What Happens If You Take 2 or More Showers a Day

If you’re used to jumping in the shower first thing in the morning, then giving yourself a quick rinse after a workout and enjoying a long, hot shower before bed you might be harming your health more than you realize. Lathering up too often and spending too much time in the shower can damage your skin, hair, and even affect your reproductive health.

We at Bright Side decided to dive deeper into the evidence regarding why showering a few times a day might not be the best choice.

1. Your hair may look more greasy.

Freshly washed hair looks and feels great, but shampooing your locks too often can actually make them more oily. Every time you apply your favorite shampoo, it slightly dries out your scalp, causing it to produce more sebum as a response. If you have a habit of washing your hair daily, your scalp gets the message it needs to be constantly producing more oil to prevent the skin on your head from overdrying. This, in turn, will make your hair get greasy more quickly.

2. Your skin might start to feel dry.

Although not showering regularly doesn’t sound appealing, lathering up too often does more harm than good. Shower gels, soap, and hot water remove healthy bacteria and essential oils from your skin. These oils help your skin to stay youthful and radiant for longer, and some dermatologists even recommend taking a shower 2-3 times a week to prevent itchy and overly dry skin.

3. You may notice more dandruff than usual.

Many shampoos claim to make your hair look glossy, voluminous, and dandruff-free, but using them too often actually works the other way around. Overwashing your hair causes your scalp to become itchy and irritated. This may eventually lead to dandruff, and in some cases can even trigger hair loss.

4. Your skin can become more sensitive.

Taking a long, hot shower seems like a healthy way to stay clean and keep nasty germs at bay. But exposing your body to some dirt and bacteria strengthens your immune system and helps it fight viruses more effectively. Showering too often disturbs your skin’s microbiome, causing it to feel irritated and look cracked and reddish.

5. It might be harder to detangle your hair.

Blow-drying your hair right after a shower might give you that fresh-out-of-the-salon look, but making it an everyday habit isn’t do your locks any favors. Washing your hair too often makes it dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. When your hair is weak and breaks off easily, it’s harder to brush and style it.

6. It may affect your reproductive health.

Your private parts clean themselves naturally with discharge, and using perfumed soaps and gels to wash them might affect their healthy pH levels. This, in turn, can cause a bacterial imbalance, irritation, and even affect your reproductive health. It’s better to opt for gentle, fragrance-free cleansers to wash the area around your private parts.

How many showers do you take daily?