My Hair Smelled Burnt, How I Fixed It, and How It Affected My Marriage

An odd thing to blog about, I know! But this problem drove me mad and if I can help just one person avoid all the angst I went through, not to mention how it also affected my husband, then this post will be a victory. At one point I contemplated SHAVING MY HEAD resolving that this solution may be my only option. It was maddening and I wanted—needed!—to make it stop.

And you’re hardly going to believe how I figured out what it was. It was like a Who Done It murder mystery, only it was Who Done Ruined My Hair!

All was happy and peaceful when my husband said, “Your hair smells really funky. It smells burnt.”

Say what?!?! My hair? I am meticulous about smells and smelling good being married to a man who has a nose like a hound dog who can smell if I’ve been 30 feet of any garlic, I’ve learned to stay fresh to keep my marriage fresh. (If you’re wondering, lemons are the antidote for garlic and I keep lemons well stocked in my house.)  Just yesterday while ordering a coffee at a Starbucks the adorable young man behind the counter while taking my order said, “You smell really good. I mean coffee smells good but it’s nice to have other nice smells.” I was speechless—which is rare for me—and I settled on a simple, “Thank you.”

Now, where was I?

Hair. Smell. Burnt. Husband. What’s a woman to do? Right.

My first line of defense was to stop using my fancy “dry-your-hair-in-half-the-time” blow dryer. It was expensive but if it’s the culprit, that was an easy fix.

Nope.

It wasn’t the blow dryer.

Must be the old curling iron. So I bought a new one.

Nope. Not the curling iron.

My daughter was over and she along with my husband went through all my hair products and got rid of most of it. We brought in all new hair products and…

That wasn’t it!

Then, hubby thought to bring in the “family counsel” and during family dinner said to everyone, “Hey, smell Mom’s hair.”

Burnt. Yeah, burnt. Really burnt. Definitely burnt.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Okay, thank you everyone tell me something I don’t already know. Big UGH!!!

Then, everyone went to work trying to find products that would take care of it.

Clarifying shampoo. Coal shampoo. Dandruff shampoo. Head scrubs.

Nothing worked.

I was losing my ever-lovin’ mind.

Then, hubby thought it might be our pillows. We bought all new pillows.

Nope. Didn’t get rid of the smell.

Then we tried new sheets.

Again, nope.

Maybe I was leaving my hair color in for too long. I’ll leave it in for the minimum time and see if that’s it.

Nope.

I was ready to give up and play dead, doomed to a life with a burnt head.

Lord, help me because this is making me coo-coo.

Then, my wonderful husband noticed when I was away from our home traveling the smell would go away. Notice I used the word wonderful to describe him? That’s because now he was on to something.

I began to think and think. What do I do differently when I am away from our home?

What?????

I let my mind wander.

Then, one morning while in-between sleepiness and awake I had a possible culprit.

Conditioner. Conditioner! More specifically leaving conditioner in for a long time, well, because I want soft hair. I mean, don’t you?

When I was home I left my conditioner in longer than while I was away.

I looked it up and found out that leaving conditioner in for too long, as well as applying it to the roots, can cause a buildup of product and oil, that traps bacteria and yeast causing a BURNT SMELL.

I tested it out…AND…

That. Was. It.

I finally had my answer and more importantly my fix. I solved the, Who Done Ruined My Hair mystery—it was me!

Smelling good for our partner keeps us fresh and keeps our marriage fresh. Whatever it takes. Don’t give up. Fight for your marriage. Ha-ha!

Happy Hair.

Happy Life.

“I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” -Jeremiah 31:13

For more from Lucille Williams on marriage check out her books, From Me to We, and The Intimacy You Crave. Have kids? Order a copy of The Impossible Kid: Parenting a Strong-Willed Child with Love and Grace or Turtle Finds His Talent for ages 2-6. Subscribe to LuSays today for weekly encouragement.