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Comment by girzel | Hacker News Reader

Is the movement really "low shower"? Every article I've ever read on the subject says " don't use soap/shampoo, but shower daily ". That's what I do, and yes I'm port sure I don't smell bad. I sure as hell wouldn't go multiple days without a shower, though.

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> That's what I do, and yes I'm port sure I don't smell bad.

I don't know about you specifically, but I've met a few people who tell me they've been on a no soap/low shower experiment for a while. In every case, I've been wanting to say "I know" but settle for a "huh, really?"

Almost nobody is really aware of their smell unless it suddenly hits them, like taking their sweat-soaked shoes off after a long day. My parents wouldn't hesitate to tell me that I stunk as a kid when I was completely unaware. I think people just don't mention it to other adults.

“Low-shampoo/soap” and “shower less” often appear together. Specifically on the matter of shampoo, I think it’s necessary to manage oiliness. Maybe if you have lots of hair, shower every day, and groom well, you can get away with less frequent shampoo use. For most people, especially men, it’s better to be safe and just shampoo every day.

I have not used shampoo for 12 years and i am frequently complemented on my hair. It's far less greasy than everyone elses i know. Not using shampoo != not showering, i get 2-3 showers a day due to heavy gym use which is why i originally stopped using shampoo (frequent showers with shampoo made my hair very dry). I do use conditioner sporadically (around once per month). I would say others perception of me is quite a well groomed and clean person for what it is worth. I cant speak for everyone but i seriously do not need shampoo and would say people who are interested could experiement with it if they are still taking regular showers for little downside.

When showering without shampoo, do you still wash your hair with water?

yes 100% ! This is why i mentioned that not shampooing != not showering. My hair is thouroughly "washed" with plain water 2 to 3 times a day depeding on how many times i hit the gym.

Why is it "necessary to manage oiliness"? BO, of course, becomes a nuisance for others, but if you're personally fine with the feel and look of your hair and it doesn't smell or shed dandruff everywhere - why?

If you’re fine with the look of your hair then you don’t need to change anything. I just believe that the health-looks trade off is a false tradeoff. People shouldn’t let their hair grease up in pursuit of a vague notion of better hair or scalp health. Like I said, the more hair you have or the thicker it is, the less necessary shampoo will be for appearance.

My hair is super thick and medium length and totally non greasy or oily, i'm not the phenotype (thickness) is linked to how greasy it gets. I will be honest i havent looked into this, i suspect its to do with lifestyle and behaviour.

Someone with twice the total amount of hair (follicle # * hair length) will take approximately twice as long to achieve the same level of greasiness. This is holding "hair oil"/sebum production fixed. Sebum is produced in the scalp, which is why bald people still have shiny heads. If anything, men with more hair produce less sebum, since overactive sebaceous glands are caused by the same hormone which causes hair loss (DHT). Lucky people like you generally produce less scalp oil and that oil is distributed over a larger volume of hair. Men experiencing hairloss can take finasteride to reduce their DHT levels and simultaneously reduce/stop hairloss and excessive sebum production. Material side effects are rare, and reports of persistent side effects are extremely rare, but of course it warrants a discussion with one's dermatologist.

The preponderance of unsolicited advice is to lay off the product, when that is the worst advice for the people who need the most advice.

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