Okay, so some of us let our hair go in 2020.
Why jump in the shower and subject ourselves to the time-consuming, sweaty, daily routine of drying and curling our locks when we’re just going to be in our jammies all day?
Some of us lost our jobs or switched to new ones and found ourselves with a whole new morning self-care groove (or lack of one).
You may wash and fix your hair more than or less often than you did in the past.
People have even tried the “No Poo” method of not using shampoo at all, only rinsing, using baking soda, or conditioning their hair. (This was a thing before the pandemic).
So, what happens to your hair when you stop washing it?
Many things.
The first thing that happens is that you stop stripping your hair follicles of their natural oils, helping to lubricate and strengthen the cuticle layer.
And that’s considered a good thing (2).
Unfortunately, unpleasant things also occur to unwashed hair.
The following is a brief list of results you might have encountered if you did wash your hair less often or that you potentially will notice if you adopt the “no poo” idea.
Pain – The scalp becomes tender, possibly due to yeast and bacteria build-up leading to inflammation.
Washing your hair involves a regular scalp massage to keep the hair follicles free of debris and not clogged (3).
A fungus called Malassezia furfur could even be the culprit, rearing its ugly heads when we put our hair in buns and ponytails to hide the grease (4).
Itching and Tingling – You might notice yourself messing around with your hair, picking at your scalp, or running your fingers through your tresses.
This behavior becomes a vicious cycle of the “chicken or the egg” model.
It might start with too much product or sweat from a workout not followed by a shower.
Your scalp tingles, tickles, or itches, so you reach up and add some oil from your fingers to the mix, and the madness begins (5).
Clumps – Dirt and grease from oil glands in the scalp hold hair strands in small bunches in the absence of a good scrubbing with some suds.
Thick hair can lead to a chunky texture, and thin, fine hair becomes heavy and limp.
Neither type of hair becomes lustrous and appealing when clumped together.
Tangles – As dirty hair strands glide past each other, the shafts’ outer layers don’t.
They snag each other and tear, causing snarls and hang-ups mixed with debris left by hair products, scalp oils, and environmental grime.
Dandruff – Ditching shampoo might temporarily balance your oil gland production and secretion, but yeast that naturally grows on scalps will create itchy dryness resulting in scalp inflammation and flaking (6).
Scalp acne – Since the oils aren’t isolated by the surfactants in shampoo and removed, there will be a temporary increase in oil, which might produce breakouts of pimples.
You might not be able to see them but feeling them is icky (7).
The moral of the story is, wash your hair, even if you work from home.