Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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Since eating paleo, and especially since switching to a very high-fat version of paleo, I have found that my hair and skin get much more oily than they used to. I am starting to leave a greasy residue on everything I come into contact with. I understand that this is healthier for my hair and skin, and maybe this is just a neolithic aesthetic, but I don't really LIKE to be greasy.

My question is, how much damage am I doing by regularly washing? We shed our skin and hair anyway, it seems like such a minor point, but then again look at how important gut health turned out to be. Are there other ways of dealing with this issue that people have found?

Update Dec 10: decided to try no 'poo. That was the answer, after a few days without soap my hair and skin were fine. I only use a washcloth now, and people like my hair and skin and smell. Haven't tried baking soda or ACV, it is on the to-do list but this seems to work pretty well already.

edited Dec 23 2010 at 10:13

asked Jun 9 2010 at 19:33

Will
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	What's the time frame? How long since the SAD or whatever you ate before and how long on high-fat? – rht Jun 10 2010 at 3:16
	Went paleo in April 09, went high-fat around the start of this year. – Will Jun 10 2010 at 17:09
	well, you could try using only ghee or no dairy at all. I don't think you're damaging anything by washing, depending on the soap. But you can get low-chemical, low-fragrance soaps. I'd try to figure it out though. The diet was working for you and now it isn't, since you changed to high fat. Would ACV (applie cider vinegar) help for awhile - improve your ability to digest all the fat? – rht Jun 12 2010 at 23:29

andrew · Accepted Answer · 2010-06-09 20:13:35Z UTC

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Odd - my skin and hair have got drier! So much I have stopped using soap or shampoo (except on the unmentionables!) And it has all improved lately - why not try abandoning soap and see what happens in 2 / 5 weeks?

answered Jun 9 2010 at 20:13

andrew
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Agreed. I haven't used soap/poo in months. The only place I ever apply soap is on my hands after greasy cooking or using the bathroom. My skin has never looked better. – NWHamilton Jun 11 2010 at 14:38

Tom Woodward · Answer 2 · 2010-06-10 00:41:51Z UTC

Like Andrew, I've also seen huge improvements in my skin and hair when going paleo. I've done mass gains where I start drinking a lot of milk and some rice in addition to paleo and my skin health immediately changes for the worse, so I'm pretty convinced paleo is legit for healthy skin.

What kind of fat are you eating predominantly? If you're eating a high fat diet, maybe the source is the issue.

Alan · Answer 3 · 2010-06-11 12:04:16Z UTC

I agree with Andrew and Tom. Huge improvements. Haven't used shampoo in more than 6 months and only soap on pits and pubes. I used to have very oily hair that would mark the pillow case in very quick time but now it's soft and clean and not in the slightest bit oily, pillow cases stay clean too.

Ikco · Answer 4 · 2010-08-05 08:02:23Z UTC

I have been eating high fat, mostly dairy, for four months and at the beginning my hair was very oily (if I would put a hand through my hair I would feel the oiliness. When I was getting my hair done the hairdresser didn't believe that I have washed my hair the previous evening because they were so oily) but now things are great.

I presume everyone has to go through a transition period which can be rather short or in my case quite long (three months of no shampoo).

Stick with it and you shall succeed :)

Oily hair/skin on high-fat diet

4 Answers