If You Didn't Wash for 15 - 20 Years..

Skin and Hair

I did some research into what would have if you didn't wash for 15 to 20 years, but I found it difficult, because obviously no had ever not washed for exactly that amount of time. However, below, is a link an article from the DailyMail where a girl goes 6 months without washing and I found it interesting to hear what she thought.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-422837/Six-hairific-months-shampoo.html

I also found this YouTube video talking about 'the dirtiest man in the world' who claims to have not washed for 60 years! When you look at him you can clearly see the dirt and dust that has built up on his face, however the only part of him that is clear from dirt is under his eyes, this gives me the impression he has been crying. His beard looks thick with dirt and it looks very matted, almost in dread locks. His teeth look very painful, as they look like they have rotted away in places and they look very infected and dirty. The skin on his hands reminds me of an elephants skin, because it looks so thick and leathery. His nails also look very thick and strong, but completely discoloured with dirt and grime. I am very aware that Miss Havisham would not have looked anywhere near as bad as this, because she didn't go outside in the dirt and because she didn't not wash for as long as him, but I still found it interesting to see what would happen if someone didn't wash for this long, as I can use some of the aspects of his look in my portrayal.

Dirtiest Man in the World's Hands.
http://i.imgur.com/o99zYEW.jpg

I found an image of a doll that had dirty, matted hair. This is how I would imagine Miss Havisham's hair to look like, but obviously Miss Havisham's would be grey. My interpretation is that she did her hair perfectly in a Victorian style, but has left it ever since her wedding day. This would mean that a lot of dirt, dust and grime would have accumulated, making it look very thick and heavy, just like the image below. I don't think she would have brushed her hair at all either, making it look very matted and frizzy. 

http://s2.hubimg.com/u/7719589_f520.jpg

Teeth

The two most likely and biggest problems Miss Havisham would have been experiencing with her teeth, are gum disease and tooth decay.

Gum disease is when the gums become swollen, sore or infected. It can cause your gums to bleed when you brush your teeth and it can cause bad breath. If gum disease is not treated for a long time, the bone in your jaw can decay, which may result in your teeth falling out. You get gum disease when there is a build up of plague on your teeth which is formed when you eat or drink. Brushing your teeth helps prevent this, however I don't think MissHavisham would have brushed her teeth and therefore I think gum disease would have been a big problem for her. I would love to portray this in my interpretation as I think it would add more character and make her look more unwell and decaying.

An Example of Gum Disease
http://www.kmperio.co.uk/editor/assets/1720DF7D-1209-420D-963F-06F9BBEB658C.JPG

Tooth decay, also known as dental decay or dental caries, is when the acids in your mouth dissolves the outer layers of your teeth. Tooth decay isn't obvious at first, however as it develops you can get toothache and your teeth become a lot more sensitive. Grey, brown or black spots may start to form on your teeth and you may experience bad breath and a horrible taste in your mouth. If tooth decay is not treated then you may develop cavities, which are holes in your teeth, gum disease and dental abscesses, which is when pus forms at the end of your teeth or at the gums.

A Diagram showing Tooth Decay.
http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_as
sets/site_images/media/medical/hw/h9991833_002.jpg

An Example of very Advanced Tooth Decay.
http://www.toothandteeth.com/meth-teeth--teeth-with-advanced-tooth-decay.jpg

Resources:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2335003/Seven-MILLION-Britons-dont-brush-teeth-regularly--going-DAYS-pick-toothbrush.html
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/gum-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Dental-decay/Pages/Introduction.aspx