10 Gross Things That Will Happen to You If You Stop Showering

Most people with access to running water take showers at least 5 times a week. But what would happen if you stopped showering? There are the obvious things that would happen like acquiring body odor, but over time you’d actually become immune to the smell. But what if we told you there were even more unpleasant side-effects that came along with nixing this daily hygiene habit?

Bright Side found 10 unpleasant things that would happen to you and your body if you stopped showering altogether. Some of them can even put your health at risk.

10. Skin problems

Once you stop showering, any existing skin problems you have are likely to worsen over time. You’ll start scratching your skin as bacteria and dirt start working together to cause the itching sensation. Scratching and itching might cause your skin to break and in turn will become infected. That being said, forgoing showering can cause a lot of problems for people with pre-existing dermatological issues.

9. Infections

Imagine the amount of bacteria and germs that we get every time we touch our mobile phones, door handles and toilet seats. If you don’t wash your body, the germs and bacteria will enter your system through your hands, nose or mouth, giving you the common cold or even hepatitis A. When you were taught as a child that washing your hands is important, the same also applies to the entire body. Not showering can be really dangerous.

8. Fungus

On top of infectious diseases, fungus and other similar skin infections will take over and cause a lot of trouble. Fungus can live on your skin, inside your mouth and on your genitalia. Children, pregnant women, and overweight people are most likely to develop fungal infections. However, one of the biggest factors is of course, poor hygiene. So cleaning those areas well is the most important step in becoming healthy again.

7. Excess dead skin

When you take a shower and scrub your skin, any dead skin cells are washed away to let the new ones grow. If you stop showering, a whole 4 kg of dead skin cells will accumulate all over your body. This is not a look that anyone would want to fashion.

6. Offensive body odor

While sweat itself has no odor, the bacteria and germs that are present in it definitely do. If a person has body odor, they’ll develop an immunity to it. This condition is called olfactory fatigue meaning you won’t notice any bad smells from your own body after you’ve been subjected to smelling it for a long time. Others around you won’t be so lucky.

5. Poor genitalia hygiene

The groin area is probably the most effected body part when it comes to not showering. Not only will the area stink badly, but it will also become prone to yeast infections and worse. An itchy sensation from all the dirt and bacteria accumulated there will also develop and will be incredibly uncomfortable.

4. Acne and breakouts

Acne and pimples will start breaking out everywhere from your face to your bum. The extra bacteria will cause an inflammation of follicles and excessive sebum produced on your skin making pimples appear everywhere.

3. Brown skin patches

When the skin becomes patched with areas of brown color, it’s called, dermatitis neglecta. Excess dirt, sweat, bacteria, and sebum will also cause this condition. Showering, by all means, is the best way to avoid looking like a giraffe.

2. Deep itch

The itch, as it was mentioned above, is one of the main drawbacks of not showering on a regular basis. As the bacteria, germs, dirt, and sweat all mix together, they’ll cause the skin to become incredibly itchy.

1. Bad hair days

Your hair will also become a problem if you stop bathing since usual showers help cleanse the scalp of dead skin cells and oil. Your hair will turn greasy, smelly and very unpleasant looking. Have you ever had a bad hair day? That’s how it’s going to be every day if you don’t shower on a regular basis.

As much as you should shower on a regular basis, experts say that showering should not necessarily be a daily task, as the extensive exposure to cleaning detergents may cause the skin and hair to develop other problems. Keeping that all in mind, it’s best to shower every other day or even just twice a week.

Now you know what will happen to your body if you don’t shower. Tell us if you believe that daily showering is necessary, or if you think that extensive showering can cause even more problems in the comments.