I Have Not Washed My Hair Since 2020

I have not washed my hair in four years—almost to the day, in fact.

When my son’s health challenges began ramping up in April 2020 and I suspected that detergents were one piece of the puzzle, I began systematically eliminating them from our home.

I realized that my hair was a source of detergent residue and other harmful chemicals. The shampoo residue was not just on my hair, but on my body, on my clothes, and—because my son was six months old and I was holding him constantly—on my son.

I knew a change was needed, but with everything else going on in our lives, I just couldn’t deal with finding a new hair routine. So I simply stopped washing it. I did zero research on the “no shampoo” trend—I didn’t even realize it was a trend—and I went cold turkey.

Quite frankly, the decision was made from a fairly dark head space. It was not particularly intentional or carefully considered. It was more of an “I give up” type of move.

But as luck would have it, it ended up being a great fit for me and our family. Now that I realize you don’t need to wash your hair, it’s hard to imagine going back! It is liberating to discover that something you previously deemed almost essential is actually completely unnecessary.

Check out the video above to learn about my current hair care routine—in short, brushing a few times per week with a boar bristle brush and rinsing with only water about once per week—and see some closeup shots of how it looks today.

If foregoing shampoo holds any interest, at all, give it a try! There is lots of advice online for gracefully making the initial transition. Or, if you’re ready to pull the plug and don’t mind leaning on pony tails and/or headbands to get through the greasier days, then just do it! In my mind, my hair was a hot mess for six months or so after I stopped washing it, but as I look back at these pictures, it’s actually totally fine.

2 months in.

3 months in.

4 months in.

Note: I realize these are not exactly glamor shots. They are purely evidentiary—to illustrate the state of my hair—admittedly unbrushed and totally untended—in the initial transition period after I stopped washing it.

For some people, the prospect of foregoing shampoo, altogether, is a “hard no”. I get it. If that’s you, I’m currently working on developing a soap-based hair regimen with some of my consenting guinea pigs (i.e. my family and friends), so stay tuned!