How Water Temperature Impacts Hair
How hot, cold, and lukewarm water can impact your hair health ?
Hot Water
There are benefits to washing your hair with hot water; for example, higher temperatures open up pores, which helps shampoo and other products to penetrate the scalp. Washing your hair with hot water may help remove dirt, grime, product, and oil more effectively than cold water.
Although higher temperatures make it easier for products to penetrate the scalp, hot water can strip the hair of its natural oils, which can lead to drying of the hair and scalp and cause irritation and itchiness. The state of the scalp has an enormous impact on hair growth and health, so a dry, unhealthy scalp with dandruff can inhibit hair growth or weaken the strands. In addition to a dry and itchy scalp, washing your hair with hot water can also exacerbate conditions like seborrheic dermatitis and eczema.
When hot water is used to wash hair, your hair follicles are exposed to environmental and oxidative damage, which can lead to hair fall. Hair fall accelerates due to the loosened grip of the damaged hair roots. This can also result in premature greying.
Cold Water
Pros:
Preserves natural oils: Unlike hot water, cold water doesn’t dissolve natural oils, which is beneficial for head and hair health and growth. Keeping your hair’s natural oils helps limit dryness, itchiness, and irritation.
Increases shine:
Cold water works on the hair by closing cuticles and pores in the scalp, which increases hair's shine since the closing of pores retains moisture.
Added moisture:
As cold water is able to close the pores of the scalp, the hair’s natural moisture levels are retained as well as any moisture you get from conditioners. As a result, the hair is able to better reap the benefits of the product, leaving it looking and feeling healthier and more hydrated.
Helps with dandruff:
Dandruff results from a dry scalp, and moisture is needed in order to treat it. Since showering with cold water helps the scalp retain moisture, this will in turn alleviate dandruff and the irritation that comes with it.
Improves blood circulation to the scalp:
Although using cold water to wash your hair might feel uncomfortable at first, it can help the blood in the deep tissues of the scalp circulate more quickly. This helps in maintaining an ideal body temperature as well as optimal health, such as health for the brain, heart, and healing processes of the body.
Cons:
Decreases volume: Cold water does an excellent job of helping hair retain moisture, but excess moisture can make the hair look flat and less voluminous. While this won’t happen to everyone, be mindful of how your hair reacts to cold water. Additionally, try not to use cold water when the weather starts to get colder, especially during winter.
Excess Moisture: When hair retains moisture, it can leave too much oil in the head, and this can leave it looking and feeling greasy and flat.
Discomfort: Although it isn’t the worst con, cold water isn’t as comfortable and relaxing as hot or lukewarm water, and if you’ve never washed your hair with cold water before it will take some time to get used to it. “While cold showers can feel alarming and almost painful at times, the pros for skin, hair, and body health may outweigh the discomfort.
Lukewarm is Best
Lukewarm water is recommended for washing hair. If you fancy reaping the benefits of a cold water wash, switching the water to cold toward the end of your shower to lock in moisture is a good trick. Warm water is the best temperature for washing hair. If you have greasy hair, you could end with a hotter rinse to help remove oils and product more thoroughly.