Getting out of bed in the morning is not always easy, but jumping into a hot steamy shower can make you feel like a new person. Many of us don’t give much thought to the temperature we wash our hair in, so you may be surprised to learn that hot water can wreak havoc on our hair health.
Are cold showers good for your hair? This might be a question you have never pondered, but switching to a lower temperature can be a game-changer for your mane. If your hair feels frazzled, dry or lacklustre, incorporating a cold rinse into your routine can help bring it back to life.
Are Cold Showers Good For Your Hair
Yes! Cold showers are great for your hair and many people including celebrities swear by cold water’s power to enhance their locks. Victoria Beckham who is famous for shiny mane swears by finishing her hair routine with an ice-cold rinse as does actress Liv Tyler. Tyler told Vogue that when she was doing a hair commercial, they washed her hair in ice water to make it shiny and healthy and now she always makes her shower really cold at the end.
Cold water also promotes a healthy scalp as it locks in the natural oils that help reduce dryness, irritation and itchiness, high temperatures strip the natural oils leaving the scalp dehydrated which can lead to dandruff.
Certified dermatologist Dr Harikiran Chekuri told Shape Magazine, that “Rinsing your hair with cold water can benefit your hair’s health and appearance” adding, “The overall result is not just healthier hair but also hair that’s more manageable and easier to style in the long run.”
If you are hoping a cold shower will help your hair grow, unfortunately, this appears to be a common myth with not a lot of data to back it up. However, it does improve blood circulation to the scalp, which could potentially encourage healthy hair growth.
10 Benefits Of A Cold Shower On Your Hair
- Closes the Hair Cuticles and Pores
- Increases Shines and Smoothness
- Locks In Moisture
- Tightens Hair Follicles, Reducing Hair Loss
- Helps Prevent Dandruff
- Improves Blood Circulation to the Scalp
- Helps to Keep Coloured Hair From Fading
- Reduces Inflammations, Itching and Irritation
- Balances the Scalp’s PH Level
- Regulates Sebum (the natural oil on the scalp)
Do Cold Showers Make Your Hair Shiner?
Yes, they do! Cold water rinses are a free and easy way to help get shinier hair because cold water seals the cuticles. which are the outer protective layer surrounding each hair strand.
The hair cuticle has overlapping scales, like the tiles on a roof and when they are closed your hair feels smooth and flat, able to reflect the light which makes your hair look shiny and healthy.
Hot water, heat and chemicals are the main culprits that open your hair cuticles, which leads to dry and frizzy hair. To avoid use a conditioner at the end of your shower, and rinse with cold water (as cold as you feel comfortable with) to close them.
Other Surprising Benefits Of Cold Showers
We have established that a cold rinse has many advantages for your hair, but cooler temperatures also benefit your body and mind. In recent years cold showers, ice baths and cold plunging have become a trend. Utilising the power of cold water immersion is not new; the Ancient Egyptians often took cold baths, and the Scandinavians have been cold plunging for centuries, so let’s look at why people are braving these extreme temperatures.
Lowers Stress Levels
Research has found cold showers can decrease cortisol levels, which helps reduce stress and lift the mood.
Improves Metabolism
Cold water immersion activates brown fat, a tissue that helps keep us warm and assists the body in burning calories. In an article by Healthline it says “that taking a cold shower 2 or 3 times a week may contribute to increased metabolism.”
Boosts The Immune System
Exposure to cold temperatures stimulates the production of white blood cells that help fight off infections and other diseases and make you more resilient to getting ill.
Healthy Skin
Your skin also reaps the beauty benefits of a cold shower, as cold helps close the pores, which prevents dirt and bacteria from getting into the skin.
Washing your skin with cooler water prevents its natural oils from being washed away, meaning it won’t dry out, and can calm red and irritated skin.
Cold water also causes the blood vessels to contract, tightening the skin and making it look smoother and more even.
Disclaimer: Cold showers are not suitable for everybody, so if you’re sick, pregnant, or have a heart or lung condition, it’s best to avoid a cold shower until you consult a doctor or healthcare provider to determine if they’re safe and suitable for you.
How Do You Properly Wash Your Hair?
You can wash your hair with both hot and cold water, as it is the order in which you use each water temperature on your locks which is important.
If the idea of a cold shower has you shivering already, don’t worry you only need to incorporate it into the last part of your hair routine, and can still enjoy a warm shower. Celebrity hairstylist Florian Hurel told Vogue India, “Most hairstylists agree that using warm water during the cleansing phase, and then colder water for the conditioning phase is ideal.”
Start by washing your hair with warm water which is the best way as it opens up the pores allowing the shampoo to penetrate the scalp for a deeper clean.
Professionals recommend washing your hair with lukewarm water at an optimum temperature of 36-40⁰C (98-105F) as hotter temperatures will strip the hair of its natural oils causing it to become dry, brittle and frizzy.
Once you have shampooed your hair, turn the temperature of the water down and rinse with cold water. Follow with conditioner and finish your hair routine with a cold rinse to help close the hair cuticles and pores for smooth and shiny hair.
Top Tips For Healthy Hair
A cold shower can do wonders for your hair, but there are other things you can do to achieve a healthy mane.
- The first is to limit the exposure to heat on your hair and always use a heat-protecting spray before using any styling tools.
- Don’t use styling tools at their hottest setting, as temperatures over 180C (350F) damage the cuticles, and use your hairdryer in a cool setting as much as you can.
- Choose a shampoo for your hair type; for example, dry hair types and oily hair types have different requirements and need one specially designed to meet them. If you are unsure how to pick a shampoo for your hair type, this guide by Garnier will help.
- Finish your hair-washing routine with a conditioner which will replenish moisture, which gets stripped away from shampoo.
- Incorporating a hair treatment such as a mask is beneficial to deep condition the hair and boost shine, moisture, and repair damaged hair.
- Get regular hair cuts to get rid of split ends and promote healthy hair growth.
There are plenty of products available on the market, but coconut oil is a great natural ingredient that benefits your hair and scalp; read more on its benefits here.
In a nutshell, the answer to are cold showers good for your hair is yes! Regular cold showers are a proven way to achieve shinier and smoother hair without investing in expensive hair products, we hope you are convinced to turn the temperature down and try it out.
Disclaimer: All the content published on www.thestylecadet.com is solely for information purposes. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consider seeking the advice of your doctor, qualified healthcare provider or dermatologist. The information, suggestions, or remedies mentioned in this article are provided without warranty of any kind, whether expressed or implied.
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