• Very OT

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:09 pm**

Recently I’ve grown my hair long as It’s probably the last time I’ll be able to. At the same time Im really trying to be better environmentally with soap and stuff. Today I read of people who don’t bother with shampoo/shower gel at all. Apparently after a number of weeks your hair effectively self cleans as the natural oil balance returns. Im thinking of giving this a go and just using (friendly) soap on the other bits.

Any no pooers on here?

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:14 pm**

Back in the dim and distant past. I just ended up with a really flakey scalp.

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:29 pm**

Watched a documentary about someone who did this several years ago. from memory it took a fair few weeks and the period before it "returned to nature" was pretty hanging to look at and smell.

Sounds like exactly the sort of thing you should be rigorously documenting for the Boner community Dave.

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:31 pm**

So.... I've not used shampoo, soap, deodorant or anything in over 9 months. This includes a 16km cycle to work, then get changed "sans shower" as we're not allowed any in our Covid "secure" school, teach for the day, then ride home. I've not really used hair products in the past 10 years, but that's due to having very short hair!

I have less body odor now than I have in the past 20 years.

It's about microbiome. You keep killing off the microbes in your "moist" areas every time you expose them to a chemical wash - which is all you're doing. So the ones that survive are the ones that can survive the chemical treatment -they often also end up being the ones that produce the worst effluence - aka smells to you or I. Microbes doing what microbes do.

I read up on a few journal papers before I started this last summer, then kept it up. I now also know what foods are going to cause me to smell a bit, sadly, beer is one of these.

Wife, workmates, no one I've spoken to about this knew better or noticed anything different. Which was a relief when I told her after 8 weeks trying it out :)

EDIT: However, I now can't get away with the same work shirt multiple summer days in a row... which I used to be able to do! And my sweat rate during summer with no anti-perspirant...quite high. But TBH, I don't care about it.

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:36 pm**

Won't you simply end up with dreadlocks or do you intend putting a brush through it?

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:49 pm**

No 'poo here.

I stopped at uni 25 years ago when I had fairly long hair. Started when I had a few years doing manual work, then stopped again when i return to the office.

So long as you thoroughly 'wash' it through with water everyday then you'll be fine. Also don't use styling product. I wash mine aboit once a month now with a shampoo bar. It doesn't really need it though, but my wife reckons it makes me smell better

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:58 pm**

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:36 pm Won't you simply end up with dreadlocks or do you intend putting a brush through it?

Yes, you brush it more

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:59 pm**

LOL. I don't own a hairbrush and the only time I use a comb is when cutting my hair.

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:29 pm**

Dave, i dont use shampoo or soap on my hair. never have. but my hair is always very short, and i wash it in warm water every morning and most evenings.
it never gets greasy. sometimes i get a dry scalp but my wife got me some kind of oily stuff to use when this happens.

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:34 pm**

Does this only work if you're the 'kind of person with soft hands'?

My hair gets full of sh1te on a daily basis - grinding dust, paint, etc. I can't imagine that coming out with a bit of water.

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:39 pm**

lol, yeah i reckon so Stu.
my first ever job was a coal man. the back of my head was jet black and wet after the 1st delivery of the day,
cant have imagined my mam would have been happy with the bed sheets if had now washed my hair every night.

Posted: **Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:57 pm**

I'm another who hasn't used shampoo for about 25 years. For the first few years I had manual jobs, and I've had to wear a hard hat at work for long periods throughout that time. My hair has ranged in length between 5mm to about 15cm, and from thick to barely able to justify not shaving it off. It only ever gets combed when I go to the barber.
I haven't noticed any ill effects apart from my hair thinning and turning grey, but I don't think that's related.

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:01 am**

Not had a haircut since Feb 2020 so sporting quite a main at present.
If I don't use shampoo and just let it get wet in the shower then it looks like I have used brylcreem.
(Younger readers may have to google that.)

How long before you get yours cut Dave?
Mines driving me mad. Gets in my eyes when I trying to do things. Turns up in my food - yuk.
I blew my nose the other day and lock of hair fell into the tissue before I blew so had wipe the snot off.
The only time it is not a problem is out riding.

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:05 am**

I’ve seen a picture of you with your long hair

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2021 12:10 pm**

i think it depends on the peron
My hair tends to greasy - wash every two days - and when i tried i ended up with a smelly terrible mess that was never going to self clean and frankly was repugnat
You could have made it smell nicer rubbing your cycling jersey on it 5 days into a ride !
Good luck it may work for you it may not IME

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2021 12:58 pm**

I'm a cleaning products minimalist.

My complete toiletries bag consists of soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste (all three nice and eco).

Can't comment on the hair thing as mine went away in the late nineties and I've not seen it since.

I've heard lots about self-cleaning hair with regards to dreadlocks but not regular hair, be cool if it works - good luck!

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:00 pm**

GregMay wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:31 pm So.... I've not used shampoo, soap, deodorant or anything in over 9 months. This includes a 16km cycle to work, then get changed "sans shower" as we're not allowed any in our Covid "secure" school, teach for the day, then ride home. I've not really used hair products in the past 10 years, but that's due to having very short hair!

I have less body odor now than I have in the past 20 years.

It's about microbiome. You keep killing off the microbes in your "moist" areas every time you expose them to a chemical wash - which is all you're doing. So the ones that survive are the ones that can survive the chemical treatment -they often also end up being the ones that produce the worst effluence - aka smells to you or I. Microbes doing what microbes do.

I read up on a few journal papers before I started this last summer, then kept it up. I now also know what foods are going to cause me to smell a bit, sadly, beer is one of these.

Wife, workmates, no one I've spoken to about this knew better or noticed anything different. Which was a relief when I told her after 8 weeks trying it out :)

EDIT: However, I now can't get away with the same work shirt multiple summer days in a row... which I used to be able to do! And my sweat rate during summer with no anti-perspirant...quite high. But TBH, I don't care about it.

what about hands post toilet, surely they get a going over?
not being a pedant, genuine enqiry.

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:05 pm**

I didn't wash my hair for 3 months. After 2 months it got very shiney and sleek as the natural oils came back. Unfortunately when it rained I smelled like a wet dog.

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:55 pm**

techno wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:00 pm what about hands post toilet, surely they get a going over?
not being a pedant, genuine enqiry.

I work in a school, hands get washed with soap at every opportunity!

They are not an area of my personal biome I'm worried about - I'd rather they are a bit abnormal than get any of the many, many diseases around school and our labs!

Posted: **Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:31 pm**

My daughter and I both have long hair, and we tried going without shampoo....
I gave up after a couple of weeks, but she kept it going one whole summer...it was hanging!! I seem to remember she also went without brushing it during the same time, just to see what would happen

, and at the end of the summer we went on holidays with my parents, they were surprisingly restrained in their horror

Posted: **Thu Jun 24, 2021 12:33 am**

GregMay wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:55 pm
techno wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:00 pm what about hands post toilet, surely they get a going over?
not being a pedant, genuine enqiry.
I work in a school, hands get washed with soap at every opportunity!

They are not an area of my personal biome I'm worried about - I'd rather they are a bit abnormal than get any of the many, many diseases around school and our labs!

Understood, kids are grubby at the best of times.

Posted: **Thu Jun 24, 2021 5:49 am**

I did the no shampoo thing for years when I had more hair

Water type made a big difference to how well it seemed to work. Harder water seemed more astringent, so hair less greasy. When I went to visit family with soft water, the complete opposite.

Posted: **Fri Jun 25, 2021 9:05 am**

Go on….. post a picture. Show us

Posted: **Wed Jun 30, 2021 9:37 am**

I'm not going to post a picture just yet. But a week into this and my hair feels same as it always does and there is no noticeable smell/animals nesting. I've showered every day and just washed the hair through with water.

Posted: **Wed Oct 06, 2021 9:02 pm**

Update: Shampoo is not necessary. My hair is smell free and normalish after nearly 4 months

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