Do you REALLY need to shower?

[LONDONER]

This is more or less a continuation of a previous thread I posted about it not being necessary to use soap in the shower. I'm not advocating this different approach, just posting it as an alternative. It's quite a long article but interesting.

http://www.livescience.com/52719-do-we-n...owers.html

[Insertnamehere]

Seriously? First soap and now this?

Ok, I try to be repectful of differing life styles, but honestly...this is fucked up

To use an example, and might I add nothing against homeless peeps (that don't really have a choice), but has anyone been around one? Have you not cringed at the smell?

If anyone has a problem with me showering once a day, I'll not do it for 2 and then they can have at it smelling me. IF no one says anything, cool, then I'll go for it...

As for everyone else, to each their own, if you don't want to shower, use antiperspirant, suit yourself, don't do it, but don't expect me, at least, to be around you.

[starlight]

I cant not wash

[Pcolakuntryboy]

I can only imagine what that guy's mattress and furniture smells like. The oils from our skin gets on everything we touch.

[jimcrackcorn]

I have to shower regularly.

There's no other way to get all the hairspray, make-up, deodorants, colognes, and baby powder off my old wrinkled body.

The Proper Primper,
Jim

[Bhp91126]

Not read the article, but here is my experience with only shampooing my hair once or twice a week (while showering every day, sometimes twice). Over time my pillows turned an unpleasant shade of yellow and started to smell. My pillowcases also discolored and started feeling as if they were waxed, even after multiple washes the feeling is still waxy.

So, don't feel bad about using soap/shampoo where you feel you need it.

[meridannight]

sorry, but no. i like to shower, and i do need it. the frequency of showering depends on the environmental temperature, by the way. during the summertime i can't go a day without showering, and it's not uncommon i take two a day. right now, entering the winter i get by showering 2-3 times a week. this is an important modifier, not to be forgotten. i'm surprised no-one's brought it up.

also, ever since people had showers, better sanitation, washing machines, cleaner living conditions in general the average human life-expectancy has gone up. people live longer now than they did when there were no showers and when they lived in less clean conditions than today. this is probably a net effect of having a cleaner daily environment resulting from all of these factors put together (i.e. showers, washing machines, etc). and this guy who doesn't shower benefits from this cleaner environment, and from the fact that other people shower and don't carry as many germs and dirt around with them as they used to back when there were no showers. he may not be as clean, but other people are, which minimizes risk to him. or he might have some particular genetic immunity/resistance/condition that keeps him healthy.

truth is, most people need to shower and keep themselves clean. it keeps our common shared environment clean and inhibits the spread of disease. this is a scientific fact and there's nothing to debate on this, really.

[LONDONER]

Thanks Meridiannight. In my OP I did say that I wasn't advocating it, I just posted it as an adjunt to the other thread about not using soap.

You have some very salient point that we live in a cleaner environment now (discounting the fact that we are being poisoned by air pollution in large cities) but don't forget that in the last century, sanitation played a very important part in people's life expectancy. In London in Victorian times the Thames was so polluted because raw sewage poured in to it. Cholera was rife and was one of the main causes of death.

[himself]

I remember, when I was younger, bath day was Saturday. I think that was the only bath we got. We didn't have a shower in our house until I was a bit older. I suppose running a bath is harder than turning a shower on, though. Also, we all shared the same bathwater. It was full of hair / pubes by the time I got in. It was on a Saturday night. The Casualty theme tune reminds me of bath time. Afterwards, we'd get dried off in front of the fire. I would say it didn't do me any harm to only wash once a week but I think I got made fun of in school for being dirty.

[1and1]

Working with kids is a yuck job. Autistic kids being affectionate + picking their nose = I need a shower.