Smelly, Itchy Scalp - Need Help!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-23-2012
Smelly, Itchy Scalp - Need Help!
Tue, 10-23-2012 - 7:49pm

I have this issue with my scalp itching and smelling weird a few days after I wash it.  I'm African American, so it's not best to wash my hair too frequently, as my hair is prone to dryness.  My hair is also long, so washing it too often can be a headache.  But I've found that  my hair starts to itch the next day after washing (whether I wash it or go to a salon), and after a few days I start to develop dandruff.  So I don't have the oily issue that a lot of people have.  To avoid this, I have to wash my hair twice a week to avoid this issue. As I understand, most African-Americans don't have this problem and go a week without any issues.  I'm not sure if the best solution is to just resign to washing it every few days and try to find a lot of moisturizers so my hair doesn't get dry, since it is time consuming.  To my knowledge, my scalp doesn't sweat, except in extreme temperatures.  And this happens even when I don't work out.  I'm on day 3, and I haven't exercised, and the odor and itching are increasing.  I'm hesitant to try a dry shampoo because I'm worried about a powdery film.  I know tea tree oil and rosemary oil are good for cleansing, and are anti-fungal.  But I'd prefer to find a non-greasy solution.  So, basically I'm wondering if: 1. There's a non-greasy, non-powdery product I could put in my hair between washings. If not, I'll resign to washing it multiple times week and using lots of moisturizers. 2. If this is a symptom of something more serious.  Itching the next day doesn't seem very normal....

Any help is appreciated!


Avatar for CMEvelyn
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-29-2012
Fri, 10-26-2012 - 12:22pm

Hi Devx12, and welcome to the boards! I'm sorry I don't have any expertise in this subject, but itching doesn't seem that normal to me either. Maybe you should start by seeing a dermatologist?

There is an article on WebMD on Myths and mistakes about caring for African-American hair textures

Also check out Top 10 Shampoos For Black Hair

Dry shampoos are meant mostly for oily hair I think, but this article lists The Best Dry Shampoo for African American Hair

Hope that helps! Let us know what you find?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-30-2012
Thu, 11-08-2012 - 3:31pm

From what I understand, Nizoral shampoo and Jason Dandruff shampoo are very good for your condition. Jason can be found in health food and vitamin shops, not sure about Nizoral. Also, a lot of people swear by 1 part baking soda and 1 part water as shampoo and 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 part water as conditioner, making sure to massage both into scalp. Good luck and let us know how it goes.