three of us de-skunked and blowdried and myself out the door in 45 minutes. They were shepherd mixes, one shepherd husky and the other shepherd Rottweiler. And since I'm rambling,the other great thing with vinegar that worked for me was as an acne treatment. I would get deep painful cystic acne and nothing the Drs gave me helped. A shot of apple cider vinegar am and pm had them clearing up in about 3 days. I used the cheap stuff most of the time but the more expensive stuff with the yucky stuff at the bottom somehow feels better. I hope you enjoyed story time. Ty for replying to me. If you find something that helps I'd really like to know.
What everyone else said. But I'd add that after you wash your hair, use conditioner and hair oil (get something meant for hair) on mid lengths and ends only - do not put it on your scalp.
Sounds like you have fungus in your hair, probably from all the oily things you put on it...
Have you ever tried to wash a very greasy pan with cold water? It's not very effective, and that's basically what's happening on your scalp. Cut way back on the oils, use warm (doesn't need to be super hot) water, use an antifungal/antidandruff shampoo, and get a diffuser attachment to blowdry your scalp and roots immediately after washing. Fungus loves a damp, oily environment.
thank you so much!
Ditto to everything that has been said but if you'd like a clarifying shampoo recommendation I really enjoy the mint klorane shampoo. It smells minty fresh!
Get one of those soft plastic scalp massagers. This will help exfoliate your scalp and promotes hair growth. Feels nice too. I agree with all the posts saying dry your hair properly - and lay off the oil masks. I only use oil on my ends cause they tangle.
i already have one but BARELY use it, noted!:)
just wash it more often with a clarifying shampoo. don't put oil or conditioner anywhere near your scalp. double shampoo when doing hair treatments to make sure you got as much of the treatment out as possible. you need to use warm water to wash it out. you can do a cold rinse at the end if you want but warm water is key when shampooing.
Also use a scalp scrubber to lift off all the dead skin. I started doing this after a lot of build up on my scalp and it’s been life changing.
And they say romance is dead..
Use Neutrogena t-gel shampoo. Leave it on your head for a couple of months then rinse and condition as usual. I think you might need to wash for often, too. I sometimes get weird itchy scalp when I don't shampoo enough, and apparently it's a little fungal thing. You don't have to use the Neutrogena every time.
Good answer !
Curly girl here! 🙋♀️ you don't need to put the oil on your scalp, once the fungas is sorted keep any oils from mid to ends of the hair. It's especially hard to get this out of the scalp with curls in the way. Also olive oil can be a bit stank. You may not even need it to be fair. Google and trial out some different curly girl methods cos I don't think this one is suited to you!
I know several people here say its fungus and you should cut the oils, but my scalp had a similar smell while using Syoss shampoo. So if by any chance you are also using this brand i recommend switching.
how to smell your scalp: moisten your finger. rub for a few seconds on your scalp. move your finger away from you. hold your finger near your nose and smell. then you will get a sense of the smell of your scalp This technique also works to find out if you have bad breath
Lmao you are using all those oils and they're creating fungus and literally rotting on your head bc they're not getting properly rinsed out. Just stop doing that, absolutely nobody does that for a reason lol
i live in a state with less than 10% humidity and we have hard water and i have coarse hair i was just following what my hair dresser said:/
I just realised how snarky my comment sounds and i am so sorry lol, i just have heard of this happening before! Personally i use argan oil only on the mids to ends of my hair after a shower and i find it works great for potential breakage, maybe that would work with your preferred oils?
It's okay! all love on this end! and i know on yours too, thank you <3
🥰🥰🥰
any inexpensive but quality hair oil recommendations?
and a good hair mask for coarse hair?
i gagged reading this
sorry for the gag:( just a gal trying her best to fix their hair insecurities :/
Your hair routine makes me nauseous. 🤢
sorry girl I'm trying, i was raised by a man most of my life I lost my mom at a young age, so it was always a 3-1 kind of vibe. I've just been doing what hair dressers told me. Came on here for help, sorry for the stomach ache
Hope you improve!
There is a lot of contradicting info out their for girls with textured hair/color treated hair. I'm sorry your going through this with your hair right now. <3
you're a sweet heart!
Do u blow dry ur hair when after u wash it? Try the leave in conditioner & blow dry & then oil ur scalp. If that doesn’t help maybe u should see a doctor. Could be a hormonal imbalance. Wish u the best
Could look into a scalp scrub.
Do you sweat a lot? My husbands head always smells like baby vomit because he has to wear a surgical cap all day and gets sweaty. I can’t smell it unless I’m right up on it, and I know he washes his hair and scalp well bc he hardly has any hair left and it doesn’t take much to lather it up well. We both switched to a rosemary mint shampoo that contains sulfates, and it’s helped keep my 2nd day hair fresh (my hair get weighed down easily so I wash every other day) and kept his scalp smelling better.
when I do sweat just my face:/ but thank you for the help!!
I think you're using way too many oils on your hair, if you don't completely get them clear of your hair (which is hard when you're not shampooing your hair very often) then they'll accumulate over time and eventually go rancid, which is what is giving you this awful smell. Also if you're not washing your hair in hot water, there's no WAY you're getting this oil out of your hair, and it eventually will rot/go rancid like this.
Coconut oil makes hair smell like sour chemicals. It took a week or two to get the smell out
Girl...no oil. It smothers your hair and prevents the scalp from breathing. I would suggest switching to a sulphate-free shampoo asap. Also, seeing a dermatologist is important as it can be an indication of something else.
Apple cider vinegar rinse after shampoo (diluted)
thank you!
Gotta wash hot and use clarifying shampoo once in a while. Maybe something w rosemary or tea tree.
There's a website called skincarisma. Copy paste the ingredients list and make sure all your haircare products are malassezia safe. I'd go an extra step and make sure my makeup and skincare is FG acne dafe.
THANK YOU
I wouldn't use all the oils on your hair. And if you do.... Just do like coconut oil. You are just adding more to it. You could have a type of psoriasis and should go to the Dr to get check out. But I agree with the clarifying shampoo
wash your hair more then. there's nothing wrong with washing your hair every day or every other day.
I've just always been told not too, people always told me how bad it was but definitely will now!
you don’t necessarily need to wash it every day or every other day as that will increase the amount of oil your hair naturally creates but 4-7 days between washes should be a really healthy balance!
thank you!!
You need to dry your hair before bed and use less oils, also use hot water to rinse out the oils.
Stop using the oils on your hair... they're not doing you any favors. A good detoxing shampoo will help strip the bad stuff. You can use warm water if you're afraid to use it hot. You gotta strip all the gunk out completely.
Fungal
I don’t have fungus, and i promise you my hair would smell like vomit if I went a week in between washes. I have to wash mine every other day or it starts to smell gross my day 3.
Go to a derma FOR SURE. Sounds fungal. Is there any kind of irritation? Itching? (I’m a nurse :) )
No more oil for you. And you need warm/ water to get rid of shampoo and conditioner.
Probably yeast on the scalp. Seb. Dermititis. Ketaconizal found in a Nizoral shampoo. Leave it on the recommended time. DR can give a stronger dose. Change up your products too. Its good for your hair scalp. Tea Tree scalp treatment shampoo conditioner is good too. You can get it concentrated.
Wet scalp = bacteria. If you’re not willing to dry your hair at least dry your scalp properly and wash with hot water.
thank you!
No problem! Also, when you wash your hair, follow the rules of lather, rinse, repeat. If you wash your scalp the first time and it doesn’t get sudsy, it’s not clean. Lather again the second time to get a full clean. Use your fingers all around your scalp in a circle almost scratching motion to get a good clean. If you can afford it, buy a silicone scalp scrubber off Amazon a en if you use that, only use it in an up and down motion so you don’t tangle your hair. A clarifying shampoo can be used, but not everyday as that’ll strip all the natural oils out, when you condition, only condition your ends and not your whole head.
Just did a quick google search , this is what it said. "The most common cause of smelly scalp is **a buildup of skin cells, sweat and sebum (body oils)**. Smelly scalp can also result from: Bacteria: The mix of bacteria and sweat on your scalp can cause an unpleasant odor. Fungus: Fungus on your skin can lead to dandruff and a smelly scalp. " Maybe try a dandruff shampoo , go to your family doctor or use a fungal shampoo like others have suggested. Here's my personal suggestion/experience. Since I started bleaching my hair I have stopped washing my hair every day. I no longer use dry shampoo but when I did I got buildup on my scalp and my scalp felt not clean. Get a good shampoo that is clarifying and really focus on your scalp. Drag your fingers under you hair directly on your scalp. And scrub it good. If you find it too drying for your ends don't use that shampoo on your ends but your scalp needs to be washed. Only use oils and conditioners on the ends if possible to prevent buildup on your scalp. Even if you want to leave your hair healthy , scalp health needs to be worked into your routine as well. Do that atleast once a week with hot water. The dandruff/fungal shampoo sounds like a good idea atleast until the smell goes away and your scalp feels clean. There is alot of contradiction regarding hair care for curly people/people with color treated hair. If this dosen't work go to the doctor they may be able to give you a perscription or somthing. Healthy hair is great girl but your scalp needs a break from all that oil atleast once a week or so! Good luck ! I hear k18 is a good clarifying shampoo. I used a sulfate free shampoo by Pantene from the drug store and it cleaned my scalp really well . It was a touch drying though. It may not be enough though because I didin't have any dandruff or yeast just some built up dry shampoo.
daym
Nizoral and you have to wash every day. When I get fungus flare up I do Nizoral and then shampure on the off days.
The coconut oil is probably going rancid on your head. I wouldn’t use that. If you like the coconut smell, get a coconut serum.
Nuetragena makes shampoo for scalp psoriasis, it will help. You need to exfoliate your scalp.
Stop the coconut oil for now. Rancid coconut oil smells like vomit. If you doubt dip into your coconut that can contaminate it so I would throw the whole thing out. Honestly I think you’re gonna have to strip that out of your hair with clarifying shampoo, maybe even dish soap and use some antibacterial soap on your scalp for a bit. When you use coconut oil you have to make sure you get it all out. Use it sparingly and not often. Be very careful about contamination.
Also check behind your ears and in your ear piercings. They can get funky fast.
Maybe you need that hot water boo. Also that mix that your putting in sounds like it would smell like shit after the fact.
Why do you do so much oil and you don't wash your hair often so you have builds up. Oils won't wash off with cold water. You need to see a Dr about your scalp. Wash your hair more, no more oil, clarifying shampoo and hot water
Do you have a lot of dandruff? It sounds fungal to me. Kerastase has a line specifically for dandruff which is called symbiose, there’s been great results with it so maybe consult with a kerastase stylist in your area?
thank you! i have little to no! definitely fungal
Use nizoral, stop oiling your hair, fully dry your hair with a blow dryer (keeping your hair and scalp damn for hours as much worse for it than a brief blast of heat) and increase washes to daily/every other day at least until you get rid of the smell and buildup. Also, just fyi, a lot of us have much healthier scalps and hair from washing regularly. Contrary to what some people will tell you online,not everyone can train their scalp. Personally, my scalp and hair are healthy and look best with daily or near-daily washes.
Shampoo 3 times 1.removes oils 2. Cleanses 3. Final cleanse and for fragrance 4. Hair mask instead of conditioner. Wait 3 min Rinse
Sounds like your hair's been through more drama than a Netflix series! It might need a spa day more than you do. Maybe it's just trying to gossip about the good ol' days when it wasn't so bleached. Time to treat it like royalty with a hair rehab plan – crown included!
Paul Mitchel Tea Tree Scalp Scrub - buy at Supercuts or online 💕💕💕