I haven’t washed my hair in a year and it's cleaner than ever

It’s only natural, perhaps healthy, to be reluctant to trust a man encouraging you to wash less, writes Conor Dunbar. But hear me out.

Ever since the responsibility of my daily shower was handed from my mother to myself, I’ve followed the shower routine I was taught without question – like a family recipe. I preheat my shower to 37°C, then wash my hair, my body, then my face. Every night.

It was only last year when I remembered my mother grew up in 1950s rural Ireland. She had no shower – she shared a bath every Saturday with her siblings. It wasn’t even a dedicated bath, Sunday through Friday they used it to store their laundry.

I was walking around like a chump assuming I had some kind of ancestral haircare knowledge, a key to good hair health passed down through generations.

When I realised my mother was making it up, I was rattled. It was also then I realised my partner washed her hair just once a week. What the f**k? Why were they both so content to let me waste my time?

I turned to the internet for help in July 2023 and I discovered a shampoo-free community larger than the population of Christchurch. Over 425k Reddit users have united under the banner of feeling a little superior about not using shampoo.

I joined them, and I think you should give it a shot too.

The chemical cycle of modern haircare involves harsh shampoos and new-age conditioners. They’re both, in my opinion, overused and drive the need for each other.

New shampoos contain sulphate, which strips away the natural oil your hair produces, called sebum. Your body makes sebum to moisturise your scalp. Modern conditioners contain silicone, which must be removed by sulphates. It coats your hair cuticles, preventing sebum from absorbing into your skin.

For most people, using both products leads to a dry, oil-hungry scalp. Your body tries to help by over producing sebum, which leads to you washing your hair sooner. So, you overuse shampoo, and the cycle continues.

There are a few alternatives. You can switch to a sulphate-free shampoo and silicon-free conditioner; only use silicon-free conditioner; or just use water.

I opted for just water, then regretted it for a long time.

Hats don’t just shield you from the sun. For the first two months of my no-poo diet, they hid the shame that was my overproduction of sebum.

I wore beanies, baseball caps, and a Rosie-the-Riveter-style headscarf (never again) to keep my hair under wraps while it denied, bargained, and refused to accept its new shampoo-free reality.

But eventually, something amazing happened. I was vindicated – my hair recalibrated. It stopped producing excess oil, and the greasy look gave way to a healthier, more natural sheen. The itchiness and irritation I used to get from frequent washing dissipated, and like the biblical Israelite warrior Samson, I found strength in my hair.

Unfortunately, skipping shampoo doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean your hair – If anything, you need to clean it more. It’s called preening in the monkey business and grooming in the human business, and for obvious reasons, I sided with the chimps.

You start the routine by massaging your scalp for five minutes. This is a good time to pick up a podcast or muse on how righteous you are embarking on an all-natural haircare routine. Then, using your fingers or a boar bristle brush, move the oils from the scalp all the way down the hair, section by section. Once the tips of your hair are oiler than a politician's handshake, rinse thoroughly with water.

Eventually, the need to preen so often will disappear as your scalp strikes a natural balance. For me, it was about a month, although your mileage may vary.

In the months following my success, coinciding with my decision to grow my hair much longer, I found myself dodging curious fingers.

I try not to be too dogmatic about my haircare choice. I am vegan too, and I’ve learned to be very careful about how I discuss that. A big difference between these two lifestyle choices is the reported benefits of veganism aren’t so easily verified – a coworker can’t shove their hand down my throat to feel my improved gut health and energy levels.

They can, however, touch my hair. And they did.

While it was strange at first, I forced myself to consider it flattering. After all, it was an excellent opportunity to convert people to my new cause, stick it to Big Shampoo, and offload some shame hats.

Transitioning to a shampoo-free lifestyle was not easy, but it was worth it. My hair feels healthier, my scalp feels happier, and after myriad compliments from hairdressers, coworkers, and one Uber driver (thanks again, Amir), I’m more confident too.

If you’re tired of the endless cycle of washing and conditioning, or just want something kind of preachy to talk about at parties, why not give it a go? You might find that less is more in other parts of your life too.

NB: While the "no-poo" movement has gained traction in recent years and appears to have the approval of some dermatologists, most continue to recommend hair washing two-to-three times per week, depending on hair type.

Conor Dunbar is engagement editor at 1news.co.nz.

NB: While the "no-poo" movement has gained traction in recent years, most dermatologists continue to recommend hair-washing 2-3 times per week, depending on hair type.