Hair is Smelly Even After Washing

i have a niece that has a very strong odor coming from her hair. she washes very well yet the smell does not cease. do you have any ideas of what could be going on? thanks!

There are many things that can cause bad smells from the body or hair, and they include:

1. Washing incorrectly. I had a patient who came here with his family with the same complaint. He smelled badly to me in the office, like someone who did not wash his body or his hair, yet the family told me that they knew for a fact that he washed his hair twice a day when he showered. When questioning him about what he was doing in the shower, he told me that he stood under the shower and let the water flow on him, his hair and his body. I then questioned him on how he uses soap and shampoo. He told me that he never used them and on further questioning the family, I found out that he had a learning disability. I suggested that his father should go into the shower with him and make sure he washed, or if necessary teach him how to wash correctly. It turned out that I hit the bullseye. His odor went away and neither he, his hair, or his clothes smelled anymore.
2. Infection. There are infections that can cause odors and these include fungal and bacterial problems on the skin. Treatments for bacterial problems are different than those for fungal problems. A good examination by a completent doctor would help review her entire body and determine where the actual odor is coming from. Appropriate cultures of the skin/scalp/gland area, etc. may point to the problem.
3. Disease. There is a disease called Hidradenitis Suppurativa (other related names and diseases include: acne inversa, acne triad, acne tetrad, hidradenitis axillaris, apocrinitis, intertriginous acne, pyoderma fistulans sinifica, Verneuil’s disease, Verneuil disease, dissecting cellulitis of scalp and neck, acne conglobata, follicular occlusion triad, follicular occlusion tetrad, pilonidal sinus, acneiform disorder, apocrine occlusion). As noted from these names, the scalp may be impacted. This condition or a variant of it may be present in 1-4% of the young adult population to some degree (see this article on eMedicine.com).