Will Hot Water Cause Hair Loss?
With all the talk about the benefits of a cold water rinse when washing our hair, doesn’t it make you wonder if hot water damages our hair? Will hot water cause us to suffer from hair loss? In this article, let’s get to the bottom of this everyday mystery.
Is Hot Water Good for Our Hair?
Hot water and steam open up the pores on our hair, which makes it easier to remove excess dirt from the scalp. Hot water works as it’s easier to exfoliate dirt and buildup in our pores, which helps to unclog hair follicles. But over time, hot shower could also damage the skin on your scalp and impact your ability to grow hair.
Washing your hair with hot water will also make hair strands porous as it’s more open to the elements rather than locking in our natural oils. Also, the resulting inflammation from really hot water can cause dry, itchy scalp that does not grow hair rather well.
Overly porous hair is often dry, brittle and more prone to breakage. To have healthy hair, it is important to have natural oils (known as sebum), as the lack of it will cause your hair to become less shiny and lose its thickness. And unfortunately, these effects grow with age. Compared to older people, younger people are able to replace these oils and the thin layer of skin on the scalp much faster.
Benefits of Washing Your Hair with Cold Water
Hair experts love cold water rinses, especially after a hot shower as it’s the perfect switch-up for our hair. It tightens up hair cuticles leaving hair strands strong and shiny, helps seal in moisture and natural oils while boosting blood circulation at the same time.
Improved blood circulation not only delivers nutrients and minerals to our scalp but also remove wastes from our body more efficiently. Build up waste and toxins are not only harmful to our overall health, they can also cause our hair to grow slower.
So, remember to always add in a cold water rinse after a hot shower as this extra step can go a long way.
Hot Water and Hair Loss
Although hot water will not directly cause hair loss, it can have a direct effect on the health of your scalp. While the effects of inflammation upon taking a hot shower is temporary, if done often enough without a cold rinse, it can cause the weaker hair strands to lose its lustre and start breaking off.
What is the optimum water temperature that is recommended for our hair? Well, it depends. Hot water cleans while cold water seals cuticles. The key is to maintain a balance.
In conclusion, here are a few things you should be paying close attention to whenever you shower. Wash and condition your hair with warm water, rather than scalding hot temperatures and always finish with a 10-15 seconds cold water rinse. This will help to tighten up the cuticles and stimulate circulation around your scalp. Just by making these slight changes, you’ll reap the rewards of having shiny and stronger hair.
