The ‘No Shampoo’ Movement

A while back I saw an article online about a British singer named Gary Barlow tweeting that he washed his hair for the first time in 14 years.  Now being the type of guy that I am (highly judgmental), I thought “Damn, dude probably stinks.”  Pretty sure I’m not the only one that had that reaction, but it’s important to understand why people are saying no to shampoo and to make choices for yourself.

There is plenty of articles online that says, shampooing your hair every day is bad and you shouldn’t wash your hair daily.  Why haven’t you seen these articles, you ask?  Because, for the most part, these articles pop up in magazines and on websites that cater to women.  So allow me to enlighten you.  We, as men, tend to have a routine and breaking from that routine makes us feel uncomfortable.  I used to wash my hair every single day because it gave me a “clean” feeling (you know what I’m talking about).  That feeling of getting out of the shower and smelling nice and feeling like you scrubbed every bit of dirt, oil, and grime off your body feels good and we yearn for that feeling.  The problem is there is too much of a good thing.

Washing your hair with shampoo daily strips your hair of the oils that your body naturally makes and dry out your hair & scalp.  Some shampoos have sulfates in their ingredients, which many link to the drying-out factor.  But whether your shampoo has sulfates in it or not, your hair will feel dry after washing out that ‘poo.

No guy wants their hair to be brittle, thin, and fall out, right?  So, how do you remedy this?  There are a couple options that people have adopted and are using.

– Dry Shampoo – Shampoo in powder form. No water needed

– Natural Alternatives – Some people have adopted the use of natural ingredients to clean their hair. There are many advocates for using essential oils (tea tree, peppermint, rosemary, etc.), apple cider vinegar, or coconut oil as substitutes.

– Shampoo Less, Conditioner More – Shampoo less; once or twice a week and wash your hair with conditioner on other days.

Everyone has their own idea of how to tackle this.  Am I saying that you should ditch washing your hair with shampoo, like Barlow? Hell no! Personally, I shampoo once a week and condition my hair 3x per week. I’ve noticed that my hair is definitely softer, more manageable, and growing faster.  I have been recommending this method to my friends since it works for me.  But if you guys got other tips or thoughts on the other methods, feel free to share.