Icky question but.... how long after a wash does it take to aquire scalp odor...

[SerenavanderWoodsen]

Hi,, ive been dealing with this 4 a while now,,, my scalp seems to get dirty a bit too soon like 3 days after...,,, its not a bad odor but it smells like oil and its embarrassing... i was wondering esp for the ladies here who do not wash more than once a week or even twice a month! Do you have any issues with odor,,, could it be how im shampooing... should i use a dandruff poo? I dont have dandruff issues though.. HELP ETA: does anyone use tea tree oil in their shampoo or anything like that for xtra cleaning?

 

[JustKiya]

This is going to sound like a really odd question, but do you know what your hair smells like? I mean, not freshly washed (cuz then it doesn't smell like anything) or old and dirty (cuz then it has products and dust and etc in it) but just - hair oil? Or, more exactly, sebum?

Have you ever tried cowashing? I ask, because assuming it IS sebum, and your scalp is producing enough for you to smell 'oil' 3 days later, your scalp might benefit from something a little less stripping, so it could ramp down oil production?

I know that my hair (I wash once a week now, and when I had dreads I would go for a month not using shampoo, just rinsing my hair out VERY well everyday) that my sebum has a - funny smell. It's not bad, but it's very - earthy, almost. Musky isn't the right word - but it's definitely not a familiar smell.

DH never thought it smelled bad - in fact, I think he kinda liked it, as he would nuzzle his face in my head/neck and sniff me. But then, I married an odd man.

 

[yodie]

Hi,, ive been dealing with this 4 a while now,,, my scalp seems to get dirty a bit too soon like 3 days after...,,, its not a bad odor but it smells like oil and its embarrassing... i was wondering esp for the ladies here who do not wash more than once a week or even twice a month! Do you have any issues with odor,,, could it be how im shampooing... should i use a dandruff poo? I dont have dandruff issues though.. HELP ETA: does anyone use tea tree oil in their shampoo or anything like that for xtra cleaning?

I have the same problem and I think it's because of all the oils that I use.

 

[It~Can~Grow]

When I thought more washing was bad for our hair - I hated any outdoor activities...picnics, walks, parks, etc., because I knew it would equal outdoor smell in my hair.

What smell is that? Not fresh. In the past, I envied other races solely because they could was their hair everyday and use the fruity shampoos that I love. They would get on the elevator with me and I would just breathe in the freshness and sigh

Now I know better

Back to your question... If I go outdoors my hair will pick up those odors, if I don't, my hair will pick up some odors from the oils I use and transform the smell into something different - actually its not bad its just not the fresh smell.

To be honest, I think we smell it more intensely than the outside world because our nose is closer

 

[glamazon386]

I get it after a few days if I don't put any gel/products in my hair. IDK why but any style that leaves my hair out it will start to feel dry and get that dirty hair smell on day 3 or 4.

 

[gone_fishing]

I have never really noticed mine but my fiancee's natural smell shines through if he skips a day of washing. He thinks it smells "dirty" but I think it smells "divine". I'm thinking maybe they are pheromones and that's why I'm so giddy. erplexed

 

[asubeauty]

My hair gets a smell after maybe a week. I'm not sure what it is, but I take it as a sign that it needs to be washed. And now that I'm using less products, it's starting to hold that formaldehyde smell from the cadaver lab. Not good.

 

[HoneyDew]

If I put anything on my scalp it start for me at about 3 days, but I think I am the only one that can smell it. This is even with light exercising (walking, pilates, 5-8 lb free weight lifting). I don't wash my hair after working out, but if I don't use anything on my scalp it still takes 5 or 6 days before I start smelling something odd.

 

[LunadeMiel]

I start to notice the oiliness (is that word?) the day after washing. A couple of day later it seems like my scalp tones down on the oil production. I guess that is why I never really notice a smell. But...I always apply product in my hair so that may be masking the odor. I will try to leave my hair with no product to see if I too get that smell.

 

[brittanynic16]

I get this smell after 3 days. To me it means that the oil from my scalp isn't moving down the hair shaft. When this happens I massage my scalp to loosen it up an then brush it through my hair. This usually takes care of the smell and my hair feels silky.

 

[Fine 4s]

My hair can get a funky smell on the scalp if the hair is not dried properly.
If I bun my hair when wet or if I set the bun when it is not FULLY dry it can get a funkiness. I

I used to hear people refer to is as 'spoiled hair.'

 

[carmella25]

Mine takes 4 to 5 days