“Some adults who go longer than 3-4 days between showers run the risk of accumulating patches of dark, scaly skin, especially in oily areas, and an accumulation of 'bad' bacteria which can lead to fungal or bacterial infections,” adds Dr. Young.
Generally, she said, "you should be showering, bathing or cleansing yourself every two to three days." Though, if you're working out or engaging in an activity where you are sweating a lot, you may have to shower more often.
P.S. - Not everyone needs to shower every day
Every two, three or even four days is acceptable as long as you don't stink up the place. She said, generally, the organisms naturally found on her skin protect us from picking up harmful germs.
Poor hygiene or infrequent showers can cause a buildup of dead skin cells, dirt, and sweat on your skin. This can trigger acne, and possibly exacerbate conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema. Showering too little can also trigger an imbalance of good and bad bacteria on your skin.
Going months without bathing can lead to dermatitis neglecta (DN), a condition where brown patches of dead cells, dirt, sweat, and grime form on the skin. This condition tends to impact people who are unable to adequately clean their bodies.
You'd have to become immune to body odor.
"Provided you aren't overly sweating or getting overly dirty and still washing key body areas, not showering likely won't harm the skin, although, you may develop a body odor you may not like," says Zeichner.
For people with ablutophobia, that means trying to avoid bathing and washing, which can lead to different problems for health, well-being, and social acceptance.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
A daily shower isn't necessary. ' Mitchell suggested showering or bathing once or twice a week, and experts generally say a few times a week rather than daily is plenty. Also, keep showers short and lukewarm, as too much water, particularly hot water, dries out the skin.
While there is no ideal frequency, experts suggest that showering several times per week is plenty for most people (unless you are grimy, sweaty, or have other reasons to shower more often). Short showers (lasting three or four minutes) with a focus on the armpits and groin may suffice.
You Could Get Sick
That bad bacteria doesn't just impact your skin — it can also cause illness if germs that aren't washed away make their way into your body via your eyes, mouth, or nose.
But for the elderly, having a shower once or twice a week is sufficient to keep skin conditions and infections at bay. At Helping Hands, we have been providing elderly care for more than 30 years, so our customers can live independently and comfortably in their own homes.
There's not one right answer, but a range of right answers. Generally, people shower somewhere between every other day and twice a day, depending on their personal preference and how their skin reacts to getting hosed down, says Jeffrey Cohen, a dermatologist and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine.
“Humans tend to perspire at night,” Dr. Goldenberg said. “When you wake up in the morning, there's all this sweat and bacteria from the sheets that's just kind of sitting there on your skin.” So take a quick shower in the morning, he said, “to wash all of that gunk and sweat off that you've been sleeping in all night.”
A fear of bathing (called ablutophobia) and water, it turns out, is a very common toddler phobia, and usually shows up around ages 1-2.
For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine. “There is no blanket recommendation. If hair is visibly oily, scalp is itching, or there's flaking due to dirt,” those are signs it's time to shampoo, Goh says.
If you don't wash your body, it makes it easier for germs that cause actual skin infections to flourish. If you didn't wash at all, dirt, sweat, dead skin cells and oil would start to accumulate, and infections or ongoing skin conditions can become more serious, more difficult to manage, and harder to undo.
Usually, personal hygiene (specifically bathing) is one of those things that gets neglected. So how often should an elderly bathe? To avoid any skin conditions or infections, a senior should bathe at least once or twice a week.
In addition to depression, anxiety disorders and sensory processing disorders can make it difficult to shower and maintain personal hygiene.
People with depression commonly experience executive dysfunction, a mental processing issue. It can manifest in difficulty in starting and finishing a task, such as showering. This article discusses why a person can feel like they cannot shower because of depression and how executive dysfunction may play a role.
Bathing once or twice a week is acceptable for older adults, as the purpose is to prevent the skin from breaking down and lower the risk of skin infections. Seniors also tend to be less active than younger adults, so they can get away with fewer baths. However, you don't want your loved one to develop body odor.
All you absolutely need, bare bones, to stay clean is water. Just water. Water does a fine job of rinsing away dirt without stripping vital oils from your skin. Also, avoid those luxurious long, hot showers.
These glands release a milky fluid when you are stressed and are odorless until they come into contact with bacteria. Hair is particularly prone to trapping bacteria, which is why men are more likely to smell even after showering. In other words, lingering underarm odor is caused by enduring bacteria.