Have you heard about the “no poo” method of keeping your hair healthy? Is it ACTUALLY healthier to not wash your hair? What happens if you don’t wash your hair, whether for a few days or a few months or years? We are going to look into the answers to this!
Is it healthy to not wash your hair?
On the one hand, not filling your scalp with chemicals can be very beneficial for your hair. On the other, not washing it can damage the health of your head and your hair!
If you use gentle, natural cleaners you are better off than if you use chemical-filled versions – but still keeping on top of the health of your scalp can only be good for you. You can even use water only (although that’s also not the best route very often).
Sebum and dead skin cells can build up on your scalp, causing itchiness and even infections, so you will need to wash your hair, even if you don’t use shampoo. Read on…
If you want to move away from products and go down the natural route, this is fine, and can even do your scalp good. However, never washing again is never the answer!
To keep healthy and lustrous locks without “washing” your hair (ie not using shampoos and products) you will need to keep a good cleaning regime.
Your hair will need to be rinsed regularly with clean water, preferably in the shower, although a bath will work just as well.
As long as your hair gets wet, and you massage your scalp with your fingers as if you were rubbing in shampoo, you can maintain the “no poo” method.
What happens if you don’t wash your hair for a year?
If you simply step away from all types of washing and just leave your hair to do its thing, you may notice a few unpleasant side effects:
- Dandruff
- Oil build up
- Clogged pores
- Infection
- Odours
- Slow growth
This being said, you don’t actually have to use shampoo to wash your hair – you can step away from the products and keep your head clean using more natural methods.
You can use water to wash your hair; simply rinse it in the shower or bath, massaging the scalp as if you were using shampoo.
Try baking soda mixed with water to form a paste – this slightly astringent mix will strip much of the oil from your hair and leave it feeling squeaky clean.
A cider vinegar rinse will clean your scalp and your hair, with the added bonus of making it feel soft and shiny.
If you simply want to step away from shampoo but maintain your hair’s condition, you can try co wash, a conditioner that contains cleansing agents.
To keep it even more simple, just use conditioner to wash your hair – this will gently clean it as well as leaving it soft.
This video is a little bit grim in places, but it goes into what would happen if you didn’t wash your hair for a year:
Can you go bald from not washing your hair?
Not washing your hair will not cause you to go instantly bald, don’t worry! In fact, there are a good few benefits to not washing your hair, or at least not washing it as often.
However, not washing your hair for long periods can cause issues with your hair – if you do not do anything with it at all.
- Stopping washing your hair suddenly can shock your scalp; if it has been used to a daily dose of stripping chemicals it might react in an unexpected way!
- Washing the hair with commercial shampoos will help to remove the natural oils from the scalp; these are things that both make our hair look greasy, as well as protecting the delicate skin of the scalp.
- You won’t actually go bald from simply not washing your hair. However, stopping washing it can lead to a build up of oils and sebum, which can clog the pores.
- If a hair follicle is completely blocked, the hair cannot grow properly. You may notice a reduction in hair growth if you suddenly stop washing your hair, but it won’t happen overnight.
- If you continue to use hair products on your hair despite not washing it, you could be causing yourself even more problems.
Hair product build up is one of the most pressing problems, and is often the reason why people have to wash their hair more frequently than they might like.
If you are applying products and not washing them away, you could be doing your hair some serious damage!
Either give up washing it, and give up the products, or continue to do both. Or, stop washing it and continue to use products, but make sure you rinse your hair frequently and indulge in scalp massages to stimulate growth.
Does not washing hair help it grow?
Not washing your hair, or at least not washing it as often, can have several benefits for your hair.
However, you cannot simply stop washing it and expect to turn into Rapunzel over night!
Not washing your hair can help to protect it from the attack of harsh chemicals that most of us subject our scalps to on a near daily basis.
If you start to leave it longer in between washing your hair, you may notice that it gets greasy more slowly, and the general health of it may be improved.
Not washing hair can lead to a build up of natural oils, which can actually inhibit the growth of hair by clogging the pores.
Final words
You may be one of those people who gets grossed out if they haven’t washed their hair for a day, or you may be happy to leave it for longer.
What happens if you don’t wash your hair? Well, the world won’t end, of course – but it can affect the health of your hair and your scalp. Now that you know the ins and outs you can make your own decisions!
