Is the ‘No Shampoo’ Trend Healthy or Harmful?

The "no-'poo" trend — short for "no shampoo" — is all the rage. Taking part is easy; just ditch your shampoo (at least typical detergent varieties) and "wash" (or simply rinse) your hair less, such as once every five days instead of daily or every other day. The idea is that over-shampooing your hair strips it of its natural oils. Dr. Lisa Donofrio, cosmetic surgeon and associate clinical professor of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine, told HealthDay News: " By leaving the natural oils on the hair, the hair doesn't need any styling products … If you don't apply any styling products, then there is no need to wash your hair. No products, no need to wash them out." Beyond this, there's growing recognition that perhaps we've become too clean as a society. Your skin is teeming with bacteria and other microorganisms, much of it beneficial. All of that washing may be disturbing this microbial balance. Not to mention, the shampoos many people lather on their scalps are chemical-laden and problematic in their own right.