Teen showering habits are a common concern for parents. While there is no strict rule for how often a teen should shower, daily showers are generally recommended for maintainingbasic hygieneand preventing body odor. It’s also important for teens to understand how poor hygiene can affect their overall health and social interactions.
There are many reasons why a teen might refuse to shower. In some cases, it may simply be due to laziness or procrastination. However, poor hygiene can also be a sign of an underlying issue, such asdepressionor other mental health challenges.Before deciding how to address the situation, it’s essential to understand the root cause of your teen’s reluctance to bathe.
Softulka / Getty Images
How Often Teens Should Shower
Daily showering is important for teenagers because the body changes that happen during puberty can lead to acne or body odor.Daily showering can also help your teen develop lifelong hygiene habits. In addition to daily showers, you should also encourage your teen to shower after playing sports or engaging in other activities that leave them dirty or sweaty.
Teens may need to wash their hair more frequently than adults. This is because during puberty, glands in the scalp produce extra oil. This can make the hair look oily or greasy.Washing the hair every day or every other day can help prevent this.
Showering isn’t the only important hygiene habit. At a minimum, teens should also:
Reasons They’re Not Showering
Your teen has their reasons for not showering. It could stem from:
Seek Help, if NecessaryIf you think your teen’s refusal to shower may stem from a mental health issue, seek professional help. Talk to your teen’s healthcare provider or contact a mental health professional.
Seek Help, if Necessary
If you think your teen’s refusal to shower may stem from a mental health issue, seek professional help. Talk to your teen’s healthcare provider or contact a mental health professional.
Addressing Shower Resistance
Teaching teens the benefits of regular hygiene, instead of just enforcing strict rules, can often work better to build responsibility and self-care. When talking about showering, it’s important to highlight the need for consistency and teaching the teen to take control of their own hygiene.
When addressing shower resistance in a teen, try to:
If your teen is still reluctant to shower, it may be helpful to sit down with them for a brainstorming session. Ask them why they don’t like to shower. Then see if you can come up with a plan and/or a schedule together. A system of positive reinforcement, with input from your teen, may help motivate them to develop a regular schedule for showering.
Summary
To communicate the importance of good hygiene, be direct, point out the potential problems of poor hygiene, and establish consequences. It may also help to outsource the conversation to another trusted adult, like a family friend or therapist.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Geraets A, Heinz A.The association between adolescent mental health and oral health behavior: The Luxembourg Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study.Sec Pediatr Dentist. 2022 Oct;2022(3). doi:10.3389/fdmed.2022.979192Schäfer L, Sorokowska A, Weidner K, Croy I.Children’s body odors: hints to the development status.Front Psychol. 2020 Mar;11(1):320. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00320Nemours TeensHealth.Hygiene basics (for teens).Troccaz M, Gaïa N, Beccucci S, et al.Mapping axillary microbiota responsible for body odours using a culture-independent approach.Microbiome. 2015;3(1):3. doi:10.1186/s40168-014-0064-3Ranasinghe S, Ramesh S, Jacobsen KH.Hygiene and mental health among middle school students in India and 11 other countries.J Infect Public Health. 2016;9(4):429-35. doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2015.11.007Child Welfare Information Gateway.Parenting a child or youth who has been sexually abused: a guide for foster and adoptive parents. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Burea.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Geraets A, Heinz A.The association between adolescent mental health and oral health behavior: The Luxembourg Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study.Sec Pediatr Dentist. 2022 Oct;2022(3). doi:10.3389/fdmed.2022.979192Schäfer L, Sorokowska A, Weidner K, Croy I.Children’s body odors: hints to the development status.Front Psychol. 2020 Mar;11(1):320. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00320Nemours TeensHealth.Hygiene basics (for teens).Troccaz M, Gaïa N, Beccucci S, et al.Mapping axillary microbiota responsible for body odours using a culture-independent approach.Microbiome. 2015;3(1):3. doi:10.1186/s40168-014-0064-3Ranasinghe S, Ramesh S, Jacobsen KH.Hygiene and mental health among middle school students in India and 11 other countries.J Infect Public Health. 2016;9(4):429-35. doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2015.11.007Child Welfare Information Gateway.Parenting a child or youth who has been sexually abused: a guide for foster and adoptive parents. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Burea.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Geraets A, Heinz A.The association between adolescent mental health and oral health behavior: The Luxembourg Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study.Sec Pediatr Dentist. 2022 Oct;2022(3). doi:10.3389/fdmed.2022.979192Schäfer L, Sorokowska A, Weidner K, Croy I.Children’s body odors: hints to the development status.Front Psychol. 2020 Mar;11(1):320. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00320Nemours TeensHealth.Hygiene basics (for teens).Troccaz M, Gaïa N, Beccucci S, et al.Mapping axillary microbiota responsible for body odours using a culture-independent approach.Microbiome. 2015;3(1):3. doi:10.1186/s40168-014-0064-3Ranasinghe S, Ramesh S, Jacobsen KH.Hygiene and mental health among middle school students in India and 11 other countries.J Infect Public Health. 2016;9(4):429-35. doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2015.11.007Child Welfare Information Gateway.Parenting a child or youth who has been sexually abused: a guide for foster and adoptive parents. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Burea.
Geraets A, Heinz A.The association between adolescent mental health and oral health behavior: The Luxembourg Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study.Sec Pediatr Dentist. 2022 Oct;2022(3). doi:10.3389/fdmed.2022.979192
Schäfer L, Sorokowska A, Weidner K, Croy I.Children’s body odors: hints to the development status.Front Psychol. 2020 Mar;11(1):320. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00320
Nemours TeensHealth.Hygiene basics (for teens).
Troccaz M, Gaïa N, Beccucci S, et al.Mapping axillary microbiota responsible for body odours using a culture-independent approach.Microbiome. 2015;3(1):3. doi:10.1186/s40168-014-0064-3
Ranasinghe S, Ramesh S, Jacobsen KH.Hygiene and mental health among middle school students in India and 11 other countries.J Infect Public Health. 2016;9(4):429-35. doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2015.11.007
Child Welfare Information Gateway.Parenting a child or youth who has been sexually abused: a guide for foster and adoptive parents. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Burea.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
