Thursday, July 06, 2006

Could you survive without shampoo?

Some Interesting News... And What I Think About It...



Could you survive without shampoo?
by Diana Appleyard, Daily Mail
19:51pm 5th July 2006

BBC presenter Andrew Marr has given up washing his hair - saying the scalp's natural oils will keep it glossy and clean. We challenged five women to do the same...with surprising results:

Lucy Sutton, 24, a trainee marketing executive, is single and lives in Hammersmith, West London. She says:

Three weeks into the great hair challenge, my sister came over to my flat for the evening. She took one look at my hair and said: "What have you done to it? That's a great style - did it cost a fortune?"

From "Could you survive without shampoo?"


When I was a teenager and young adult, I washed my hair every day or at least every other day. Then my hair got dryer and I began to wash it about twice a week. It was long and I mostly kept it braided and out of my way. Within the last year, I had my hair cut to about shoulder length again, and I find myself shampooing much more often. It seems to get dirtier now that it's not confined to its braid.

My question is, don't these non-shampooing people get dandruff? I am fairly sure that I would, were I to abandon hairwashing.

The topic of hair reminds me of this 60's classic, from the day when my parents' generation was scandalized about the longhaired freaks of my generation:

...Hair, hair, hair, hair,
hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow
it
My hair

I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy
Snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty
Oily, greasy, fleecy
Shining, gleaming, streaming
Flaxen, waxen
Knotted, polka-dotted
Twisted, beaded, braided
Powdered, flowered, and confettied
Bangled, tangled,
spangled, and spaghettied...

From Hair

9 comments:

Wrkinprogress said...

This is definitely an interesting question. Recently RunawayImagination and I watched a DVD called "Indian Head Massage". In this DVD, the producers claimed that we Westerners tend to wash our hair and our bodies too much, drying them both out and robbing them of natural oils, etc. They claimed that a good brushing would keep hair looking shiny and protect it from harm, and that even using things like olive oil on our hair would be good. Now, I don't know if I believe that exactly, but it's an interesting premise. I have also heard an American Dermatologist being interviewed say that we dry our skin out by washing too much. Hmmm....

Sarabeth said...

Americans, by and large, smell better than any other nationality. So, I can handle all of the drying out of hair and skin with the extra washing.

And, just as an example, my mother-in-law is bathing challenged. She prefers a spit bath over a shower or a real bath. I have no idea how often she washes her hair, but it is not often. What does my 4 year old think of her grandmother? "Mommy, Grandmom smells bad."

Genevieve Netz said...

Sarabeth, maybe you could tactfully introduce the idea of using a little rubbing alcohol. As in, "Whenever I don't have time to bathe, I like to pour a good chug-a-lug of rubbing alcohol on a damp washcloth to wash under my arms." Or, "I'll be ready to go in just a minute, as soon as I freshen up a little with some rubbing alcohol."

It does help kill odor-causing bacteria. I never go camping without it.

Unknown said...

Hey Gene:
I have very little hair left! I miss having hair on my head:
1. It keeps you cool.
2. It makes you look taller.
3. You can change your looks.
4. If you fall over-board, the others can pull you back in easier!
5. I went far enough... to far?
6. People know more about my hormones.
that's it... I see the bottom! Thanks much, ken

Genevieve Netz said...

Look on the positive side, Kenneth. You can wear a hat and you don't get hat-hair. ;)

Sarabeth said...

Good idea Genevieve--does it take away mustiness on the body?

Genevieve Netz said...

Sarabeth,

I am sure it would help with body odor if she sponges down all over with it. One thing, though -- it says right on the bottle not to use rubbing alcohol directly on mucous membranes, so maybe you should introduce her to diaper wipes too.

One other thing that I wondered (not knowing her age or medical history) is whether her bladder might be getting a little weak? Maybe wearing disposable panty liners would help her.

Could it be that she is depressed? That often leads to poor hygiene.

Maybe you can say something to her doctor.

At any rate, I hope you and your husband can find some way to help her. It would be too sad if her body odor made her distasteful to her grandchildren. And the thing is, as she gets older the problem is very likely to get worse, if you don't help her.

Phil said...

Could I survive without shampoo? Well, that depends on if I had anything else to eat. :)

Genevieve Netz said...

If you can eat a few spoonsful of the shampoo and it's good for your insides, it surely shouldn't harm your hair!

I swear I wrote out this same sentence yesterday and posted it, but where did it go? The goblins must have got it!

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CONTENTMENT: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry, live simply, expect little, give much, sing often, pray always, forget self, think of others and their feelings, fill your heart with love, scatter sunshine. These are the tried links in the golden chain of contentment.
(Author unknown)

IT IS STILL BEST to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasure; and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
(Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867-1957)

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