Body odor. Breakouts. Dandruff. Fungus… An overactive immune system?! There’s
a lot more that would happen if you skipped your daily bathroom
routine. You may want to get your loofa soaped up and ready after hearing this!
While some people claim that they've stopped bathing and don't smell,
that may not be true. It may just be that they've stopped being able to smell themselves.
And their friends and loved ones? Well, they're too nice to give them the hard truth.
"What is it then?"
"Hey guys! Somebody makin' soup?"
You may've heard that your body will eventually readjust once you stop showering. You also may've
heard that it'll prevent its own odor, too. You may want to listen to what the experts have to
say. Dr. Rebecca Marcus, a dermatologist and founder of Maei MD, told The List:
"In the short term [after not bathing], bacteria, dirt,
and [oil] will begin to accumulate on your skin and will likely cause an odor after a day or two,
especially in areas that are prone to odor such as the [armpits] and feet."
While this odor begins fairly quickly, don't expect it to go away on its own. Dermatologist
Suzanne Friedler, told The List that odor comes starts with bacteria. The longer you don't shower,
the longer bacteria grows on the skin. At no surprise, that causes even more odor. She adds:
"Areas that are particularly prone to get funky are the hot, sweaty parts of the body."
"Yours smells even worse."
"Thanks."
Odor isn't the only concern when it comes to skipping bathing. While bathing too often and
over-exfoliating can cause skin breakouts to worsen, not bathing at all is a recipe for
skin disaster. Dermatologist Rebecca Marcus explained to The List that the buildup of
odor-causing bacteria, dirt, and oil can clog your pores and cause acne breakouts.
Dr. Sheilagh Maguiness, a board-certified pediatric dermatologist, agreed, saying:
"The increased oil and bacteria can give rise to even more microbes on the skin,
and may alter the skin's natural microbiome."
This, she said, can exacerbate existing skin conditions, like acne. Acne isn't just limited
to your face, either. The oil, bacteria, and dead skin left on your body from not bathing
can lead to acne on your chest, back, and as Verywell Health notes, even your butt.
According to Dr. Rebecca Marcus:
"Fungus and viruses will ... find an opportune environment in which to grow,
leading to skin infections such as tinea pedis and warts."
Tinea pedis, better known as athlete's foot,
isn't directly caused by poor hygiene. It's a fungus after all. It's rather caused by
going an extended period of time without bathing which allows the fungus to grow.
Dermatologist Suzanne Friedler also notes that cysts and yeast overgrowth can become issues
without regular bathing. In particular, the underarm, groin, and other areas where your
skin rubs together are at risk of these painful bumps. They're also at risk for being a breeding
ground for a couple of different types of yeast overgrowth. Friedler explained:
"One is caused by normal physiologic yeast on the skin,
the other is caused by more pathologic yeast. The longer you go without showering, the more
likely you are to get the pathologic yeast growing, typically candida."
Sheilagh Maguiness cautions that there's another
condition that may result from not bathing. She warns,
"In some areas the dead skin cells will build up into a dusky brown layer, common on the neck,
underarms and groin and called retention hyperkeratosis. This can get very itchy."
If you have a skin condition like eczema, it may be your first instinct to reduce your regular
bathing schedule so that you don't dry out your skin. But this is actually the opposite of what
you want to do. The National Eczema Association actually suggests bathing daily at a minimum.
They also recommend moisturizing to help keep the skin hydrated. Dry skin, however, isn't the only
factor at play with eczema and related conditions. According to dermatologist Sheilagh Maguiness:
"Some of these mentioned conditions arise when excess bacteria on the skin cause an immune
response in the person affected. Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a good example of this phenomenon,
where overgrowth of bacteria on the skin arises due to defects in the skin barrier."
This is in part because eczema already causes an overactive immune response.
So any additional bacteria or fungus that has built up from not bathing for
an extended period of time can result in a flare.
"Lah-duh-dee, lah-duh-doo, Lah-duh-dum."
While a buildup of sebum and skin cells on the
body can result from not bathing for an extended period of time,
that's not the only place you'll see issues arise. According to dermatologist Rebecca Marcus,
"Hair will accumulate oil as well, and this will lead to an unpleasant odor and potentially
itching. An excess of oil or overgrowth of fungus on the scalp may lead to inflammation
and a condition known as seborrheic dermatitis, [also known as] dandruff."
Dermatologist Suzanne Friedler agrees, explaining that the natural shedding of skin is facilitated
by bathing. So, if you're not actually bathing, it impairs that skin turnover. She added,
"It can cause dandruff. Your skin is going to start to get red and flaky. That red,
flaky skin can be itchy and can be uncomfortable."
While you may not see dandruff immediately after stopping bathing,
you're almost guaranteed to see it eventually. Dr. Friedler cautioned,
"Some people can go only a couple of days without washing their hair,
some people can go a couple of weeks. Other people can go over a month. But
most people who haven't washed their hair in a month, they're going to get red and flaky."
If dandruff doesn't seem like that big of a deal to you,
it's important to know that dandruff that results from not bathing can get much worse
than just a few itchy flakes here and there. Dermatologist Suzanne Friedler told The List,
"You could also get hair loss over many, many months of not washing your hair. As dandruff
starts to get severe, sometimes that inflammation will start to cause hair loss as well."
This is in part due to the scratching associated with dandruff, which can start to damage the
hair follicles. It may also be the case that what you think is dandruff is actually scalp
buildup. According to Healthline, scalp buildup results from things like hair products, sweat,
and dead skin that can also cause flakes. In addition to flakes, buildup over time—like after
a year of not bathing, for instance—can actually clog your hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.
While dandruff on your scalp can be annoying, it isn't the only place the red, itchy flakes
might appear. According to dermatologist Suzanne Friedler, seborrheic dermatitis
is accelerated by the growth of yeast on your skin and can develop in many places. She lists,
"In your nose, inside your ears, down the chest in that hairy region for men, and in the eyebrows."
In babies, this is referred to as cradle cap, but it can also occur in adults.
To help combat seborrheic dermatitis, the Mayo Clinic recommends daily bathing
with a gentle cleanser. So needless to say, going an entire year without bathing isn't going to
be doing anyone's skin any favors, especially when it comes to this condition. In some cases,
people may also need special shampoos or medications to help treat the condition.
So keeping it under control in the first place, when at all possible, is a good idea.
"Come on in, boys. The water is fine.”
Even if you aren't particularly prone to skin conditions,
going an extended period of time without bathing can still do quite a number on your body.
Dermatologist Suzanne Friedler told The List,
"After many months of not bathing regularly you'd have a buildup of dead skin cells and brown,
clumpy skin. You would probably get cracks and fissures of your skin as well because
the bacteria and other things on your skin would lead to skin infections."
According to Medical News Today, skin fissures can have many causes, but eczema,
athlete's foot, and a buildup of skin are among the causes. Even worse,
they're all exacerbated by not bathing regularly. Skin fissures can be very painful, cause bleeding,
and lead to more severe conditions, such as skin ulcers. While excessive washing
can dry out your skin and make skin fissures worse, daily bathing is safe for most people.
Some bacteria and types of fungus are always present to some degree
on our skin. The problem is that not bathing for an extended period of time
results in overgrowth that can throw the healthy balance off pretty drastically.
One bacterium that is particularly dangerous in the case of overgrowth is staphylococcus aureus.
If it is present on your skin in abundance and then you develop a rash, bug bite, or any other
injury that results in a break in the skin, you're looking at delayed healing time at a minimum. In
severe cases, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause potentially deadly staph infections.
In addition to these ever-present bacteria, yeast, and fungus on our skin,
not showering also allows all the other types of germs we pick up in the course of a day
to remain on our skin and start to grow. If washing your hands is
important for avoiding getting sick with a cold, flu, or coronavirus,
washing your body is also important, even if it doesn't come into contact with as many surfaces.
While there are many repercussions to your physical health if you stop bathing for an
entire year, there are also likely repercussions to your mental health.
Dr. Rebecca Marcus pointed out to The List that failing to bathe
regularly not only increases the risk of infection, but also social isolation.
Don't sugarcoat it. If you someone doesn't bathe for months at a time,
chances are they're going to be emitting an off-putting odor, at minimum, making people
not want to hang around them. Even if the odor isn't the problem, the various conditions we've
described that can be exacerbated by not bathing may make it hard to get out and meet new people.
According to a 2019 report by the American Psychological Association,
social isolation and loneliness are already on the
rise and are associated with both physical and mental health risks.
If you decide to go an extended period of time without bathing, that social isolation will
likely only increase the longer you eschew the shower or bath, especially after a year.
"I've been waiting for this."
If you do decide to go an extended period without washing your skin and hair you are
going to have to work hard to get them clean once you do finally bathe. After all, there's
a whole year's worth of sweat, oil, environmental pollutants, and grime built up. You may even need
to bathe multiple times before you're truly clean again — particularly if you want to
avoid a lot of scrubbing or harsh cleansers in the process. Dr. Rebecca Marcus explained to The List,
"Dead skin cells mixed with oil and dirt will have built up on the skin,
creating yellow [and] brown bumps that take time and a lot of elbow grease to remove."
All of the dermatologists we spoke to agreed that there's no evidence-based benefit to
going a long time without bathing, but the ideal regularity differs.
Dermatologist Suzanne Friedler said that a number of factors come into play,
including where you live, how active you are, and the time of year. She explained,
"If you go to the gym and sweat every day, you're going to have much more of a buildup
of bacteria and yeast. If you're someone who leads a fairly sedentary lifestyle,
your skin is fairly dry, or you live in a cool climate, every few days may be okay for you."
Dr. Rebecca Marcus agrees. As she shared,
"For those with dry skin and eczema, it may not be necessary to shower every single day and they
could potentially skip a day here and there if frequent showers are contributing to their dry
skin. Ideally, though, showers should be daily, and should be kept short and taken with lukewarm,
not hot, water to prevent excessive drying of the skin."
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