The world’s “dirtiest man,” Amou Haji, passed away in Iran’s Dejgah, at the age of 94, earlier this week.
Haji had not showered in over 50 years due to a fear of washing after “emotional setbacks in his youth,” The Guardian had quoted local villagers as saying. However, a few months ago, some people did convince him to take a bath – as years of not showering had left him with layers of soot and dirt on his body.
This fear of washing or bathing, called ablutophobia, is not very uncommon.
The Anxiety Disorders Association of British Columbia found in a study that children, who this phobia affects more than adults, usually develop ablutophobia between the ages of 7-11.
What Are the Symptoms of Ablutophobia?
People who might have experienced trauma at some point in their life might suffer from a phobia of washing or bathing. For others suffering from the phobia, the reasons might be genetic.
According to Medical News Today, when triggered, the symptoms of ablutophobia might include difficulty in breathing, dizziness, feeling light-headed, trembling, dry mouth, nausea, sweating, and a racing pulse.
While these symptoms might differ from person to person, the phobia might also lead to a feeling of loss of control or a nervous breakdown when triggered.
But it’s not just people who suffer from ablutophobia that might have difficulty washing or taking a bath. Healthline quoted Dr Carla Manly, a clinical psychologist, as saying that when suffering from depression, a “diminished interest in activities” might lead to “little motivation or energy to maintain hygiene.”
Is Not Showering Daily Bad For Health?
Dr Surender Kumar, an ENT consultant at Faridabad’s Fortis Escorts Hospital, told FIT that not showering daily or washing your hands regularly can hamper and degrade one’s immunity in several ways.
Dr Kumar says, “We are exposed to pathogens regularly which can lower our organ health and immunity. We have to protect ourselves from viruses, bacterias, and fungi.”
"Sensory organs like hearing and smell sensation can also be impacted by not showering regularly. It can lead to infections of the middle hearing and there is a chance that the person might lose their hearing. Similarly, loss of smell can happen if allergens or pollen accumulate in our olfactory senses."Dr Surender Kumar, ENT Consultant at Faridabad’s Fortis Escorts Hospital
Senior Opthalmology Consultant at Delhi’s Apollo Hospitals Dr Uma Malliah also said that not bathing daily can cause damage to our health indirectly since bad hygiene makes us susceptible to infections.
Lice, Acne, Crusting, and More
Dr Smriti Naswa, a consultant dermatologist at Fortis Hospital, explains that since our skin, being the largest organ of the body, is in direct contact with the outside environment, it’s at the most risk of infestations and infections.
Things like lice, scabies, body ticks, etc, can only be avoided if the skin is cleaned every day. These infestations also cause itching which might end up opening the pores of the skin, when you scratch, and can result in secondary bacterial infections.
However, that’s not all. When there’s a bruise or infection on any part of the skin, crusting takes place to heal it. Dr Naswa says, “Inside the crust is the debris of the tissue, where the infection will keep growing and not heal until it is cleaned or washed regularly.”
Bacteria, like tetanus, can also lodge inside you. If you’re not cleaning your wounds, you might get infections and if the infection is too deep, it might enter your blood and infect other organs as well.Dr Smriti Naswa, Consultant Dermatologist at Fortis Hospital
It’s not just the skin too. Even our hair needs regular shampooing and grooming to stay healthy. A similar phenomenon happens on both our face and head when we don’t wash them regularly.
Dr Naswa explains that the natural oil from our glands might get mixed with dirt or dust from the environment and cause folliculitis. “Cleaning yourself with water regularly is necessary because we live in a polluted environment,” says she.
But Is Not Showering Daily Really That Bad?
Derrick Phillips, a consultant dermatologist at London’s Cadogan Clinic, told Healthline, “Washing once a day is optimal for social reasons, but it may not be absolutely necessary for your health.”
He stated that since our skin is self-cleaning, scrubbing or showering daily isn’t technically a requirement for our body. Phillips even recommends that newborns and those with diseases like eczema not shower daily since bathing “strips natural oils from the upper layer of the skin, leading to drying and irritation.”
Even a 2021 Harvard study, titled Showering daily -- is it necessary?, said, “Normal, healthy skin maintains a layer of oil and a balance of "good" bacteria and other microorganisms. Washing and scrubbing removes these, especially if the water is hot.”
The study also stated that showering daily can cause dry and itchy skin, allergic reactions, or result in reduced stimulation of our immune system. It added that bathing a few times a week is enough, according to experts, unless you live in a humid area, perform lots of physical exercises, or sweat profusely.
However, Dr Kumar maintains that showering every day is a necessary part of good hygiene and that its benefits overpower any drawbacks it might have. He recommends bathing daily especially in winters, when people start getting complacent.
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