With the coronavirus lockdown firmly in place, many people are adjusting to a new normal where social interactions have been limited to a quick pop to the shops and a daily round of exercise.
And it seems some are taking advantage of the down-turn to test out an unusual beauty hack – by ditching the shampoo and giving up washing their hair.
People from around the world have flocked to the social media hashtag #NoHairWash to boast about how long they’ve gone without cleaning their tresses and have even argued that it is leaving their locks more luscious than ever.
And while for some it seems a week-long experiment, others appear more dedicated to the cause, including What Not To Wear presenter Susannah Constantin, 57, who revealed earlier this week that she hadn’t washed her hair in over a month.
Who else has ditched washing their hair? One woman, whose location is unknown, revealed on Instagram she was joining the ‘no poo’ movement
Another gym bunny, from Chicago, revealed her quarantine involved a lot of excersie and avoiding washing her hair
Make it fashion! Another no poo advocate, from Edinburgh, swept her hair into a neat ponytail as she headed out to the shops
But giving up shampoo and conditioner isn’t just a coronavirus trend, with advocates of the so-called ‘no poo’ movement choosing to forgo conventional soapy detergents such as shampoo and conditioner.
Instead, they wash their hair with only with water, or use natural ingredients such as rye flour, vinegar, raw eggs, porridge and chalk on their hair.
Celebrity fans including Kim Kardashian, Shailene Woodley, Adele, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Simpson say they delay washing their hair for days, weeks and even months on end – but some use shampoo during rare washes.
Some worry the chemicals in shampoo are damaging to their hair and scalp, while others embark on the regime to save time – or because they believe it simply makes their hair look and feel better.
And it’s not just amateurs! One hairdresser, from Herefordshire, revealed she had ditched the shampoo and makeup for five days to give her skin and tresses a boost
Ecstactic! Another woman, from America, appeared to be making the best of quarantine as she revealed on Instagram she wouldn’t be washing her locks
Over a week! One woman shared a snap of her locks after eight days without washing, saying she was overjoyed with the results
Many people sharing snaps of their hair online claimed the detox was leaving them feeling refreshed.
One hairdresser, from Herefordshire, revealed she had given washing her tresses and wearing makeup during lockdown to give her skin and hair a detox.
And another Londoner claimed that after ten days without washing, the grease in her hair was ‘starting to lift’.
Another no poo convert said since ditching the shampoo during quarantine, her hair had been left lighter than ever.
The Nopoomethod website claims ‘the hair’s sebaceous oil glands are triggered to release extra sebum when they sense the hair drying out’.
But Carol Walker, a trichologist from the Birmingham Trichology Centre, has previously warned that while the ‘no poo’ method leads to healthy, glossy hair for some people, it can cause spots and exacerbate skin problems in others.
She told MailOnline: ‘Vinegar, eggs, dry shampoo – which is made from chalk – have been used for decades to clean hair. They just absorb the grease.
Social distancing win! Another noo poo convert revealed she hadn’t washed her hair in nine days and it was feeling ‘lighter than ever’
‘If they have a healthy scalp, go ahead, try it, it won’t damage your hair.’
Some of these products, however, could dry out the scalp and make conditions such as dandruff, eczema and dermatitis worse, she said.
And for people with naturally oily skin, going without shampoo may trigger or worsen acne.
‘If you are susceptible to spotty skin, leaving your hair to go oily can lead to spots on the scalp and around the hairline and can re-infect spots or eczema. This can then cause a secondary infection.’
Going hippy for lockdown! One Londoner said the grease in her hair was starting to ‘ease off’ on the tenth day without washing her locks
It comes after Susannah took to Instagram where she insisted her blonde locks don’t smell, even after ‘a lot of exercise’ but admitted she had to sleep with a towel on her pillow.
Susannah shared a video of herself in which she showed off her unwashed mane and gave fans an update on her ‘hair situation.’
‘Hello. So, I thought I’d give you a little update on the hair situation,’ began Susannah as she took her tresses down from the top knot they were in, and started brushing them through.
‘So, I’m now on week four… Actually I’ve come out, I’ve done a month with no hair washing, in the hope that it’s going to start to self-clean.
Another woman, whose location is unknown, urged her followers to ‘give themselves some TLC’ and ditch shampoo during lockdown
‘So, that’s how it’s looking. The grey is really beginning to do my head in, literally,’ said the presenter as she gave viewers a close-up of her roots.
‘And it’s kind of not really beginning to self-clean yet really, is it? But it’s not so bad, you know.
‘It’s not kind of itchy, which is good, and it does feel in good condition and I’m brushing the natural oils through every day.
It comes after What Not to Wear presenter Susannah Constantin, 57, revealed she hasn’t washed her hair for five weeks
‘At the back it feels pretty terrible – I don’t know if you can see that?’ said Susannah, turning around to show her fans the back of her head.
‘Because I’m running a lot so it gets kind of sweaty as well. And at night I have to put a towel on my pillow,’ she confessed.
Susannah captioned her Instagram video: ‘Heading interview week 5 of dirty hair…… #projectselfclean.’