Allison McCarthy, who creates online content on lifestyle and personal finance, recently posted a TikTok video explaining why she believes that showering twice a week is perfectly normal, and it made the platform's users rethink their hygiene habits.
The 27-year-old from Boston joked that she is a gross human being. "This is because, most girls, when they say that they wash their hair twice a week, they literally mean wash their hair, and they shower every day," she said, adding that, "I only shower, like once or twice a week. I've gone like five days without showering before."
Content creator Allison McCarthy has stunned social media by revealing that she only showers when she wants to wash her hair
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
Which is usually twice a week
Image credits: abmccarthy5757
McCarthy explained her reasoning in one of her TikToks
Image credits: abmccarthy5757
And it quickly went viral
Allison herself has been very surprised about the popularity of her showering video. "I didn't have that many followers when I posted it so I wasn't expecting that many people to see it or comment on it," she told Daily Mail.
"I didn't realize so many people would have such a strong opinion about it. I had a lot of people reach out and message me privately and tell me that they were happy that I spoke about it and that they weren't alone. I was happy that I could make others not feel so ashamed or bad about themselves."
The TikTok ignited a heated discussion on personal hygiene
Image credits: abmccarthy5757
Soon, McCarthy made a follow-up video, addressing a particular comment
To her haters, McCarthy added: "I would say, be a little more compassionate to people. You have no idea what someone is going through and how an 'easy' everyday task for you may not be for someone else."
"Often not showering is linked to depression or mental illness and it's hard to even take care of yourself. Also, everyone's body is different too. I know some people who never have to wear deodorant and don't smell," the content creator highlighted.
"There were people saying they have skin conditions such as eczema and showering every day dries their skin out. Just be a little kinder and understanding, don't just assume certain things about someone."
After receiving abuse, Allison purchased a shower cap and posted a video of her wearing the shower accessory, but she said she hasn't used it yet.
She highlighted that there must be a stigma surrounding this topic
Image credits: abmccarthy5757
While many people were shocked by her confession
Some said they're totally behind her
According to experts, showering every day could, in fact, be bad for your skin. Some dermatologists actually do recommend a shower every other day, or two to three times a week.
However, many people hit the shower at least once a day, either in the morning or at night before bed. Depending on the day and their activity level, some might even take two or three showers.
While there's no arguing the importance of personal hygiene, the reality is that in many cases showering doesn't have to be a part of your daily routine.
If you bathe too often, it can potentially strip your skin of essential oils. This causes dryness, which can lead to skin inflammation or eczema. Your skin may feel itchy and may crack, flake, and become red.
If you have a skin condition like psoriasis, more than one shower per day might even trigger a flare-up. Additionally, too many showers may rinse away good bacteria from your skin, putting you at risk for infections.
But showering too little can also trigger an imbalance of good and bad bacteria on your skin. Too much bad bacteria on your skin also puts you at risk for skin infections. This may cause dermatitis neglecta, where patches of plaque develop on the skin due to inadequate cleansing.
Bathing also removes dead skin cells; when you don't bathe enough, these cells can stick to your skin and cause hyperpigmentation.
As with many things in life, the key is to learn what works for you personally.
And some questioned why is there such a fuss in the first place
