Photo: @abmccarthy5757 / TikTok
Some things are better kept secret.
By Megan Quinn — Written on Dec 30, 2022
The question, “how often do you shower?” is one that always seems to get people riled up and divided.
There are those who wash up 3 times a day and those who apparently do not feel the need to shower more than once a week.
A healthcare worker recently came under fire after admitting that she only showers once a week.
27-year-old Alison McCarthy, a nurse from Boston, admitted in a TikTok video that she only showers once or twice a week to avoid getting her hair wet.
“So I’ve recently found out that I am in fact a gross human being,” McCarthy says in the video that has generated over 6 million views.
She shares that, unlike most women who only wash their hair a couple of times of week while showering the rest of their bodies, she skips the shower altogether.
“Most girls, when they say that they wash their hair twice a week, they literally mean wash their hair, and they shower every day,” McCarthy says. “I only shower like once or twice a week.”
She adds that she has gone at least five days without showering before.
McCarthy argues that this is because she does not feel the need to hop in the shower if she won’t be washing her hair.
“If I’m getting in the shower, I’m gonna wash my hair. Why would I get in the shower and not wash my hair?” she says.
McCarthy claims that she tells people that she indeed washes her hair twice a week, which is true, however, neglects to inform them of the truth behind this statement.
Some TikTok users were disgusted by McCarthy’s shower confession.
“You don’t like to feel clean?” one user commented.
“She literally has NO excuse for not showering, she has a skincare routine, gym routine, works as a NURSE, like be for real,” one user pointed out.
Many people criticized her for feeling the need to even share this revelation out loud.
“Can we bring back keeping secrets please?” another user urged.
“I have a friend like this…we can all tell,” another user wrote.
However, others did not see an issue and admitted to doing the same thing.
“THANK YOU for talking about this. Showering is so exhausting!! How do people do it so much??” one user commented.
“I’ve been there and I do it, too. If I’m not dirty I’m not showering. If my hair is dirty then I’m showering,” another user shared.
“Showering is so hard for some people, it feels like a chore and it isn’t easy,” another user wrote.
Other people suggested that McCarthy invest in a shower cap so that she could avoid getting her hair wet while taking a shower.
She shares that she took their advice in a follow-up video.
“You guys are literally ruthless and I have been bullied into buying a shower cap,” McCarthy says, displaying a screenshot of her purchase as evidence.
According to dermatologists, how often one should shower depends on their lifestyle, although the recommended amount is at least two or three times a week.
They even warn that showering too often (more than once a day) can irritate your skin.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.