July 7, 2011

"Smelly Hair Syndrome."

What does syndromically smelly hair smell like?
Some describe it as "... stinks like a diaper." Others have compared the smell to "sour milk, wet dog, moldy hay, potatoes, an old shoe or dirty socks, a jacket that's never been to the dry cleaner, and an oily smell mixed with vomit." The most unusual description we've heard was "... sort of a cross between Dorito's Bold BBQ chips and cinnamon (and not a sweet smell, actually kinda foul) and maybe a hint of cheese." And, finally, one unfortunate reader told us that "my hair is so smelly that sometimes flies buzz around my head."

21 comments:

Fred4Pres said...

I am guessing Amanda Marcotte has smelly hair syndrome. It would explan a lot.

PaulV said...

Many men prefer odor free zones. Strong perfume often offends.

ndspinelli said...

There's always the Sinead O'Connor, Telly Savalas remedy. Oh..I assume we're talking about head hair..that other cluster of follicles smells like bad steamed clams.

madAsHell said...

Spanglish!!

Shanna said...

for others it starts a few days after they've washed their hair

That one is kind of an easy fix. Just wash your hair, greasy!

bagoh20 said...

Human hair is a strange adaptation. It seems entirely unhelpful growing longer and longer. I suspect cutting it was on of the very first use of tools.

On women though, it is a stunningly beautiful quirk of evolution.

Shouting Thomas said...

I am guessing Amanda Marcotte has smelly hair syndrome. It would explan a lot.

Perhaps the best comment in the history of Althouse!

Explains everything.

Fen said...

"Gee your hair smells terrific"

Rebecca Watson: "Rape!!!!"

Wince said...

What does syndromically smelly hair smell like? Some describe it as "... stinks like a diaper."

I assume they're not talking about the dingleberry?

din·gle·ber·ry/ˈdiNGəlˌberē/Noun
1. A particle of fecal matter attached to the anal hair.

KCFleming said...

"On women though, it is a stunningly beautiful quirk of evolution."

The endless quirks of beauty whisper 'design'.

traditionalguy said...

That is funny and it is sad too.

But can it be weaponized and put into some one's hair, very carefully.

What a great way to sabotage someone's popularity.

Prosser had better not accept any free shampoo samples from strangers at the Supreme Court.

jalanco said...

I once had a surfeit of skunks living in my hair. After a hot bath, haircut and high colonic, the surfeit fled and my friends returned. I do not know why.

Anonymous said...

My oldest daughter had this problem from the time she was an infant until she was about 2. It was really puzzling, her head always had an "off" smell (not too bad, but definitely not pleasant) even shortly after a bath.

Dust Bunny Queen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dust Bunny Queen said...

My young daughter developed this one summer. In addition to the smell, she also had lesions. It was nasty.

The doctors were no help whatsoever and made no suggestions for a cure. They probably just chalked it up to bad hygiene.

I eventually determined that the cause was an algae infestation from attending a swimming party in our local lake which gets rather yucky late in the summer. I never go swimming in the lake because of the poor water conditions and I am very allergic to the algae and break out in hives when exposed to the gross water. Up until then she didn't have any reactions to the water so I assumed it was just me.

We cut her hair very short (she cried and hated it...sorry). Used sulphur based shampoo followed with a mild vinegar rinse, to change the PH of her skin and made sure to blow dry the hair and scalp thoroughly. Twice a day in the beginning.

The lesions we treated with a basic anti-biotic gel. After 4 months it was gone never to return.

Crack will be glad to know that we didn't use any crystals or try to get the positive vibes of mother Gaia to create harmony.

Carol_Herman said...

The descriptions for "smelly hair" ... sounds like they were done by a wine connoisseur.

Fred4Pres said...

homepaths are friggin nuts, but after a bout of acid reflux I saw on the web that the Amish use apple cider vinegar to fix it. Vinegar for acid reflux?

I tried it and the stuff worked like a charm. My gastrointestinal buddy said he prescribes it too (I would have called him first but it hit at 2:00 a.m). He says the mild acid and the vinegar salts trick your stomach into shutting off its own acid pump.

So it just shows vinegar really can be a wonder tonic.

Fred4Pres said...

Carol, that is a funny comment about wine!

Carol_Herman said...

Has anybody here smelled permanent wave solution?

edutcher said...

I've found that randomly sniffing women's hair is a great way to get one's face slapped.

At best.

PaulV said...

Many men prefer odor free zones. Strong perfume often offends.

Agree with the second part, not so much with the first.

A clean, light scent seems to be best.

essaybee said...

The same fungus that causes jock itch, athlete's foot, and ring worm can infect the scalp. My wusband and son get it. Thank god my daughter and I seem to be immune. Sulfur shampoo. Daily.