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Why does it always smell like my hair is burning when wet!!!

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MsTiffanie

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Does it mean I need to clarify or what?

Whenever I wash my hair, no matter how good my shampoo or conditioner smells, my hair smells like someone is burning it. Even when I go to flat iron it, even using a heat protecting spray it still smells like its burning. I'd love to be able to cowash and airdry regularly but it just isn't the best of smells. What can I do?
 
This happened to me years ago after I burned a bit of my hair. So my theory is that you may have burned your hair without even knowing it which is why it smells like its burning everytime you wet it.
 
If you apply too much heat on your hair, when you go to wash it will smell like burnt popcorn. You can't get rid of the smell really unless you mask it with different good smelling stuff (I liked the Razac for perm gloss serum smell) but try using a lower heat setting next time.....
 
You can trim off the burnt section - which I don't advise. Or you can wait patiently for that section (if any) to grow out and slowly trim it away over time. If you have not burned your hair....you may need to shampoo several times and follow up with a moisturizing conditioner. Also check your combs, styling tools and products to make sure everything is clean. I clean my flat iron everytime before and after I use it. :yep: I know this sounds excessive, but my husbands puts his nose all in my hair. So I like him to say "yum" instead of "um....:look:"

I hope it works out for you.
 
Yeah its either the relaxer or the type of heat you use on your hair. Also I knew a female that when her scalp sweats it releases a burnt smell like earwax or something. I would suggest cutting down on heat, perms, and leaving your conditioner in longer than usual.
 
also u could have synged? something into your hair. If u apply tons of products into your hair before flat ironing it can leave a burnt smell or burn you hair. Make sure you are flat ironing on CLEAN DRY HAIR by that I mean only a leave in or a heatprotectant only and very lightly applied
 
Bump.....

I am having this problem with my 9 year old daughter's hair. She has always been natural...her hair is very thick and hair to straighten. When she has her hair straightened....whether with ceramic flat iron or hot comb is smells stinky even after it's washed 3-4 times! Has anyone come up with any additional remedies for this problem?
 
My hair had a burnt smell after my hard press (refer to siggie). It was a while ago, but I believe that used baking soda washes/rinses to get rid of it. Had to do it a couple of times, though, but the smell finally subsided. Good luck.
 
Do you use SMB? I noticed that when I would wet my hair after using this that I would have a weird burntish type of smell.
 
SMB is Sabino Moisture Block. I haven't used it but many people swear by it as a heat protectant and serum to keep hair from reverting.

I used to have that burnt hair smell problem whenever I'd wash my hair after a press. And I always used less heat. This time I used 446 degrees and NOT A WHIFF of burned hair when I washed. In fact, all I smelled was shampoo and conditioner. I am still cheesing about that!

What did I do differently this time, prepare properly for my press and use heat protectants as thoroughly as possible. I first DC'd overnight with GPB and Giovanni Magnetic Restructuring conditioner. Then after shampooing my hair with Organics Red Italian Grape shampoo and Garnier Fructis, I applied my first heat prep treatment: CHI Infra Treatment. I really was meticulous apply this. I parted small sections at a time and applied it the way you would apply relaxer taking care to coat every strand carefully. After waiting a few minutes, I rinsed that off well and then put my dripping wet hair into Curlformers to stretch. (Most people blow dry at this point but I was trying to keep heat to a minimum.) My MO for pressing is first wet-to-dry on bare hair before pressing with a serum, but this time, I decided to wet my hair not with water as before but a heat protectant (John Frieda Heat Defeat). I took out the Curlformers once my hair was dry and then taking small sections at a time, I wet them with the heat protectant spray and pressed once. I got a blow-dried effect (which is usually the case on the wet-to-dry press):
aHeatDefeatandpressingwettodry-vi.jpg


Then instead of using just any ol' serum or my usual John Frieda, I used the thermal protection version of JF, and again taking small sections at a time and making sure they are well coated, I passed the comb through my hair one more time:

flatironthroughhaironemoretime-vi.jpg


I was very pleased with the results, but I became more ecstatic on wash day! Not just because reversion happened immediately on shampooing my hair, but also because FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I washed out a press without a hint of burnt smell. Y'all Nonie's unease about pressing her hair was squashed that day! Can you tell I'm still chaffed about this? :grin:

ETA: Indeed my method of pressing was probably longer than most, but it was well worth every minute I spent. :yep:
 
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I remember when that used to happen to me after relaxers... It did go away on its own eventually.
 
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