2:06pm UK, Friday January 28, 2005

One brave woman proud of her long locks has admitted her dirty secret - she has not washed her hair for 11 years.

Penny Weynberg has decided against spending a small fortune on shampoo and conditioner like most women.

57 Penny Weynberg no hair wash for 11 years

Penny Weynberg

The 29-year-old mother-of-two believes hair has the natural ability to clean itself - so she doesn't bother.

It all started when the chemical engineering graduate was studying for her A-Levels.

"I was too busy revising to bother about my appearance," she said.

Mrs Weynberg, who didn't even bother to lather up for her graduation ceremony or her wedding day, has admitted to having greasy hair for the first month.

But she says it became less greasy and more glossy as time passed.

Explaining her beliefs to Sky News, she said: "I find shampoo just strips out all the goodness and then you put conditioner on to put the goodness back in.

"It's like doing one thing to contradict the other. It was much easier to get out of that cycle."

Mrs Weynberg brushes her hair daily to remove dirt and smells and rinses it with warm water every few months.

She has admitted: "It's very much against the way most people think."