All About the "No Shampoo" Movement for Modern Men (MUST READ)

[ManWithCurls]

So, I have been reading quite a few bros showing interest in reducing the use of shampoo or even ditching it altogether.

I blog a lot about taking care of one's mane, whether short, long, wavy, kinky, curly, whatever. One of the topics I have covered extensively is shampooing and I recently went 30 days without using no shampoo or other hair products in the name of experimentation. The results were fantastic aesthetic-wise and I was documenting it on my site with people giving me feedback as I updated. My hair is thick, very curly and long, the perfect combination for the worse type of hair to look after. Luckily for me, I have accumulated enough experience on hair grooming over the years to know how to look after it properly.

Avoiding shampoo has quite a following, you guys will be suprised. The movement is known as "no-poo" (what a silly word) and I wrote, on my site, a popular article on why you should stop shampooing your hair every day which, in a nutshell, boils down to the commercial shampoo being invented to sort of combat the hippie movement back in the 60s. The big companies made sure to associate daily use of shampoo with cleanliness and not being a damn smelly hippie. Quite a smart move since the hippie movement was quite the opposite of mainstream America. From there onward, a massive lucrative market was launched based on the assumption that not shampooing everyday was filthy. Before the 60's, shampoos were very basic and people would shampoo once or twice a week or even month.

Unlike what you may have read, cutting down on shampoo use is not dirty, unhealthy or will make you look like a hobo. The scalp is a perfect machine which secretes a type of oil (sebum) which coats the hair, keeping it looking healthy (hair is basically dead matter) and clean. Of course, if you spend your whole day cleaning garbage you better be using a shampoo, but if you are just an average jock, you can cut down your shampoo use dramatically, and this includes if you are a sweaty pig who hits the gym hard like I do.

Commercial shampoos contain several sulfates, such as sodium laureth sulfate, which are actually known as detergents. They are effective at removing grease, just like conventional dishwasher liquids, but in doing so, shampoos strip away the healthy sebum which your scalp secretes. Now, because the body is a perfect machine always striving to maintain homeostasis, daily shampoo use stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, which combined with dermal irritation from the shampoo itself, can create scalp dramas. For example, people going no-poo find their dandruff problems diminish and people who stop shampooing regularly find that, in the initial days of no shampoo, their hair looks greasy as the sebaceous glands restructure sebum secretion and there is no shampoo to remove the over secretion of sebum.

I have personally found my hair to look much better when I don't shampoo daily and also when I make my own shampoo (yeah, I experiment too much on my mane). I get chicks constantly hitting on me and they break the ice with a question about what I do to my hair. The conversion rate is pretty high: if you are a female, under the age of 40 and at least a 7, historic data says 80% chance you is coming to my apartment to play doc and nurse.

But, you may ask, why would I want to cut down on shampoo use and not shampoo everyday? Good question, miscer. Check out these benefits:


1) Better hair: once you find your right frequency, your hair will become more moisturized as sebum is allowed to coat the hair. Moisturized hair = teh awesome.

2) Dermal irritation is tamed. Some people are allergic to shampoos because your typical shampoo has over a dozen ingredients which you cannot even pronounce. That and the fact that a dry scalp will itch just as dry skin will itch.

3) Less tangling: dry hair tangles like crazy, especially non-straight hair (e.g curly). Tangling is one of the reasons why most men don't dare to grow their hair a bit long. Well, guess what, cut down on shampooing and keep your hair moisturized and you tame your mane like a king.

4) You get to know your hair: cutting down on shampoo use will make you view your hair as something that should be respected and treated accordingly. No, I am not talking about hippie/EMO ****e. I am talking about actually seeing your hair as something that can enhance your image and which many see as a curse. Women love men with good hair and knowing how to take care of your hair is a step in the right direction.

5) You cut down on the amount of crap your body absorbs: again, a lot of crap is used to make shampoos and most of them are packed in plastic bottles which you never know if they were exposed to excessive heat. Plastics which have been exposed to heat release xenoestrogens which are potent estrogen mimickers in the body.


All cool and dandy huh? Of course, you need to know what you are doing. Most bronases think you're going to become a hobo with lice infected hair. Not at all. If you are going to cut down your shampoo use, do it properly like this:


-----> Drop down frequency slowly: don't just stop shampooing altogether if you have been shampooing daily for the last 10 years broski!

-----> Not shampooing doesnt mean you dont shower: continue showering as usual, just skip the shampoo. I shower at least twice a day because doing heavy power cleans on an almost daily basis has the side effect of sweating even in my pijamas.

-----> Clean your hair like this in the shower: run your fingers from the scalp all the way through the hair shaft to the tip as water runs on it. Chillax, take your time. By doing this motion not only do you mechanically remove any dirt with your fingers and the friction of running water, but you also help the healthy scalp sebum to travel all the way to the tip. Remember, scalp sebum is IMPERATIVE for your hair to look healthy so run those fingers smoothly. It takes some using to but once you get good at it, you will do it pretty fast and efficiently. Oh, and shaft doesn't mean penis you perv, shaft (hair) is the actual hair strand itself (it grows from a follicle).

-----> You can use a conditioner or leave-in conditioner if you are so adamant in using some hair product to clean your hair. Conditioners work OK as shampoos and don't contain the harsh ingredients of the latter. Avoid 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner though, they are all a scam and a marketing strategy to increase product range by the big companies. Shampoos strip away everything, including conditioners, so how you have your hair conditioned as you shampoo concomitantly is something left for marketers to explain to fairies.

-----> Cutting down shampoo frequency should be part of an approach to start taking care of your mane. Thou shalt see it as an integrated element of a holistic hair strategy. Don't be that guy (or girl) who doesn't shampoo and has a beta haircut. I do much more stuff to my mane to make it look the part and I document all this on my site. You can have good hair and still go about your life normally.

-----> I recommend to also cut down on gels and waxes, that crap sticks too much to the hair shaft and will leave nasty residue if you do no-poo. You will start seeing tiny white pieces of crap all over your head (residue) which people will think is lice or dandruff. It will also scare chicks away so either use a leave in conditioner instead to style your mane or water down the gel to 1 parts of gel and 2 parts of water. For wax, use the minimal amount and spread it all over your hands so you have a minimal coat on the surface of your palm.

-----> You can also go the natural way and experiment with baking soda and vinegar for an alternative shampoo but it gets too girly and time consuming. So called natural girls love it but I prefer to spend those extra 15 minutes it takes to make the stuff and apply it, instead in the gym or doing something more productive. My approach as aforementioned works awesome and is simplistic in nature (plus it will not make you look beta).


I could go much more in detail but I have a blog to look after and this nicely summarizes the whole no shampooing thing that many people have been asking about. I am up for answering any questions you broskis and bronases may have on the topic. Either throw them in here or ask in my blog.

All the best.

Recommended reading:

http://www.manlycurls.com/2011/07/st...curls-so-much/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_poo

http://www.manlycurls.com/2011/12/30...llenge-day-30/

If you liked what you read, fan us on ******** and join the "awesome hair" movement too ---> http://www.********.com/ManlyCurls

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

get on my level OP, I don't even shower anymore...

[swaptrex]

don't know how I feel about this...

[SOLIDOPS]

can't do this, i have to wax my hair errday

[ManWithCurls]

get on my level OP, I don't even shower anymore...

Does it feelsgoodman.jpeg?

[EngRWW33]

dirty hippies...

[ManWithCurls]

don't know how I feel about this...

Make sure you have some days where you won't be seen in public if you give it a go. The first few days are open to screwing it up.

[HoratioC]

What about all the bacteria in your hair? Water isn't going to wash it out.

[ZombieClive]

didnt read the huge bulk of text, but i can attest that not using shampoo is actually really pretty nice.

i actually stopped using shampoo or soap (except for my junk).

Spent about 3x as long "scrubbing" my scalp like if there was shampoo in it, then 1.5x as long washing my body with a cloth or sponge thing... then at the end turn the water to cold and wash my hair for about half as long as i normally would...


hair looked way better, less frizzy, natural oils made it look as if i used a light amount of pomade. it was shiny and nice. Skin looked better too.

I normally have dandruff and dry itchy skin in the winter, and have allergies to soaps. Using no soaps at all (once per month), i felt way better. Didnt smell at all (told my gf if i started to to say something, i wouldnt take offense).

i think i increased the amount i showered a little bit, just to be safe, but i saw no negatives, only positives to doing this. (SRS)

[AleFCP]

i dont even brush my teeth anymore











not srs

go wash your hair you fukin tramps

[RainMak3r]

can't do this, i have to wax my hair errday

Basically this. I use hair products eerrday mayne. The second morning my hair is gross.

Except when you wake up one day and your hair is miraculously still nice.. Best feel ever lol.

[pumpnshred]

In against shampoo. I use natural olive oil soap OP, feelsgoodman.

[jeff_vangundy]

when i dont shampoo my hair is greasy as fuuuu and itches like a bitch, no thanks

[ManWithCurls]

What about all the bacteria in your hair? Water isn't going to wash it out.

Bacteria? Unless you have a yeast infection, you don't need to worry about bacteria or crazy germs. Just don't around getting your head in dirty places and cutting your skin open.

[Syqnys]

been doing this for a while op along with flat-ironing my hair, looks and feels a million times better than it ever has

[Sigmafan]

So, I have been reading quite a few bros showing interest in reducing the use of shampoo or even ditching it altogether.

[ManWithCurls]

didnt read the huge bulk of text, but i can attest that not using shampoo is actually really pretty nice.

i actually stopped using shampoo or soap (except for my junk).

Spent about 3x as long "scrubbing" my scalp like if there was shampoo in it, then 1.5x as long washing my body with a cloth or sponge thing... then at the end turn the water to cold and wash my hair for about half as long as i normally would...


hair looked way better, less frizzy, natural oils made it look as if i used a light amount of pomade. it was shiny and nice. Skin looked better too.

I normally have dandruff and dry itchy skin in the winter, and have allergies to soaps. Using no soaps at all (once per month), i felt way better. Didnt smell at all (told my gf if i started to to say something, i wouldnt take offense).

i think i increased the amount i showered a little bit, just to be safe, but i saw no negatives, only positives to doing this. (SRS)

Yep, I found the same when I did my experiment.

I wrote the big post as the guide to cutting down on shampoo use for the miscers, so it is worth the read when you have some time to kill and want to know more about it.

Bros have been asking about it as of lately so I wanted to put out some guide to it.

[jstrad]

i havn't used shampoo in a long time. <3 my greasy hair

[McShredded]

i always kick myself when i use shampoo, makes hair all dry and frizzy and ****

[DAames]

lmao nice hair OP, you look like unit.

[RainbowSmelt]

dat dere rastafari hair.

i get insane bedhead, sweaty (i'm a fat sweatty bastard). i dont think its meant for me

[SiberianExpress]

You got any evidence of your apparantly amazing hair OP, besides this?

[ManWithCurls]

i always kick myself when i use shampoo, makes hair all dry and frizzy and ****

Exactly.

Hair with the right amount of scalp sebum will look the best and is tangle free. Shampoos rape scalp sebum and will make your hair tangle as you remove the lather from the shampoo.

[DiogoPT]

when i dont shampoo my hair is greasy as fuuuu and itches like a bitch, no thanks

this, feelsbadman

[jujuB]

i havn't been using shampoo for the past two months.

my hair is thick, solid, tight, and not oily at all.

i use was with baking soda. put a handful in my hand and rub it in my scalp.

[icanseeu1985]

op get on my level; I don't even shower any-more, I don't even get up to take a dump any more (I just let it go in my pants/shorts), I don't even clean my nose anymore (I just let it drip down all over my lower face/neck), & I don't even get up to piss anymore.

[ManWithCurls]

You got any evidence of your apparantly amazing hair OP, besides this?

Sure bronas. The pic on my avatar is me after a night out involving booze, partying until 8 AM and two american girls back in my hotel when I was staying in Madrid for a week.

This is my hair in a less rusty state.

[HoratioC]

Bacteria? Unless you have a yeast infection, you don't need to worry about bacteria or crazy germs. Just don't around getting your head in dirty places and cutting your skin open.

Yeah, good and bad bacteria that latch on to our bodies from the surroundings. If you don't wash your hair properly, bacteria/germs/etc are going to multiply, especially since your hair is moist from all the sebum.

[mr2rbo]

Didn't read the full thing but I read most of it. Didn't know this was a movement, I stopped using shampoo around 6 months ago after my mom saying stop shampooing everyday. Here are my results

At first I was a little reluctant, due to experience of after not shampooing my hair for a day it would get greasy and gross. Decide to say **** it and give it a try. First I cut down to once every other day. Results were fine, no greasiness or smell. Felt good, so cut down again to once every 3 days. Same results, hair didn't smell or anything and it looked fine.

Currently only use shampoo at most 2 times a month. And usually only for special occasions if I want my hair to smell extra good. Otherwise, all I do is use good ol fashioned water and soap for body. No one can tell the difference. In fact my co workers that I eat lunch with everyday were shocked when I told them i rarely ever use shampoo. Hair smells just fine, hair is never greasy, and overall I just feel better not having to ****ing shampoo everyday.

Keep on keepin on

[SiberianExpress]

Sure brona. The pic on my avatar is me after a night out involving booze, partying until 8 AM and two american girls back in my hotel in anwhen I was staying in Madrid for a week. My hair looks like crap there.

This happened.