Why some people are ditching shampoo during COVID-19
Alex Migdal | CBC News | Posted: April 18, 2020 4:00 PM | Last Updated: April 24, 2020
The No Poo method has been around for years, but self-isolation is letting people risk greasy locks
On Day 4, I gave up.
I looked at my hair one evening, just hours after having rinsed it with water following a bike ride, and instantly yearned for shampoo.
My hair, normally soft and fluffy without styling products, seemed dull, flat and lifeless. A five-minute shower soon marked the abrupt end of my journey into living without shampoo.
It's known as the "No Poo" method, and the pitch is simple: ditch the shampoo and opt for water or natural alternatives, like apple cider vinegar and baking soda. The aim is to regulate your scalp's natural oils and curb shampoo dependency.
The method has been publicized over the past decade among wellness bloggers and media outlets, undoing messaging from advertisers in the '70s that daily hair washing is the norm.
Some of its proponents have shared stories online about successfully using the method for years. In 2007, an Australian radio host challenged viewers to do away with shampoo for six weeks. Five hundred people tried it — and 86 per cent reported their hair had improved or stayed the same.
People with certain hair types may be used to skipping daily washes (think curly, wavy or afro). But for others, including those with straight or fine hair, regulating that sebum — and the risk of greasy hair — makes it a perilous endeavour.
Enter the global pandemic: a period when we're hunkered down at home, talking to our house plants, and already wildly experimenting with our hair styles.
"Normally I'm very self-conscious of what my hair looks like," said Melissa Mailloux, a 25-year-old student at the University of British Columbia who has been self-isolating since mid-March.
"I kind of just figured this was the perfect time to do it because I wasn't really seeing people very much."
While I wimped out on No Poo — and possibly didn't give my scalp enough time to regulate — Mailloux had bulldozed through two weeks with just water and a brush.
Her hair, which is fine and normally requires daily washing, wasn't as greasy as she expected, but it looked wet, she admitted.
Then, she shampooed. "It definitely feels a lot nicer," she said, preparing to embark on another one-week cycle to see whether her hair could produce less grease. (Some users recommend going six weeks to get the full results.)
'There's no harm in it'
At a time when health officials are calling for more rigorous hand-washing and greater attentiveness to hygiene, is it wise for us to be tossing out shampoo?
Katie Beleznay, a dermatologist and clinical instructor in UBC's dermatology department, said it's not yet known how long the COVID-19 virus can live on the scalp or on hair, and she isn't aware of any washing guidelines.
"If someone is self-isolating and not coming in contact with other people, then experimenting with your hair care practices during this time likely shouldn't be an issue," she said via email.
"There's no harm in it, as far as I can tell," said Harvey Lui, a UBC dermatology professor and a dermatologist at Vancouver General Hospital.
"It's much more a matter of personal preference because of the convenience factor."
But there are some scenarios that could warrant a good hair wash, like health-care workers who interact with bodily fluids, Lui noted.
Jay Wickenden, a senior instructor in UBC's department of chemistry, said most shampoos contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a detergent that can break down and remove germs.
There's no data yet to suggest that shampoo sulfates destroy COVID-19, but Wickenden predicts they would have a similar effect to soap.
Finding a balance
And what about alternatives, like apple cider vinegar and baking soda? Lui said those ingredients can irritate the scalp and lead to a rash or infection. Wickenden cautioned that neither are as useful in cleaning hair as shampoo.
"I would say to people, now is not the time to find viral online ways of making your hair look sexy," Wickenden said.
"Now is the time to keep as clean as possible to dramatically reduce the chances of becoming infected by, or possibly transmitting COVID-19."
Still, it's tough to deny some of the success stories. My short-lived experience taught me that my scalp, which sometimes gets dry and itchy, can benefit from a day or two off from shampoo.
Mailloux said she wouldn't recommend the full two weeks given her fine hair. The key is finding the balance that works for you.
"Up until a certain point," she said, "I think it's perfectly healthy and normal for your hair to do it."
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Clarifications:- This story has been updated to better reflect the origin of the No Poo method. April 24, 2020 10:59 PM