Longest period of NOT bathing? Let the games begin!

[PoorlyButSurely]

First thing to go for me is basic bedtime hygiene. My routine usually involves brushing my teeth and using mouthwash, taking off my makeup, and putting on lotion. These days it's a good day if I get one of those done. I also will go several days without showering. I usually don't get especially dirty or sweaty, and dry shampoo can really extend my hair's decency. Dry shampoo is basically my poor hygiene enabler hahaha I went about 8 days without showering recently, but I washed my hair a couple times in there. I can, however, go weeks and weeks and weeks without shaving my legs (as a woman) and not give a crap. It's winter anyway!

[bigeekgirl]

I'll go a day or two without showering, but I love hot showers so it doesn't happen often unless I'm too sick to stand up. Sometimes I don't actually wash my hair or whole body but just stand in the hot water until I've drained the tank. I'll wash my face & neck, feet and, ah, personal areas. Leaves me feeling clean without stripping every drop of oil from my skin.

If I don't shave my legs in the winter, it's a sign it's cold out. If I don't shave in the summer, it's because I'm depressed, overwhelmed or otherwise lacking in the self care department. See also: The hair above my lip which I ought to go get waxed regularly but end up leaving for ages, then using Nair and plucking with tweezers. I didn't even do that until a couple years ago even though I was embarrassed by it. I wasn't taught how to properly groom myself as a modern American woman and my lack of ability with make up and hair styling to this day is a reminder.

[SunWorshipper]

My longest time is about ten days. When I was 8, my father began spying on me in the shower. He would just walk into the bathroom which was not allowed to have a lock on it, open the shower door, do a very specific whistle, and look at me. It was a truly lousy experience. This went on til I moved out at age 15 and still happened after that sometimes when I was home for a visit. Ever since, I have felt terribly vulnerable in showers. I sort of zone out when I am in one. Make myself go elsewhere.
Also, I have such intense body shame/revulsion that it is very difficult for me to even be naked, let alone touch myself when I need to clean my body. When I have experienced a particularly bad PTSD episode, I can go a very long time before I stink so badly that I can no longer avoid bathing.

[Cheezy]

I've also gone almost a week without showering. Eventually, my own body odor starts to annoy me lol. I always shower when I know I'll be around a lot of people, which isn't often since I'm a hermit. I brush, floss, scrape tongue, and use mouthwash once a day before bed so that I don't have to smell my own breath. A recent purchase of an expensive electric toothbrush at least makes the mundane just a little less so.

[Vespa]

I've gone over a week without bathing, especially around the teenage years. Can't go much longer than that without at least washing my hair though...the warm greasy scalp is too much. I regularly struggle with brushing my teeth. If I don't have to go out odds are it won't be done.

[Katla]

In my teenage years I would easily go over a month without showering. I used to go a couple weeks without even changing. Same pants, shirt, underwear, socks. I wouldn't bother getting undressed for anything. At this point, I also stopped brushing my teeth, and went about 6 years without brushing, flossing, or seeing a dentist. I also dropped out of school somewhere in the middle of that time, and lost an entire year in my head. I still can't figure out what happened to that year. These days, if I don't shower for 3 days, odds are I won't shower for 3-4 weeks, because taking a shower will make my skin itchier than not taking a shower.

[Lucy]

My longest, even in the depths of depression isn't very long. Couple days. Im too sensitive to smells, they make me nauseous. My roommate on the other hand, has gone so long that people told me they wouldn't come over anymore. I've seen people retreat from her with looks of revulsion and people have stopped talking to her because of her breath. She will only do laundry a max once a month but tries to go 2-3 before doing it, rewearing the same stuff over and over. I'm actually really surprised no one at her school ever said anything, she was never 'talked to' about it, which seems odd to me cause I've seen people be talked to that didn't stink as much. She was even turned down from a job for hygiene. She's better now but only because she is dating someone. Literally the only reason she's even brushing her teeth or showering regularly.

[TinaMarie1234]

Amazing idea for a post-I was very excited to read this thread. Definitely have gone at least a week several times when camping and/or hiking (I'm assuming a one-time, getting dumped out of a canoe doesn't count.) I don't remember, but I'm sure I went a while in college - probably a week as well. I worked in restaurants and bars a lot though, so that gets

These days, I work both from home and in offices. Regardless of whether there was a recent work out, it takes a visit to an office to get me motivated to have a shower. For one of the offices where I've worked a long time, I consider skipping a shower if there's been no recent workout. I'd say I'm about half and half for showering before going to therapy. Not sure if that's a sign of disrespect or if therapists are just satisfied being able to see obvious signs of self-care or lack of self-care.

My nighttime routine consists solely of brushing my teeth and falling into bed in something comfortable. That can frequently be the same clothes I've spent the last day or so in.

Flossing - teeth are too tight and I never could get into the habit. I'm proud of those of you who have managed to make this a daily habit.

[anymomentinthewoods]

I'm really glad I'm not the only one who does this when depressed! I really thought I was one of the only ones.

I'm worse about teeth than I am bathing because I love baths. But I still can go about a week or so without bathing. The teeth is just so sporadic, maybe I can get three days without brushing them. Clothes are hard because when I'm sad, I just want to stay in whatever I'm in. Sometimes, I stay in pajamas for two or three days. But I found an easy way to cope with that: have comfy, dumpy clothes for depressed times. So I'll wear a track suit or yoga pants and those are comfy and easy to put on so it doesn't feel like a chore.

[ghughes1980]

I personally can't not bathe daily. It's the other things around the house that go to shit. Dishes, laundry, vacuuming are my big 3. I don't think my dishes have been done in probably 2 weeks now. Vacuuming? Fuck that noise, it's been in the spare room for I'm guessing 4 months now. As for laundry it only happens when I'm completely out of everything which is about a month before an emergency load has to be done, even then it's all crammed in to one load of dark and one load of white. I noticed when I was not as depressed these things got done weekly. So it's 100% mood based. The bathing though, that's got to be done, sometimes it's the only way I can get some rest.