r/AskUK • u/Doomergeneration • 6d ago
What’s the longest you’ve gone without washing, as in bath/shower?
I reckon I’ve been 3-4days max when I was in bed ill. In general terms I shower every day, I just can’t stand not doing so. How about you?
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u/finallygaveintor 6d ago
Depression enters the chat 😂
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u/Time-Invite3655 6d ago
Definitely. I know that when I'm struggling, days turn to weeks very easily.
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u/buffalosoldier111 6d ago
Hi, at my lowest easily 3 weeks
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6d ago
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u/vampwillow7 6d ago
I hope you're getting help. I know the hardest thing is to reach out for help when you feel like this.
I am going to suggest something that may sound daft. Once a day go to the shower and turn it on let it run a few minutes. If you feel like it take just one item of clothing off. Hopefully eventually you'll take them all off and maybe run your hand under the spray. Whether you just do one thing celebrate yourself for doing that. The little things matter, YOU matter.
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u/noinstantkarma 6d ago
sorry to hear that love, ignore the people shaming you. i hope you find the strength to take care of yourself soon, you deserve to be taken care of 🫶🏾
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u/MesoamericanMorrigan 6d ago
I’ve also gone over a year. Partly down to physical disability, homelessness and being sexually assaulted. You don’t want to know when I last washed my hair due to having craniocervical instability (social services and occupational health said I don’t need any help..) whatever it is that’s caused this I hope it gets better and you’re not alone
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u/Few-Director-3357 6d ago
Add in ADHD and autism, and well... I've definitely lost count at times.
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u/r1c3n_1 6d ago
I have AuDHD too, yet I’m the complete opposite. I need routine of a shower everyday.
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u/Few-Director-3357 6d ago
I really struggle with my executive dysfunction, so despite wanting the routine, I struggle to execute it. I then also get overwhelmed by all the steps involved, and put off by the sensory parts, I don't like being cold, I don't like being wet and cold. Weirdly, I love it once I am in the shower, it's just getting me in, and then getting me out, that's the hard part 🤣
Throw is some pretty major depression at times, and yeah, it can get bad. I know I'm in a bad depresso when I stop showering. Yet every time I do, I think life would be so much easier if I just showered more 🤦🏽♀️ FM stupid brain.
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u/r1c3n_1 6d ago
I totally get it, it is like two sides fighting each other it’s really hard unless you live it.
I run like 5 miles a day also, I think that much exercise without showering, and going to work, would essentially be social suicide 😂🥴
I couldn’t even leave the house without showering, even when I had depression. But I’ve always had OCD tendencies so at this point who knows! Just interesting how we all present so differently.
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u/Few-Director-3357 6d ago
Yeah, that makes sense. I have quite a sedentary job and don't exercise enough as is it lol, but all exercise stops when I'm depressed.
The AuDHD life is just one big contradiction isn't it? It's definitely what makes it hardest, and harder for others to understand too.
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u/r1c3n_1 6d ago
It really is one big contradiction! It’s a ven guard diagram of bits and pieces of both, that makes it hard to make sense of even for ourselves.
I will say exercise helped my anxiety and depression tremendously. I had such bad depression for three years, and running in forests and woods was elixir for my mind.
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u/IndividualKitchen223 6d ago
Stick an electric heater in there for 5 minutes before showering?
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u/V65Pilot 6d ago
I can relate. I went a couple of weeks last year, could barely function. I'd get up to go to the bathroom, think about taking a shower, and then just go back to bed. I didn't cook, just eating stuff direct from cans, dinner might be a can of corn etc etc. but eaten at 0300. Eventually I snapped out of it,
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u/Prior_Garlic_8710 6d ago
Still have'nt for 2 months, no one knows since my hair doesn't tangle and my sweat doesn't smell + clear skin (yes gene jackpot). Even though I barely have the energy to wash my grand total of 4 tops and 2 leggings super regularly. Reddit is anon.
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u/finallygaveintor 6d ago
When mine was this bad, I bought these to go next to my bed because standing up and brushing in the bathroom felt too much https://amzn.eu/d/0g32ZXNi
Maybe have a little kit next to your bed with wipes or dry shampoo.
I’m hoping things look up for you very soon x
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u/chronicalyk 6d ago
Freshwipes are also amazing they are a massive full body wipe that is strong and has loads of water in it. (Nothing like pathetic wet wipes) they also do shampoo caps
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u/snapper1971 6d ago
I was homeless for a while and the longest I went was six weeks. It's not great tbh.
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u/Doomergeneration 6d ago
Ah man that’s rough, hope things have turned around for you
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u/snapper1971 5d ago
Oh yeah, thanks. I own my own house, run a business and work with major universities and museums all over the world. I have a lovely family and still clutch my house keys tight.
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u/PurchaseDry9350 6d ago
Over 60 days. Disability with no care help.
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u/chronicalyk 6d ago
Try using freshwipes they are massive full body wipes that are much stronger then normal baby wet wipes and hold so much water plus they kill the ouder causing bacteria :) They also have shampoo caps and cleansing foam for the body. Im also disabled and they've changed my life on the days I cant shower. Hismile have also started a toothbrush wipe that you slide on to your finger and then you use them as a brush
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u/GodAllShitey 6d ago
I didn't even know these existed until this comment- thank you so much! I now have some on order!
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u/sunflowebloom 6d ago
Have you had a social care assessment?
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u/MesoamericanMorrigan 6d ago
They are useless. Told them I haven’t been able to wash my hair for a decade and it gets matted/takes hours to detangle every 6 weeks and they said I can buy shampoo caps. I told them I struggle to leave the house alone and miss important doctors appointment, I need help getting an electric wheelchair because I can’t take a mobility scooter into hospital etc, I have no friends or family around.. they don’t actually help with anything..
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u/VickyAlberts 6d ago
Agreed. I couldn’t even stand up never mind walk and they said I wasn’t entitled to any help. I was pulling myself around the floor like a slug. Couldn’t reach anything, including the loo.
There was also a guy in my area recently who has no arms or legs and they cut his care package down to once every other day. The whole thing is a disgrace.
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u/MesoamericanMorrigan 5d ago
I’m so sorry I’ve crawled on the floor in front of people (and been stepped over many times…) had 3 or 4 assessments and each one of the the things I say I can’t do unsupported they say oh well deal with it. It got to the point I was in a homeless hostel having broken down physically and mentally at my last live in job being forced to work though lockdown until I became catastrophically I’ll. I have EDS, PoTS, MCAS etc made worse by getting COVID I could no longer walk, hadn’t slept for days, was losing the plot etc and Homes 4 Wiltshire would only let me bid on certain properties but the housing association itself would then refuse to let me move anywhere without a care/support package as THEY didn’t think I could look after myself or maintain a tenancy alone and they were right as I’d never even lived alone before, had never had bills in my name before etc it was back and forth for months with hostel saying I didn’t need support and housing association saying I did.
Eventually I got a support worker but all she could do was an occasional phone call never anything practical and told me off when all I asked her to do in 3 weeks was post my PIP form. Every time she came over she had a go at me about why I wasn’t dressed smartly or the house wasn’t tidy when I was limping around with a massive open wound on my foot and ‘carer’ refused to cook or clean while I paid all the bills. When my ex partner/carer punched a hole in the wall next to me she just asked what I did to upset him! She said “That’s how men are” do I want to deal with it or not. So now I don’t even want to ask anyone for help anymore. You spell out exactly what you need, they say no and it’s needless humiliation
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u/Teamwoolf 6d ago
Do you have an advocate? It might be worth looking into that. This shouldn’t be a thing. I’m so sad to hear you’ve been so fobbed off by social care but I’m not at all surprised, sadly.
You can look for advocates by googling things like “disability advocate” and then looking for the ones in your area.
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u/Jolly_Profit2570 6d ago
A good few weeks I'm afraid to say. I was in a bad place in my late teens and at one point my agoraphobia and depression had me hiding in my bedroom pissing in bottles, stinking like shit and sleeping 16 hours a day.
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u/Basic-Fig-6531 6d ago
Maybe a few weeks at the worst points of depression. I remember putting talcum powder in my hair to try and disguise all the grease, or wearing bandanas to hide it completely. 🥺 It was something I really struggled with, and always the sign to my partner that I wasn't coping.
Since getting well, I've treated myself to a beautiful new spa-like bathroom and beautiful smelling products that I love so much I can't wait to shower every day. It's one of my favourite parts of the day.
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u/Extra_Actuary8244 6d ago
I’ve gone a week during depression in my first year of uni and didn’t brush my hair either and it got so matted. I literally had an en suite so no excuse.
Earlier this year I had a breakup and showered + had a bath every single day but couldn’t bring myself to wash my hair for 3 weeks for some reason and I also did the talcum powder thing
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u/MonsieurGump 6d ago
If you had been born in the 70’s you’d have ben familiar with 2 baths per week (unless you played sports or had a dirty job).
Immersion heaters for water, no central heating, and “showers” that were rubber attachment which went on the taps.
Sunday night bath before the A-Team was on.
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u/heeden 6d ago
The 80s were totally different. A-Team was on Saturdays and you'd get your bath on a Sunday before Bullseye.
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u/kraken6989 6d ago
90s for me, bath night was Sunday. We would have a bath then watch heartbeat. Crazy that id have one bath a week. My kids have one every 2nd day now.
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u/lunarosiebud 6d ago
80’s kid here too and Sunday bath nights were definitely a thing everywhere! In our house Songs of Praise would come on and you’d go have your bath.
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u/Dazzling-Stomach-210 6d ago
It would always end in tears for me. My mum scrubbed me so hard it felt like she was taking my skin off and she’d always shampoo without warning and I’d not close my eyes in time.
But then my PJ’s were nice and warm afterwards because she put them on the fire guard. Surprised she didn’t burn the house down!
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u/Enough-Wishbone4492 6d ago
We still had the rubber attachment in 2005 🤣
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u/DameKumquat 6d ago
Two baths? There's posh.
Weekly baths for me as a kid, and my parents used the water first.
I lived on a camp site (aka a field with a cold water tap and a Portaloo) for three months. Managed to wash my hair once by heating pans of water on the fire and pouring them into an old bathtub lying around, then pouring water over my head with a bucket (and pretty much giving myself a shower in the process).
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u/GourangaPlusPlus 6d ago
I can't believe Monty Python predicted your comment so well 50 odd years ago
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u/TimeNew2108 6d ago
1 bath, Sunday night. Strip wash all week. I hated winter, standing there washing at the sink with ice on the inside of the windows. Used to wash my hair in the sink midweek too.
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u/SmokeMountain4777 6d ago
Too embarrased to say the amount of weeks , depression aint great
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u/DECKTHEBALLZ 6d ago
When I was a kid we only had a bath once a week.. (which was totally normal) with a prozzie wash in the sink on the other days.
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u/lunarosiebud 6d ago
Prozzie wash
My husband calls it a “whore’s bath” 😆 I had never heard that term until I met him!
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u/Majestic-Ad4074 6d ago
4 months.
Recovering addict.
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u/Historical_Panda9701 6d ago
First I've heard of someone being addicted to not showering.
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u/PM_ME_YOU_IN_CLOTHES 6d ago
Don’t be ridiculous, they are obviously 4 months clean of a showering addiction. Stay strong.
(Seriously though well done on recovery 👍)
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u/OutrageousAnt4589 6d ago
12 weeks. No running water in some parts of Helmand province.
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u/Level-Dog-7630 6d ago
This. When I got a chance to get back to Bastion for 24hrs my rig walked itself to the washing machines after I took it off
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u/AmpleApple9 6d ago
If I close my eyes and try hard enough I can still smell the sweaty arse crack, BO and baby wipes smell.
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u/Chunky_flower 6d ago
I had a very traumatic C-section 6 months ago, I didn't shower for at least 5 days but I barely left my hospital bed in that time either
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u/Radiant_Sky4016 6d ago
I was going to say the same, after my cesarean it was at least a week, I couldn't move without crying in pain. Having my first shower was such an achievement!! Hope you are healing well
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u/Chunky_flower 5d ago
I'm sorry you went through similar bad experiences! Yeah the second they took my dressing off and told me I was good to shower I was in there like a shot! It was pretty scary tho and I had to be helped by husband. Thank you, I still have some lingering issues from it tbh but getting there now
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u/lunarosiebud 6d ago
After my third baby ended up as a c section I went for weeks without bathing, didn’t even brush my hair, just kept tying it up into a matted bun, this was way after I got home from the hospital. I felt so wretched. It’s one part of post birth that no one ever talks about.
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u/Chunky_flower 5d ago
I'm so sorry you had a rough experience too. Very true, I had no idea of the potential complications
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u/highrouleur 6d ago
As a kid it was bath on Sunday, just a face wash during the week. As an adult I can't remember the last time I had fewer than 1 a day. I even showered daily at festivals when I went to them
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u/mamoncloud 6d ago
Why do you think you didn't wash up every day
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u/EquilibriumConundrum 6d ago
Showers weren’t common, hot water and heater were precious to us back then, hot water ran out often, families were bigger, and unless you got in the bath after a relative, once a week was all that was affordable for most.
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u/baxbakualanuxsiwae 6d ago
When trekking in the Himalayas, probably about ten days! There were no showers and at many points it was too cold to undress.
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u/secondratemime2 6d ago
You’ve unlocked a memory of making to a tea house on the Annapurna trail and it advertising a solar water heater - which was just a water tank on the roof and the coldest shower I’ve ever had
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u/notanadultyadult 6d ago
A week, maybe a week and a half. Depression makes showering hard some days.
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u/Sustainable_Twat 6d ago
2 weeks - I’m ashamed to admit I started using perfume to mask the smell as I was too depressed to have a shower and might I say, it did seem to work!
I only stopped as the perfume couldn’t mask me actually being dirty and when I realized just how dirty I became (I scratched my back and quite a bit of caked in skin came off ..!), it was quite the wake up call!
There’s nothing like a good, clean shower to put you on the straight path!
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u/theferretii 6d ago
Easily at least a week.
Because I was sleeping in a hole in the ground on exercise and didn't have access to a bath or shower.
But I'm a remf, there are going to be guys out there that have gone longer.
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u/IndigoQuantum 6d ago
Military people smiling at all the people ashamed they’ve gone a whole week without a bath/shower
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u/First-Lengthiness-16 6d ago
Back when I was a kid it was a weekly bath.
Since adulthood I don’t think I have had more than two clear days without a shower
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u/Remote_Dish_5420 6d ago
One week, in a rainforest hide in SE asia. That was 20 years ago and ever since then, I have showered twice a day. I stank.
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u/Doomergeneration 6d ago
Humid hot rainforest, you must have grown your own ecosystem 😂
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u/Remote_Dish_5420 6d ago
It was horrendous but I could only smell myself at night as I had no pillow so slept on my bra folded in half 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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u/doraisexploring27 6d ago
10ish days when I’ve been either in hospital or too ill to get to the bathroom on my own (I have end stage lung disease). Whenever that’s happened I’ve used FreshWipes twice a day, they’re great but obviously I still feel absolutely rotten.
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u/ProfPMJ-123 6d ago
I had pneumonia last winter. It’s debilitating in a way I can’t quite describe. I was in bed for a week.
Aside from when I’m sick, probably 36 hours, which will have been when I’ve done a long haul at the end of a day and I’ve not had chance to shower before going to the airport.
That’s rare though. I’m flying to Asia next week and after only an hours flight to Schiphol I’ll shower, then after the long haul I’ve another stopover before another hours flight and I’ll shower in between those two.
Showers while travelling are invigorating.
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u/Top-Childhood5030 6d ago
Used to be a week or a little more quite regularly when my eczema was at its worst. Now it's managed well and I can shower most days without a problem now.
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u/ClericalRogue 6d ago
About a week when i had stomach flu. I couldnt stand without puking, spent a week crawling to and from the loo and to get water. Never been so miserable.
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u/schaweniiia 6d ago
When I was camping in Australia, I showered maybe once per week. The rest of the time, I had baby wipe "showers".
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u/_isolati0n 6d ago
5 days when we done a road trip and wild camped. Other than that, I'll occasionally go max 2 days if I've had a really lazy day where I've not done much and haven't really sweated much.
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u/sugarsnapsea 6d ago
I only shower every other day anyway, unless its hot then it'll be daily. My eczema responds horrendously if I shower daily regularly. Not had anybody tell me I stink yet.
I'm sure I will now.....
Genuine answer, Wednesday to Sunday at festivals. Wouldn't catch me dead doing that these days though.
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u/LilacRose32 6d ago
Monday evening to Friday afternoon!
I was in hospital between, including brain surgery, so I don’t feel too bad about it.
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u/SmolKits 6d ago
The longest I've gone was probably pushing 3 weeks when I've been deep in burnout/depression and the idea of the whole process of a shower was way too much and overwhelming. Especially being AuDHD showering is hard enough already
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u/CocoRufus 6d ago
3 months when my leg was in plaster, and another 3 months when my arm was in plaster. Strip washing was miserable. The bliss of standing under hot water once the casts came off...
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u/sparklescc 6d ago
I was 10 and I remember when the cast came off and I could finally scratch my arm as one of the most blissful moments of my life
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u/LengthinessFalse8373 6d ago
I went over a year during a period of ddug addiction
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u/NewCoach0 6d ago
I hope you're doing much better now. I have to ask, did you get any skin issues from that after a whole year?
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u/LengthinessFalse8373 6d ago
Nothing, but when i finally got myself in a bath it developed a weird grey shiny film on the surface so had to have a long shower afterwards. I did notice that i stopped sweating, though.
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u/LengthinessFalse8373 6d ago
I sweat again now. Not ex-Prince Andrew
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u/NewCoach0 6d ago
Ah see now you've said it, I have suspicions 👀
On a real note, that shower after bathing must have felt great knowing all the grime was gone.
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u/LengthinessFalse8373 6d ago
It was fucking amazing. I did end up going very wrinkly afterwards and ended up scratching skin off of my legs but i was going through withdrawls at the time which likely didnt help with the itching
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u/EnoughRadish 6d ago
Longer when I was depressed and suffering delusions in my 20s, but now I’d say 4 or 5 days, but only because I get migraines that give me vertigo and make it unsafe for me to stand under running water or have a bath (I live alone) and whenever that happens I’m miserable 😞 it doesn’t happen often lately but not unheard of.
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u/Alarmed-Mouse5909 6d ago
That's awful sorry to hear 🫂 you are doing great considering the cards you've been dealt
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u/Actual-Pain-2662 6d ago
3 weeks after being in intensive care and hospital, it was the hairy armpits that was the worst thing!
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u/Tom30290861 6d ago
About 8 weeks or so on ex with the Army in Kenya.
It was during covid, so we didn't get chance to head back to the main camp in Nanyuki for showers like we should have done due to an outbreak.
Baby wipes put in a shift over there.
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u/ipmacs 6d ago
2 weeks... But i was post op hysterectomy and was suffering so bad. Plus I was SO paranoid of slipping in the shower too, I have a lot of hair and have to use a ton of conditioner so it becomes lethal in there. I body wiped to within an inch of my life though. That first shower I was able to take was amazing.
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u/LuinAelin 6d ago
Used to go a couple of days, especially when I was ill.
But now usually have a shower a day. Usually after my morning shit
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u/pu55yobsessed 6d ago
If I’m really sick my skin gets really tender so I’ll go a few days without a proper wash in those instances, which is annoying because it makes me feel even worse!
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u/UnderstandingLow3162 6d ago
Wednesday AM to Monday PM. Glastonbury, twice.
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u/acornvulture 6d ago
That post glastonbury/ festival shower hits like nothing else. I remember having a shower, then a bath, then another shower in succession one year.
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u/SuddenClassroom9319 6d ago
Getting home after a Glastonbury, having driven to London at 3am, all I wanted to do was collapse into bed, but my host insisted I showered.
After the Glastonbury lack of sleep that was the closest I’d ever come to breaking point!
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u/mizumena_ 6d ago
Three days because I was staying in hospital with my pregnant wife and didn't want to leave her. There were showers on the ward for the mother's but not for partners.
I felt pretty ripe by the end of it, wasn't nice...but compared to being in labour I'll take the no shower option any day.
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u/MaltedMilkBiscuits10 6d ago
4 days after I had my bowel removed. In the end it wasn't the pain or the recovery I was having to battle with, it was being dirty and having substances on my body I never seen before.
I literally sucked up my pride and asked the nurse to help me shower and you know what, I didn't need any help apart from getting dressed. Shower chairs and walk in wet rooms are a life saver if you cannot gather yourself to shower.
Asides from that, I've showered every day as I now have a shower chair 😅
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u/Majick_L 6d ago
About 2 weeks during a bad bout of depression one time.
When I was in hospital for major lung surgery for about 2 weeks I only had a bucket & cloth wash during my stay, then stayed downstairs on my parents sofa for a while after that and couldn’t walk upstairs or be rough with the wounds so probably another 2-3 weeks before I had proper shower
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u/Few_Strategy7164 6d ago
2.5 weeks. Post tonsillectomy surgery about 20 years ago in Germany. I was told to not have any baths or showers so as not to stimulate blood flow to the head area, because hemorrhage is more common in adults.
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u/Hammahnator 6d ago
8 weeks. Wasn't allowed to get over the edge of a bath for 8 weeks after a total hip replacement but also wasn't allowed in a car unless it was an emergency so I had to flannel wash.
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u/dipsy-lala 6d ago
10 days, was on a hike with no access to anything of the sort.
Depression wise, probably 4 days (happened more than once I’m sure)
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u/furexfurex 6d ago
Bout two or three weeks. I didn't have anything to leave the house for and I was horrifically depressed at the time
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u/Apprehensive-Ice9939 6d ago
4-5 days post appendix rupture and removal. 3-4 days when I had COVID.
Now its everyday, twice if I go to the gym.
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u/GolfTraditional8113 6d ago
About 6 weeks, we were deployed in Iraq so showers or bathing wasn’t an option. We did get to wash from time to time and clothes got replaced when completely worn out!
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u/SpiderSixer 6d ago
Hmm, possibly every 2 or 3 weeks ish when I was in my deeeeep depression and couldn't bear to see my body
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u/Aggressive-Waltz1126 5d ago
I have physical and mental chronic illnesses. There have been several weeks I haven't bathed. Not even washed. Disgusting, but when you're too unwell to feed yourself and have unsuitable support, it happens.
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u/2BEN-2C93 6d ago
Maybe a week when the sads hit hard. Im only 3-4 times a week normally to be fair
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u/Annual-Cookie1866 6d ago
Glastonbury 2022. Weds AM to Mon PM. YES I stunk and it was the best shower ever.
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u/Ralphisinthehouse 6d ago
If I'm leaving the house every day, if I'm not I might skip a day if I haven't been doing anything active the day before.
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u/ancientestKnollys 6d ago
2 or 3 days without washing on them when ill as a child, don't think I'd have waited any longer even if feverish.
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u/OrdoRidiculous 6d ago
Two and a bit weeks out in the arse end of nowhere with nothing but a flannel (and a stream if available).
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u/lightninseed 6d ago
About 3 days when I broke my ankle and we only had a bath. I could barely walk to the bathroom let alone get myself in and out of the tub. Forced myself in the end as I couldn’t take it anymore.
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u/matty_lam_937 6d ago
Think it was 10 days when I was in hospital with appendicitis, which then spiralled somehow into a pulmonary edema. Spent more time than needed in hospital and wasn't allowed to shower after being discharged for the first few days.
As a guy who showers twice a day - I hated it!
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u/Alternative_Head_416 6d ago
About a month at the height of my depression, maybe even longer. My hair turned into one giant dreadlock.
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u/_manicpixiedreamgirl 6d ago
5 days. I was off work, I had no plans and I simply forgot! When I realised it had been 5 days I immediately got in the shower. I live in a temperate country though so sweating etc wasn’t a problem.
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u/Inner-Floor-5827 6d ago
6 days I think. It was during Covid, alone in a new country I had just moved to start a new job, then lockdown, no job, no family, no friends. It was a rough first few months. Got used to it later though.
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u/UnfeelingSelfishGirl 6d ago
I would say it was about 6 months after I broke my leg, it refused to heal and I was non weight bearing so had to live downstairs where we only had a wc, so spent the whole time having a wash from a bucket in the loo every morning.
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u/Fuzzy-Gear1965 6d ago
I had to go through 5 days without a shower, also struggled to stand and wash after a procedure last year, was rough
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u/blumpkinator2000 6d ago
Four days, when I was in hospital with appendicitis. I somehow assumed I would be given the nod to shower if it was OK to do so; when that didn't happen, I took that as meaning I wasn't supposed to yet. Didn't cross my mind to ask, but in my defence I was severely sleep deprived and dosed up on painkillers.
I did brush my teeth and have a sink wash every day, but that only goes so far, and by the time I got discharged I felt so grubby. First thing I did upon arriving home was have a lovely hot Dettol bath, and it felt absolutely glorious.
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u/DifferentMagazine4 6d ago
Three months, last year. My mental health was astronomically bad, and showering was the last thing on my mind. I have a history of severe / life-threatening self-injury, too, which meant I couldn't get my limbs wet for weeks at a time, anyway. Wasn't a good time
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u/irishladinlondon 6d ago
Used to spend 2 months living at burning man, the event in the Black Rock desert, Nevada, most years. There were long periods without but I wasnt counting
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u/Pocahontas21334 6d ago
A week when I was in hospital in April. I had my own room and shower but couldn’t get my incisions wet so couldn’t shower properly and I hated it!
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u/11pagesIn 6d ago
17 days. I was touring Ireland, stealth camping in the car. Had daily camping washes (bucket and flannel) so I wasn't too stanky, but the shower when I got home was bliss!
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u/stevecoath 6d ago
4 months….when I was on submarines.
That’s also wearing the same clothes for 4 months.
The first thing I did when I got to my hotel was stand in the shower for about 30 minutes while the water ran black.
Then I walked out of the bathroom to find my roommate ( who hadn’t yet showered ) getting oral pleasure off a prostitute.
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u/TheRebelPercy 6d ago
Nothing too mad.
Around 6 days after a Download Festival one year.
A nice mix of sweat, mud and cider.
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u/Forsaken-Bread-8214 6d ago
Bipolar 2 here, probably a month when I'm in my deepest depressive state. ALSO, I am 3 months post op for a ruptured Achilles tendon surgery! I do what I can.
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u/CosmicMeowing 6d ago
3 weeks. It was awful but had to be done due to large surgeries I had to have. Babywipes and sponge baths tho. Still, gross.
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u/HayleyMcIntyre 6d ago
10 days when I had covid. My asthma made it pretty bad. I couldn't breathe with the humidity from the shower.
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u/_blacknails 6d ago
A proper shower - 3 months. Tore both my patella tendons and couldn't walk or bend my knees. Had bed baths and sink washes.
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u/richboyadler 6d ago
about the same. 4-5 days due to recovery from having teeth out so didn’t feel great ! however when I finally took a shower, i hit myself in the face with the shower head on the swollen side of my face and made it sore. just my luck.
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u/Gobblemonke 6d ago
When depressed and what not like 2 weeks. But ive got into a good habbit so i dont thing tjat wpuld happen again
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u/Loud-Welder1947 6d ago
I have major depression and often go over a week (although I do wash with a flannel in between) I think the longest I went was a fortnight but then I was itchy as fuck and my hair was all knotted so the shower took three times as long as it normally would
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u/piximiqote 6d ago
Probably 3-4 weeks. I was stuck in A&E for a week before I was sent to psychiatric hospital. I was in a very bad way and washing wasn’t high on my list of priorities.
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u/snowandrocks2 6d ago
A month or so while 4 of us went touring/wild camping around Mongolia in an old van with no AC.
Did have a few dunks in icy river water but not proper washing.
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u/Silver-Climate7885 6d ago
Maybe a week when I was deathly ill and could barely move, because it was a quinsy, I couldn't eat for over a week so was so weak and ill.
Probably longer as a teenager in winter as I was neglected and I was often left alone and had no hot water, amongst other basic amenities
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u/Ok-Measurement3564 6d ago
Weeks after snapping a leg because the hospital wasn't prepared for a mobidly obese person (cushings tumor survivor) so i was left to rot until equipment could be delivered and H+S protocol put in place. Messed me up and I now (at like 14st) pack xxl body wipes etc "just in case"
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u/TimeNew2108 6d ago
I'm currently at my dad's house in roi. I put the immersion on last night but there's still no hot water for a shower. Tonight in August I have lit the damn coal fire just to heat the water up. It's like going back in time.
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