In the event of a nuclear blast, don't condition your hair

[akurah]

From NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2017/08/15/543647878/in-the-event-of-a-nuclear-blast-don-t-condition-your-hair?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20170815

Interesting science about hair and radioactive material

[Siv]

Oh wow, I have no idea what to think about this so I ended up laughing my butt off :laugh: I guess I'd break out the dawn dish detergent if I ever get contaminated!!

[leayellena]

interesting blog akurah. this brought me to the idea: what if some people don´t have money to buy a conditioner? should they use a professional shampoo for their hair type (damaged, thin, colored, etc.)? or should they co-wash and use whatever shampoo they like for whenever they need a scalp cleansing?

[Nymphe]

In that case, since I use oils, I will be washing with dish detergent, putting in mini-twists, keeping my head covered, and letting them loc.

[lucid]

I wonder if it's the same for shampoos containing silicones and such.

[akurah]

interesting blog akurah. this brought me to the idea: what if some people don´t have money to buy a conditioner? should they use a professional shampoo for their hair type (damaged, thin, colored, etc.)? or should they co-wash and use whatever shampoo they like for whenever they need a scalp cleansing?

The article says explicitly not to use conditioner.

[Robot Ninja]

So I guess we should all be doing vinegar rinses to flatten the cuticle so radioactive dust doesn't get trapped under there in the first place, as a preventative measure, no?

[meteor]

In that case, since I use oils, I will be washing with dish detergent, putting in mini-twists, keeping my head covered, and letting them loc.

Keeping head covered sounds great IMHO. But I think the article mentioned oils as potentially a problem:


These conditioner compounds are also oily and have a positive charge on one end that will make them stick to negatively charged sections of a strand of hair [...]
If the conditioner comes into contact with radioactive material, these sticky, oily compounds can gum radioactive dust into your hair, he says.

For that matter, Romanowski says in the event of a nuclear blast, you might want to consider forgoing most personal care products that are sticky or oily. "Skin lotions or moisturizing lotions or color cosmetics that have oils — these go on your skin and can attract dust or radiation particles from the air. So that would be a concern.


So I guess we should all be doing vinegar rinses to flatten the cuticle so radioactive dust doesn't get trapped under there in the first place, as a preventative measure, no?

I think I'd simply cover myself head to toe (head covering should be particularly useful, since hair (esp. long/thick hair) has such a massive surface area to trap things, regardless of the quality of the cuticle) and then wash or discard that depending on how bad the situation is. Covering seems easier than constant thorough hair washing. :hmm:

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I mean, if you don't take cover within 15 mins you're a goner anyway.. so. I have less concern about how radioactive my hair will be because of conditioner, and more concern about how the radioactivity will be affecting my entire body. I read an article that said you need to go under ground immediately and if you're near the blast you have 15 mins to do so. I live in Los Angeles so I have given up on the whole "I'm going to be safe" thing. Lol.
But, at least now I know if I survive, I shouldn't wash with conditioner... though I think washing my hair will be a last concern.

[Chromis]

It's the end of the world as we know, but my hair is fine!

[Nymphe]

Keeping head covered sounds great IMHO. But I think the article mentioned oils as potentially a problem:

I think I'd simply cover myself head to toe (head covering should be particularly useful, since hair (esp. long/thick hair) has such a massive surface area to trap things, regardless of the quality of the cuticle) and then wash or discard that depending on how bad the situation is. Covering seems easier than constant thorough hair washing. :hmm:

I saw oils being a problem in the article which is why I said I would wash with dish detergent to remove everything, twist it up while wet, and cover it. Of course, getting out of the area would be paramount, I think.

[meteor]

^ Oh, I get it now, Nymphe! :thumbsup: Thank you! :D

[VersLaLumière]

It's the end of the world as we know, but my hair is fine!

HAHAHAHAHA :p

[FennFire911]

I love how optimistic this article is. If I see a flash, I'm not sure my first thoughts will be to pay attention to which soaps and conditioners I should grab. But very informative about the science behind particulate fall-out.

[Anje]

I saw oils being a problem in the article which is why I said I would wash with dish detergent to remove everything, twist it up while wet, and cover it. Of course, getting out of the area would be paramount, I think.

As near as I can tell, no, you want to sit tight inside a sturdy structure (underground is better) for about 24 hours. Let the bulk of the fallout get out of the air before you move around. Covering your hair is probably a good idea, though. I saw this article a few months ago on the subject: http://www.businessinsider.com/survive-nuclear-attack-fallout-shelter-cars-2017-5

[OhSuzi]

If there's a nuclear explosion, reckon hair care is going to be the least of your worries - it's probably all gonna fall out any way! If you haven't been burned to a crisp by the blast.

[Angeni]

Haha yeah I'd probably just buzz it all off! Less to worry about if I survive. Plus, depending on the amount of radiation released, most stuff would be contaminated anyways so using the least amount of stuff on your hair and body as possible is best.

[pili]

That's what I'm thinking. If there is nuclear war, conditioner is the least of my worries. Not having radiation free water is a much bigger worry.

[lunasea]

It's the end of the world as we know, but my hair is fine!


If there's a nuclear explosion, reckon hair care is going to be the least of your worries - it's probably all gonna fall out any way! If you haven't been burned to a crisp by the blast.


That's what I'm thinking. If there is nuclear war, conditioner is the least of my worries. Not having radiation free water is a much bigger worry.

Uhmmm yeah!

Statements like this:

"Just wash with shampoo until the radioactivity is washed out," he says."

are kind of cray IMHO. Really? Just wash with shampoo? Oh, okay then. No cause for alarm.

Uh, there was just a nuclear blast, people! Will there even be uncontaminated water for washing? What about for drinking? Let's get real here. I would suggest that anyone who thinks they are gonna be worried about their hair watch this (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086429/).

[Robot Ninja]

Haha yeah I'd probably just buzz it all off! Less to worry about if I survive. Plus, depending on the amount of radiation released, most stuff would be contaminated anyways so using the least amount of stuff on your hair and body as possible is best.

See, that's what I was thinking too, but I live in Canada. Regular winter is bad enough without throwing nuclear winter into the equation, wouldn't a buzzed head get cold? After the apocalypse we won't be able to get free toques in cases of beer anymore.

[Angeni]

See, that's what I was thinking too, but I live in Canada. Regular winter is bad enough without throwing nuclear winter into the equation, wouldn't a buzzed head get cold? After the apocalypse we won't be able to get free toques in cases of beer anymore.

It gets a little chilly in the winter (I've had a buzzed head before), but anything covering your head works great as a replacement lol. I'm in Florida so the most I would have to worry about is sunburn on my neck and ears, which again is fixed with a cover-up. But it sure would cool down those nuclear summers xD

[Chromis]

While I would not advise we should suddenly stop using conditioner just in case of an attack or something silly like that, I will point out on a more serious note that radioactive fallout can travel a long distance. Yes, if you are at ground zero, probably hair is no longer going to be a concern for you past that point! However, distance lowers exposure, so for example after Fukushima's reactor failure, if you were in one of the surrounding cities, knowing how to wash off the particles would have been a pretty useful thing!

This short article had some pretty interesting information about actual radiation doses from that for those of you who are curious: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/01/fukushima-residents-exposed-far-less-radiation-thought and so did this slightly longer one: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/japan-nuclear-plume/

[lunasea]

Sorry if I got a little serious there. I'm thinking our crazy president has me a little nuts right now. :couch: I've kind of lost my sense of humor in terms of normalizing a "nuclear blast".

[meteor]

I'm surprised so many statements upthread seem to be interpreting the proposition as if it were about "hair care". :shrug: It's just about washing out some of the radioactive debris and not helping more of it stick afterwards, not to carry it around - and it's just about safety, not cosmetics. I do want to know about these things in advance, rather than if/when something bad happens. It's like insurance - you hope you'll never have to use it. :flower:

Frankly, I wish we had potassium iodide (KI) pills distributed to us as a safety precaution. I know some people do get them automatically (homes and businesses within 10 km of nuclear facilities get them in mail over here and are encouraged to have them on hand) and people who live within 50 km are encouraged to order them. I think it's best to have things like that in advance (they are effective for up to 12 years), because if/when you need them, waiting lines, travel and distribution could suddenly become a problem for obvious reasons.

[akurah]

Frankly, I wish we had potassium iodide (KI) pills distributed to us as a safety precaution. I know some people do get them automatically (homes and businesses within 10 km of nuclear facilities get them in mail over here and are encouraged to have them on hand) and people who live within 50 km are encouraged to order them. I think it's best to have things like that in advance (they are effective for up to 12 years), because if/when you need them, waiting lines, travel and distribution could suddenly become a problem for obvious reasons.

That's actually really handy to know. While I don't anticipate being in range of any sort of radiation from plant accident or otherwise, being prepared never hurts.