Do 'Survivor' Contestants Get Razors? How About Toothbrushes?
While Survivor has been plagued with questions about its authenticity since the show premiered in 2000, there is no doubt that the CBS show is as real as they come. The castaways actually spend 39 days on location, they really do lose tons of weight, and it's been confirmed that they often come home with parasites and infections galore.
But a lot of fans still have questions about how the show's contestants deal with issues of hygiene while they're on the island. Here are the answers to every Survivor question you've ever wanted to ask.
Do Survivor contestants get razors?
While the only noticeable hair growth seen on the show is often just beards on the guys, Andy Dehnart, msnbc.com's Television Editor and creator of Reality Blurred, told Today that the castaways do not receive any kind of hair cutting devices.
"The contestants do not have access to razors, nor do they shave during their time on the island," Dehnart said. "Any lack of growth you notice probably has to do with waxing or laser procedures, or the quality of the footage on your TV screen."
Okay, but do the Survivor contestants get toothbrushes?
The cast learns to get inventive in order to brush their teeth. Hannah Shapiro, runner-up on the 33rd season of Survivor and contributor to Men's Health, told Mic that the contestants brush our teeth with bamboo while they're on the island.
So what toiletries DO they get?
All Survivor contestants have access to items like feminine products, birth control, vital medications, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Items like soap and toilet paper are not included.
Speaking of toilet paper, they must have secret bathrooms somewhere...right?
Nope! The castaways have two glamorous options when it comes to doing their business: they can either dig a hole in the dirt or swim out into the ocean and "just let it go," as Reality Blurred succinctly put it. Hannah recently spoke to a bunch of former Survivor players to get their bathroom stories, and their tales included stepping in poop and nearly getting knocked over by the tide while doing their business.
I'm guessing the Survivor contestants don't shower either, then?
No showers for our castaways. In an AMA on Reddit, Peih-Gee Law from Survivor: China and Survivor: Second Chance explained how she and her cast mates would try to get clean.
"Daily hygiene consisted of splashing around in the water and using a piece of someone's cut off jeans to scrub myself. I remember in the beginning I thought I was tan, but once I scrubbed, I realized it was just a dirt tan lol," she wrote.
What happens if you get sick?
While we've seen the medics get called in for major injuries, the medical team is also around for the little stuff too. They check on each contestant before and after each immunity challenge, and there are also psychologists on hand to monitor the contestants’ mental health.
In her AMA, Peih-Gee also added that the castaways constantly get scrapes and cuts from the game, and that "one time the medics felt really sorry for us and hosed down some of our cuts with saline."
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