What happens if you don't shower for a year?
Photos 20th Century Fox
Words Matthieu Morge-Zucconi
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What if you never needed to shower again?
It might not surpris ou to learn that there's actually a lot of debate about this. People often speculate about the optimal temperature (cold shower or hot shower?), how often we should indulge in a soak, and sometimes, even the purpose of taking a shower. David Whitlock, an American engineer, claims he hasn't showered in 12 years, believing that this habit, common to billions of human beings, could deprive the skin of bacteria essential to good health. What if showering was, in fact, unnecessary?
At Horace, we're always willing to try things out to help you find better grooming habits. Although we have no problem testing new products, strangely enough, no one wanted to give up showering for 365 days for the sake of this article. So with our expert insights, we've simply tried to imagine what would happen. It doesn’t make for pretty reading.
You'll smell bad
This is certainly a key point for anyone with friends: if you stop washing, it's pretty likely that you'll start to smell bad. Even if you don't sweat excessively, strong body odor will doubtlessly develop and your refusal to shower will prevent you from eliminating it. Definitely unpleasant for both you and those around you, whoever they might be.
Your dead skin will build up
If you persist in refusing to shower, you'll no longer be able to wash off the dead skin that accumulates on the surface of your face and body. This means you'll likely suffer from hyperkeratosis, a thickening of the outer skin layer, which doesn’t sound like something you’d want to do voluntarily.
Your skin will become irritated
Everyone’s skin type would react differently to not being cleansed over a long period of time. But regardless of your skin type, all unwashed skin will eventually become irritated, itchy, and develop redness - or even oily patches due to excess sebum. Not ideal for your next date.
You'll become a breeding ground for fungi
If you don't wash, your skin is basically an open invitation for bacteria and fungi to thrive. Certain areas, such as the genitals or armpits, are most likely to be affected. Do we need to say any more here?
You’re more likely to get infections
A lack of cleanliness increases the likelihood of a wound getting infected when you get a cut, for example. Even if you do decide to give up showering, don't forget to disinfect your wounds. An infection could be fatal.
Your hair might fall out more quickly
Suffocated by the sebum produced, which won't be eliminated with shampoo, your hair will not be able to breathe and will simply end up falling out. There’s nothing wrong with being bald of course, but we’d guess that you probably don’t want to speed up this process if you can help it.
You'll get spots
Due to the natural secretions of sebum and no shower to clear these away, you’ll probably end up with clogged pores, leading to the appearance of rather unsightly whiteheads.
While it's true that showering twice a day might seem excessive (especially when you consider that our ancestors didn't adopt this practice diligently until the 13th century), it's obviously not really a great idea to give up the habit completely.
And of course, all of the effects here might not actually happen to you, as everyone’s skin is different. However, one thing is certain: if you stop washing, some people will probably hold it against you, whether it’s your colleagues, your partner, or your friends. The choice is yours!
