Joe Keery is probably best known for his role in Stranger Things. I had the impression that he was pretty young, like 21 years old, tops. But he’s actually 29 years old, and he’s promoting Free Guy, the Ryan Reynolds film in which Keery has a significant role. Keery is also well-known for his hair. Earlier generations might have referred to this hairstyle as “rockabilly” or… something. His hair is architectural. His hair has its own following. His hair is… dirty. Keery was profiled by GQ to promote Free Guy, and there’s a lengthy discussion about how his hair happens and how he doesn’t wash it.
He doesn’t wash it?? Per GQ: “He doesn’t wash his hair. He rarely even touches it, except during moments of contemplation, when his fingers will comb the fallen front strands back into an upward swell that maintains an anime level of consistency. He does not “get” haircuts in the way most people get haircuts—by asking for and then paying for them. Haircuts simply happen to him, in the way a belly rub happens to a dog on a walk.”
When he went to a 2019 Chanel dinner and was photographed in a limp bowl cut: “It didn’t go over well,” he says now. (People were threatening to dox the hairstylist.) “I saw some funny photos of it, and apparently I looked like a f–king idiot. But that’s okay. I think it’s good for everybody to look like an idiot at some point.”
He won’t endorse a haircare brand: He was, of course, approached to endorse a hair-care brand… in any case somebody reached out. They promised a “bunch of money,” but Keery said no thank you. “I think it would just be so lame for the majority of people. It would be a sellout move. Don’t you think?”
It does seem like a bad move to endorse a haircare product if he does not, in fact, wash his hair. And I’m not even sure that “he rarely even touches it.” I would assume that means his hair is constantly being styled by professionals on every set and for every red carpet. Which, fair enough. If you had famous hair, you would probably be wary of going to Super Cuts and getting a $10 haircut too. And I guess that goes for hair-washing too – hopefully when they say “He doesn’t wash his hair” they mean “he doesn’t wash his hair himself, he has people wash his hair.” Because holy sh-t is that gross.
GQ made him get his hair wet though:
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, GQ.
Again, the lack of hygiene maintenance is really weird. And gross.
Not to mention the pride in shouting it across sm. A weird trend, tbs.
Actually, no. Shampoo is TERRIBLE for our hair and our scalps (and the environment) and all the other things we do to our hair are essentially to fix the damage shampoo does. It is essentially an incredibly well-run scam that was invented to make money and then the marketing for it very deliberately convinced women that our hair is dirty. Once you start using it, when you stop, your hair does indeed get greasy; but if you never use it at all, your hair actually cleans itself. It goes through cycles of being a bit greasy, (not like it becomes when you’ve been using shampoo though), but then it cycles into ‘clean’.
I know a number of people who don’t wash their hair, and they all have amazing hair. It is in no way dirty. Now, this doesn’t mean you never get your hair wet, it just means you don’t use shampoo and conditioner on it. And a number of the people I know who don’t wash their hair are also surfers, so their hair gets wet every day. I started swimming in the ocean every day and I wash my hair much less often now too. (You have to rinse with fresh water when you get out, FYI).
I’m also considering switching to Hairstory’s New Wash, which replaces shampoo and conditioner, is much better for your hair and scalp and also much better for the environment. I’m not quite ready to quit completely, because when you do quit shampoo and conditioner without replacing with a co-wash or new wash, it does take time for your hair to return to its natural self-cleaning cycles, and in the meantime your hair looks greasy and disgusting. I’m just not prepared to go through that phase! Apparently if you’re patient you can brush a lot of the grease down into the lower parts of your hair and that makes the ends shinier and healthier; but I just cant do that phase…
But anyhoo, just a PSA that it isn’t dirty not to wash your hair. We’ve just been trained to think so by clever marketing.
i only wash my hair once a week and it’s healthier.
i’m a white person but the texture of my hair is similiar in some ways to black hair; hairdressers often act perplexed by it in the same way they do when they’re not trained to do black hair. so that should give you an idea of why washing it more than 1-2 times a week maximum is better for my hair type.
i admit i still use shampoo and conditioner. but the shampoo i use is not one marketed to women/men… i use an activated charcoal shampoo that doubles as a good body wash.
That sounds interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Do you have any advice on how to grow hair healthier and faster? I’m trying to grow a bob (my ideal length is elbow length, which I’ve had before) and I’ve noticed that my hair has been growing slightly faster since I’ve started to wash my hair just once a week.
Re: FormerPixie, I have waist long hair and I have also washed it only once a week for years and years. Admittedly, I don’t have oily skin or an oily scalp, so I can’t speak for your exact type. I am white, and have a lot of hair, but the strands are very fine, and prone to breakage (the bleach and all 🙄). My routine is essentially washing and conditioning once a week with those ridiculously expensive protein lines, ie kerastase or similar. And I can afford to as I’m using it so sparingly. Then daily I use a protein serum and brush it through. But I honestly think more than expensive products it’s really how you avoid breakage and stress that’ll grow it faster. I did use just decent non-paraben/additive/silicone free, hair care for years as well.
Tricks to avoid breakage though and make it seem thicker:
1. Avoid layers. Trim it very bluntly, and don’t be afraid to take an inch off here and there to get those wispy ends off. I trim mine probably 3 times a year.
2. DO NOT BRUSH IT WET, EVER. Even if I come out of the shower with a rat’s nest in my hair, I fully blow dry it until it’s 100% dry before attempting to brush. This avoids ripping and tearing, and allows me to finger pick and isolate little knots. And it’s actually not as scary as it sounds. I’d say like 90% of the knots come out on their own, once dry anyway.
3. Finger pick knots out before brushing, and brush in very small sections starting at the bottom.
4. Hair styles matter. I like to wear mine down usually, but at night I wrap it all into a low bun at the base of my neck to avoid the weight of it pulling at my scalp. When I say wrap, I also mean fully twisting it and then wrapping it, because it doesn’t get tangled while sleeping that way. Added bonus of having lovely beachy waves in the morning reducing styling damage.
5. Avoid overstyling. I usually prefer mine wavy because I find it just looks nicer longer, and you can get away with so much imperfection. If I wear it straight and it gets kinked from a hair tie or something that’s more time and heat restlying it. But with waves it all blends in. And in a rush, a ponytail with waves looks so polished, especially with one strand wrapped around your hair tie. It looks like you spent ages styling it, and have actually just rolled out of bed.
6. My other recommendation, which I believe in, but can’t adhere to myself because I love feeling really bright and blonde, is avoiding bleach. Like even just having a root smudge blending any highlights with your natural color allowing you to go longer between appointments, is truly probably the most beneficial thing.
I know different supplements and products can help too, but these are really accessible, effective and basically free things I think most people could do to facilitate hair growth, or at a minimum avoid breakage. I also know many people with naturally curly/Afro hair use silk pillowcases to avoid knots and breakage too.
Good luck! It takes a long time to grow, but every length has cute styles and it’s pros.
While watching Free Guy, I thought his hair looked dirty but I attributed it to the character. Now, it’s pretty clear it was the actor
On a set, everything on him head-to-toe was decided by the film. If they wanted his hair to look cleaner, or a different color, or a different length, they would have done it.
This all was just a joke, it’s so obvious. Didn’t think anyone will take him so seriously jeez
Yeah, agreed, that was very clearly a joke. He obviously puts a ton of work and products in it, it would NOT look like that if he didn’t/didn’t wash it after putting the products in. He’s messing with GQ, a men’s lifestyle magazine that naturally would want detailed answers to how he styles his most famous trait. They don’t seem mad at him either btw. And in contrast to most people here I really like the pic in the white suit and the whole photoshoot. Gimme all the full chest hair and gold chains! And more white, straight(ish) boystars in colourful and inventive suits!
Yes, obviously this is a joke and I like him all the more for it.
Really, it’s a parody of those celebrities who say, “Oh, I don’t work out and I eat whatever I want and I sleep in my makeup and it’s not Botox, just really good genes.” They don’t get haircuts, either – they just wake up in the morning looking perfect.
Yeah, he doesn’t take himself very seriously, and it feels like he would say something like that tongue in cheek. Also, how has Taylor Swift not dated him? He’s so cute.
Yeah, the whole part about haircuts happening for him the same way belly rubs spontaneously happen to dogs made me laugh.
I love that line and that was when it hit me Trust Fund Cole from Molly’s Game was being satirical. He does have nice hair.
I don’t know enough about him (except that I love him in Stranger Things) to know when he’s joking or not, but just judging by the picture above, you can tell that that’s a guy that takes good care of his hair.
I’m getting Pete Doherty vibes from that cream suit picture.
Spot on
Yes! Ugh.
No poo is quite a big thing, perhaps it works for some. Personally, I was my hair 2-3 times a week and if I leave if too long my scalp starts to feel tender
But no pood doesn’t mean you do not wash your hair. It just means that harsh shampoos aren’t used.
It means that for some of the more hardcore people. A friend’s friend follows it, she only brushes and washes it with water once in a while. She has thick Greek hair and tbh you don’t notice it. It’s not greasy and she doesn’t smell either, maybe some faint, undefineable “human” smell. I could not never do it with my fine marabou feathers and like @shabs my scalp protests if I don’t wash them regularly. But it works for some people. (For the record, I don’t think Keery is one of them, I think he was joking and the joke got lost in transcription).
Exactly. The more hardcore stuff is either w.o. (Water only) or s.o.(sebum only), both of which are as disgusting as they sound. Mostly it’s just gross and misguided (people walking around with oil hair as they wait months and months for their scalp to supposedly adjust). But I’ve seen worse. People have ruined perfectly good heads of hair by letting them get irreparably tangled. The worst example I saw was a man whose hair was literally matted from all the lint attached to the sebum…but he kept insisting the sebum was helping him ‘remove’ the lint and that the problem would be worse if he washed his hair. Ick. There are some wild theories out there.
I saw my stylist last week and she told me she had to set a boundary with a new client who came in with giant mats in the crown of her hair that took an extra 45 minutes to untangle and comb out before she could get started on the cut. New client admitted she couldn’t remember the last time she washed or brushed her hair. She shared this after I apologized for letting my hair go an extra day in between washes because I didn’t want to come in with it wet (she puts my color on dry) and I didn’t want to heat style it twice in a day. Apparently it’s A Thing and for quite a lot of people it shouldn’t be.
That said, I’m sure he was kidding, there is no way his hair isn’t getting regular maintenance and products added/removed.
I don’t wash my hair, and I don’t even own a brush or a comb. My hair is short, and has never felt smoother since I stopped using shampoo. It’s not for everyone, but it really works for me. ( I get it wet in the shower though, so it does see water every day!)
When I leave my hair curly I “co-poo”. I can go weeks without using shampoo. I shower daily/every other day activity/weather dependent, but I only use conditioner.
When my hair is drenched, I glob on conditioner, give my scalp a rub, use a very, very wide tooth comb to get out the dead hair that normally gets removed when you totally brush your straight hair and then rinse. That’s it. No shampoo.
If I’m blowing it out, I use a strengthening shampoo and conditioner.
If I’m dying my hair the next day, I use a clarifying shampoo only.
I also co wash. I use a really cheap conditioner. Once a month I use a curly brand shampoo to avoid product build up. I scrub my scalp really good. I don’t own a brush or comb. I lose handfuls of hair with every wash but I’m only doing it around once a week so its okay. I also don’t touch my hair other than when I’m washing it
Yeah, I have super fine hair but my daughter came out with thick curly hair and this is the approach we had to learn over the years. Completely opposite to everything I was taught. Mainly conditioner, wide comb, shampoo maybe once a month. It completely opened my eyes to other ways people can treat their hair.
I don’t know why this site keeps saying everyone who doesn’t shampoo multiple times a week must be dirty and stinky and gross, it’s seriously making me sad and starting to make me think about not coming here anymore.
I have fine hair and thought I needed to shampoo every day, but over the course of this pandemic have realized my scalp is less oily than I think and I can go a few days and its ok and not oily and now have almost no dandruff. (And otherwise do normal hygiene). I wish everyone would just relax…
Sounds like the curly girl method. I don’t wash my hair in that I don’t use shampoo to wash it and I try not to touch it too much so it doesn’t devolve into a frizzy mess 😂
I use this method and my husband thinks I’m insane. He just scheduled a massage for my birthday and asked if I wanted a scalp massage as an add on and I had to remind him that I don’t want anyone touching my hair.
I have really sensitive skin and there are lots of chemicals in shampoo, so I tried the whole no poo thing in various iterations during the pandemic. What I learned was, for me, nope. I do need to wash my hair, but I found a low chem version, and now I wash just once a week. That’s actually how people used to do it. Regular brushing w a good, boar’s hair, Mason Pearson brush also helps. And btw, I also make my own toothpaste (lots of chemicals in that too, even Toms) — coconut oil and baking soda — which totally cleared a lifelong rash on my face. Just wanted to share! But yeah, his hair to me looks dirty…
I think this was meant as a joke. I doubt he NEVER washes his hair. But maybe he doesn’t wash it everyday — and maybe the bigger point is that he doesn’t care about it all that much.
Ever since I stopped washing and conditioning everyday, and started only washing/conditioning 1-2 times a week, I get a lot of compliments about my hair. It’s just healthier and it looks a lot fuller. But I know this doesn’t work for everyone — my hair doesn’t get greasy, whereas I have friends how have to wash more often or they’re practically dripping.
I was never an “every day ” hair washer after adolescence. I ditched SLS shampoos about a decade ago and have done conditioner washes in the past. But the best by far has been washing once per week for me. I started it at the start of the pandemic and my hair has never looked better. It’s fuller, shinier, longer, healthier- better in every way. I end up washing because I am tired of the way it feels, rather than how it looks.
that said, I shower at least daily- sometimes more.
The boy has good hair, i’m not sure I believe that he doesn’t wash it. If he is getting spontaneous hair cuts, perhaps he has someone else wash his hair too or it’s just a hipster joke. I was happier when I assumed everyone who could was bathing and washing regularly.
Hair washing questions aside, I find Joe very charming…and not just his character on Stranger Things! He seems a little different than the typical young up and comer, and seems to have a great personality. STEVE STAN HERE!
I’ve heard he’s INCREDIBLY nice and down-to-Earth. And yeah, what a great head of hair.
I’ve started using that overpriced New Wash stuff, and my fine, limp hair is practically weightless now. Like, Zero-G! I don’t need to wash it as often anymore because there isn’t really any build-up of oil or product — but when I do wash my hair, I also really scrub my scalp. (I wash my hair, clothes, and everything else, though, if I have to leave the house for a doctor’s appointment. Florida.)
On behalf of all healthcare workers everywhere but especially the OBGYN doctors and nurses, I want to thank you for your thoughtfulness. Would that everyone did the same.
For the record, we dont care if you havent shaved or waxed and we dont care about the state of your leg hair or toenails. Really all we ask is that crotches have been washed at some point within the 24 hours leading up to the time of the office visit. ITS NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK.
lmaooo I mean I immediately wash and change as soon as I *return home*, in the interest of not spreading germs I picked up in public, hahahahahahaha!
But YES, I will also scrub in anticipation of seeing a medical pro, too — especially if there’s any chance they’ll be visiting a dark cranny face-first. I will go the extra mile! Lately I really like Honey Pot for that. They make a “sensitive wash” that really works for my pH. There are some nice gluten-free, talc-free body powders now, too, great for when your shirt has to come off (Megababe makes a boob-sweat powder).
I think he’s hot and feel better that I know he’s 29.
He is my favorite on ST and his charisma and chemistry with the other actors is the only reason he’s still on it (he was supposed to be written off after season 1 I think).
I love him in stranger things and saw free guy a couple weeks ago I hope he gets more projects 🙂
It is absolutely hysterical how often Male Stars are made to be soaking wet. It is an evergreen. If they’re not soaking wet, they’re leaning against a vintage motorcycle/classic car in an abandoned roadside diner in the middle of the desert. There are one or two other variations but those are the basics.
Well now that I know he’s this self aware and 29 years-old, looks like I can let my Joe Keery crush spiral out of control.
My ex had really beautiful shoulder length hair (he’s a drummer) and he maybe only washed it with shampoo once a month. He only ever rinsed it! I was appalled but also jealous but he always smelled amazing and was a weirdly clean guy otherwise. He was also insanely hot, so that helped. His hair never felt gross tho! I was pleasantly surprised.
Good hair? How about the guitarist for Maroon 5? James Something, I think.
He is rocking a very nice head of hair, long, sort of blonde, Malibu Jesus cut.
Dave Grohl a few years back was completely rock star dude hair.
Anthony K. from Red Hot Chili Peppers in the 80s best rock of the decade.
Long, straight, shiny, dark flowing hair = Love a guy with long, dark hair.
Grooming makes all the difference. Oddly, Kit Harrington and his hair/beard combo never did anything for me.
This young actor is a look alike to a very young Gerard Butler, IMO.
He probably means he doesn’t shampoo it and just wet washes it, maybe conditions it. A lot of people with wavy or curly hair with slightly drier texture can actually find their hair healthier if they mostly let it go. I have wavy hair and only wash my hair once a week. I’ll wet the roots if I’ve gotten sweaty, but mostly I let it be. It’s way healthier now than it was when I was in my twenties and washed it daily.
I wash my hair 1-2x a week- I have natural, kinky hair. It’s super thick, super long (but the shrinkage is ridiculous), super coarse with thick strands. The cowashing is NOT for me because my scalp be trippin after day 7 of no shampoo. I think it’s also better for people who have shorter hair and don’t use as much product.
Ol dude probably washes his hair real infrequently, but he’s doing it at some point or another. Someone is washing his damn hair. Lol