My 3 year old son seems to smell bad for one reason or another every minute of the day. He's always been unbelievably gassy, but what's going on now is even WORSE. When his hair is wet- even just after I wash it- he smells like a wet dog! It's all I can do not to shrink back after kissing him on the head! I've tried different shampoos, but no change. Help?!
what is he eating?? that definitely plays a HUGE role in how we smell....
does he eat a lot of dairy and or meat? that will make a person smell (whether they know it or not) :) also... how much water is getting? water is so vital and important and necessary to cleanse the body. I would highly recommend him getting more water than anything else. I think that would probably help with the problem..
Have him tested for food allergies. Sounds silly but if he is eating something he is allergic to, then it could be coming out of his pores. Make sure you are massaging his head well while washing his hair, not just rubbing it around- and you could also try to use shampoo and conditioner- the conditioner usually has the great smells.
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If I was you I would talk to his Dr. about that and see what they have to say.
Try a different laundry soap.
Try another type of shampoo.
Try lotion.
Remember he is a boy and as he gets older he will smell funny from his toes to his arm pits. = )
Good luck with this one.
I would definitely check into the food intolerance idea or possible candida overgrowth of the gut. That can cause all kinds of problems.
My friend recently told me about her own similar problem. She said even after just washing her hair, the minute she stepped out in heat and humidity or began to sweat her hair would smell. She did some research and found that there is a condition where scalp skin cells don't exfoliate normally and that is actually what is creating the smell. It was recommended that she use a medicated shampoo everyday for a week and then once a week after that to keep the problem at bay. She used Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo and it took care of the problem. Good luck!
Are you washing his head twice? I was using baby wash on my son's head, and noticed his hair also smelled like a wet puppy! I switched to Johnson's baby shampoo and started washing twice and rinsing really well and it seemed to have worked.
Also, when in doubt, ask the doctor what other ideas he or she may have to help! Good luck!
i will be interested to see what is said b/c my daughter has the same problem
D.,
I would take him to the doctor's and have him tested to see what's causing that problem.
WOW! I don't really have an answer, but when my oldest was three, his wet hair smelled like wet dog, too! I thought I was the only mom to go through this, and felt really bad comparing my child to a wet dog, lol! I never did figure out what was causing it, but after about 6 months it went away on its own.
A friend of mine had this problem with her daughter. The dr told her to switch to organic milk and use natural deodorant. (no anti-perspirant). It worked for her. The dr said it was the hormones in the milk.
My 5year old has scalp psoriasis which is an over growth of skin cells that dont shed off and when she is having a bad flare up her head smells like wet dog too. I have to use her RX shampoo to get rid of it but normally we use pert plus. Check out his scalp for flakes or any built up patchy skin.
Hi D.,
I would get him on an absorbable multivitamin right away. Most body odors are caused by a lack of nutrition (or lack of absorption of nutrition).
Julie's right, it could also be yeast which will effect everything. A probiotic/prebiotic will always help, never hurt, as there is so much sugar in the common eating habits these days. (Avoid yogurt unless it is unsweetened. The tasty ones can help prevent yeast but they won't get rid of it if it already exists.) Even trying to keep the sugars down, it's hard with the breads and french fries and all the other simple carbs. They continue to help breed the yeast.
D., check his tongue and see if there is a white coating. (This is one way a doctor checks for thrush in babies but it works in adults too.) If there is, then his little body is eaten up with it and you need to get proactive. Yeast will break down the immune system over time and causes major diseases to have an opening...
If you want to go this route I can recommend a vitamin and a probiotic that will definitely help.
God bless,
M.
tehehe, gets worse from here, soon his pits and feet will smell too! Weird as it sounds, I like the smell of my stinky boys (and girl), just have to keep on them about personal hygiene issues now that they're older. Washing TOO much with deodorant soaps and astringent shampoos can cause skin/scalp issues, I'd use a conditioner on his hair, smells nice too!
