My daughter is 10 and showing no signs of puberty. No underarm smell at all or hair or breast buds. And this issue has been going on for quite some time. It's not an issue for my other daughter. I don't think her hair ever actually smells even if she doesn't wash it for several or more days. But my oldest's hair smells bad or musty or something very quickly. It smells good when she gets out of the shower but next day already, smells bad a little and then gets worse fast. I don't feel at 10 she should wash her hair every day. Even as an adult it's not supposed to be good or necessary. Her hair does seem naturally oily so is that it? Anyone else have this issue and have any advice other than wash it every day or twice a day? Thanks
Eh…I have a boy. He washes his hair EOD, unless he has a game or practice on the off day.
I would either try a different shampoo or have her wash it everyday until this passes.
(Double check that she’s rinsing thoroughly too.)
Could be the start of changing hormones, puberty doesn’t happen over night (thank goodness!).
I would also wash her pillow, hats and things like that if her hair is or is becoming oily.
My daughters hair has been getting very oily in one area (her half sisters did too) so I have to wash it everyday. She is 8 and starting puberty.
ADDED
I started using a tea tree shampoo from Herbal Essences and it works wonders at getting the oil and build up out. My hair is also oily and the more natural products were not working as well for me. I use this on my daughter as well. You should be able to find it at any super market.
Musty makes me think of a damp towel or sheets.
Well, she might need to bathe more often if she’s growing and changing. Hormones and oils and things change at this age. Make sure she’s using an appropriate shampoo (if she uses a kid shampoo or one that is not for oily hair, try another one) and washing well, really scrubbing and not just giving her hair the barest once-over, and also that she rinses well. My mother has much oilier hair than I do and if she doesn’t wash it daily, it gets really bad. She’s tried not washing as often and it doesn’t work for her. Try also suggesting that your DD only condition the ends of her hair and use a natural bristle brush to get the oils down from her scalp.
I agree to also wash hats, hoods, pillows, etc. too.
I have oily hair (I have since I was 8 or so), and I have to wash my hair every day. If I don’t it will smell bad, and I will develop an adult version of cradle cap very quickly. Have her wash her hair every day for 2 weeks or so and see if that makes a difference.
have you checked her pillow? maybe she has went to bed with wet hair and it is mildewed. get her a new one and no going to bed with wet hair. that could be it.
AV is right; your daughter is possibly just washing the layer of her hair that’s on top and not scrubbing down to her scalp and getting shampoo and enough water down there. Oil (which does trap and retain odors in hair!) is probably in the layers between her scalp and the top layer of hair and she’s not getting to it thoroughly.
I would get her a very wide-toothed plastic comb and have her use that when washing – she lathers (makes sure she’s really lathering up and not just seeing a bubble or two and then she’s done) and then she uses the comb to scrub around, lift up the hair etc. I agree, every other day should be fine. But you may need to supervise a bit more than she, at 10, will really like.
The good smell you are detecting as she comes out of the shower is just the shampoo smell on the upper layer of her hair.
Also, she may need to dry her hair most of the time. Does she shower and then go to bed with wet hair? The “musty” smell sounds like it’s a wetness thing, added to the oiliness, so I’d allot time for drying before bed. Again, she may balk at this as a nuisance, it takes too long, it’s too hot, I don’t like doing it, etc. If she likes to read, tell her to read while she dries it. But you’ll want to check afterward and make sure she dried it all the way down to the scalp. If she has heavy or thick hair she is likelier to retain oils, have wet patches even after drying etc.
You could also jump-start oil removal with vinegar. I heat white vinegar (cider vinegar is OK too) in the microwave and then add very warm water – the mix is up to you. Massage it really well into the hair down to the scalp and leave on a few minutes then wash the hair very well. After a couple of times you’ll see how the vinegar cuts oil. Do it on a weekend so any leftover vinegar smell is gone by the time she gets to school.
I aggree with a few other posts here - she’s washing her hair, not her scalp. I recall my mom showing me hwo to scrub my scalp and then get my long hair all the way. When my hair was long I used an empty shampoo bottle to mix a little shampoo and a lot of water to get my whole head and all that long hair. Then wash a second time. Once out of the shower and her hair is still dampe but not soaking wet - turn her head upside down and dry the underneath hair.
I bet her hair didn’t smell when you were washing it. She’s 10 she’s not doing a thorough job. Very typical of a 10 yr old.
Try a tea tree oil shampoo…very good at really cleaning the scalp without a lot of extra crap in the shampoo.
This is common at this age. It happened to my oldest in 3rd grade. Her hair would get greasy and smelly if not washed every day, and now it’s happening to my son who is 9 and in 3rd grade.
My daughter’s hair went back to normal by 5th grade even before she went through puberty. I don’t know why this happens.
I tend to have a bit more oily hair. If I don’t wash it every day, I can smell it. So, I do wash my hair every day.
My older daughter has such thick hair that her hair soured if she did not dry it after washing it.
Actually the smell might be a sign of puberty.
Fluctuating hormones can cause some pretty funky body odor and it’s not always under the arms that’s the worst - sometimes it’s feet or other areas.
Some teens need to wash a lot to keep up with the oil production.
Once a day was ok for me but in high school or college I’d often shower in the morning, shower before a date, and shower again after a date (it was the 80’s and discos were very smokey).
This is going to sound weird, but once every few showers, I rinse my daughter’s hair with white vinegar. She rinses with water after the vinegar rinse, so the smell doesn’t linger, but it seems to make all the difference in how long my daughter can go between washings.
Hi Pam,
My kids’ hair smelled and started getting oily before they hit puberty (or perhaps it was the first sign of puberty). Around age 10, mine started showering daily.
If you can’t find a shampoo specifically for oily hair then a ‘volumizing’ or ‘deep clean’ shampoo will work. Volumizing is more for finer to normal hair. Deep clean is what my thicker haired kids use. Don’t use 2 in 1’s. They have conditioner in them. I would skip conditioner entirely unless she needs it, then apply sparingly only on the ends. And use volumizing or light conditioner only. But no where near the scalp.
I agree with scrubbing the scalp, and I don’t even apply shampoo to the rest of the hair (below ears) - as you rinse, the shampoo washes through the rest of the hair. It’s a little easier on the hair if you just concentrate on the scalp. That way, you’re not overwashing the rest of your hair (the ends are usually drier).
My kids’ hair smell when they wear hats in winter (the slouchy or toque kind) so I make sure to throw those in the wash regularly.
Hope that helps! 
good luck
If she has oily hair and it is starting to smell bad, she needs to wash it every day. My hair is fine and not super thick, and it’s oily, so I have to wash it daily. It is what it is; my hair is shiny and healthy, but I do have to wash it or it looks greasy and smells gross. Nobody wants that.
The other thing you should help educate her about is how to properly wash her hair. She really needs to scrub her scalp using her fingertips, especially at the back of her head and behind her ears. Both of my girls had trouble with that when they were younger. They’d scrub the top of their head, but would basically ignore the back of their head, and if you part your daughter’s hair in the back, you may find that there’s buildup there (like a yellowy, waxy type substance).
Maybe buy her a clarifying shampoo to help get rid of any buildup once per week, and then use a volumizing shampoo otherwise (even if she doesn’t need volume, these shampoos will leave very little buildup). Have her really scrub her head when she shampoos. And then thoroughly rinse the conditioner out, maybe more than she really thinks she needs to. Hopefully that will help her scalp get really clean.
I would maybe try dry shampoo on the days she doesn’t wash it? It sprays in just like aerosol hairspray, but soaks up the oil and smells really good. I like Dove’s dry shampoo. It’s affordable, works great and smells great and is a lifesaver for oily hair.
I would have her wash her hair every other day, and use the dry shampoo on the days she doesn’t wash it!
Check her hair elastics and scrungies - sometimes they can be the cause of a nasty smell.
Best,
Tracy Y
I don’t know if this can happen with shampoo or not but I can’t buy perfume without wearing it for a full 4-6 hours. Chemically something happens and what smells good initially turns yuck within a few hours and can hardly stand myself in 6. It doesn’t happen to me with anything else.
You can always talk to someone at a salon as well. Maybe they’d have a suggestion or two.
Blessings!
Lori
take her to a dermatologist. Both my sons were given medicated shampoo (2 different kinds for 2 sons) during child/teen hood. Different issues quickly resolved with a little dr’s care.