My mom shared with me this weird haircare technique from the 60s

[Ylva]

As a teen, my mom had TBL-classic length hair. I only know it was somewhere around there as, in her own words, it was "down to her ass". In 1969, she cut it to a pixie and has kept it that way more or less ever since then.

She told me that at one point, someone told her to soak her oily hair in very, very hot water. Like painfully hot if it got on the skin. It was somehow supposed to do some good about the oiliness and the hair as it was very essential that the hair was OILY when doing that. The only thought that comes up in my mind is that it would have opened the cuticles and let the sebum into the hair shaft rather than sitting on top of it, but I don't know. My mom personally didn't have any idea why she did it or why anyone would do it, someone had just told her that it was good. :lol:

Has anyone heard of that, let alone done it themselves? What do you think the purpose could have been?

[Simsy]

Possibly like a steam mask; might be a bit much if you did it every week. It would be interesting to see any basis for it working.

[lapushka]

Has anyone heard of that, let alone done it themselves? What do you think the purpose could have been?

Before I wash my hair, I (of course) wet it, but I use the hottest water I can stand and "massage" around my head, because after all it hasn't been washed in a week and it's quite oily by then. This to loosen the gunk and oil and make the wash more "successful". Then I wash, so it's kinda similar.

[HaMalka]

I have never heard of this before. I'd be terrified of trying this because I hate pain. If you aren't going to scrub your hair soaking it might loosen up hardened on gunk that could be rinsed off after the soak was over like with doing dishes is all I can think of.

[lapushka]

I have never heard of this before. I'd be terrified of trying this because I hate pain. If you aren't going to scrub your hair soaking it might loosen up hardened on gunk that could be rinsed off after the soak was over like with doing dishes is all I can think of.

It's not hot up to the point where it's painful. Not for me. And the heat gets reduced after that "loosening of gunk" has been done, for a regular wash! At least that's how I do it.

[JennGalt]

Odd... My shower water is hotter than average (I know this because as a caregiver I had to measure water temperature for the people I assisted to keep it within regulations). Pretty hot by most people’s standards, but not enough to burn. Washing in cold water has no noticeable effect for me or my hair whatsoever except for making me angry, so I wash my hair with fairly hot water. I also use copious amounts of oil. Maybe it has a clarifying effect? I only use shampoo once or twice a month at most despite using a lot of oil.

Or maybe it’s like a combination of a hot oil treatment and ROO, kinda like you theorized. It does make sense. Who knows? The version I do works for me, so I keep doing it.

How often did your mom do this?

[Khristopher]

I had to double check the title... it's like those clickbait random articles :bigtongue: I don't think something like that would work or be practical. Furthermore you could get burns if you're not careful... yeah, doesn't sound like a good idea. Preening or a bbb would work better to distribute the oils/sebum.

[Longlegs]

I'm not sure what it would do other than open the hair cuticles, that can release alot of stuff from your hair, when fading dye it's recommended to wash in really warm water. I wash in warm water then do a final rinse with cold water to close the cuticles.

[Ylva]

Odd... My shower water is hotter than average (I know this because as a caregiver I had to measure water temperature for the people I assisted to keep it within regulations). Pretty hot by most people’s standards, but not enough to burn. Washing in cold water has no noticeable effect for me or my hair whatsoever except for making me angry, so I wash my hair with fairly hot water. I also use copious amounts of oil. Maybe it has a clarifying effect? I only use shampoo once or twice a month at most despite using a lot of oil.

Or maybe it’s like a combination of a hot oil treatment and ROO, kinda like you theorized. It does make sense. Who knows? The version I do works for me, so I keep doing it.

How often did your mom do this?

I have no idea how often, but I'll try to remember to ask her tomorrow!

I'm the opposite, I shower with cooler water than average. :D I'm quite sensitive to hot things and experience discomfort from temperatures that other people, including all of my family members, prefer to shower with.


I had to double check the title... it's like those clickbait random articles :bigtongue:

Yup, I'm a clickbaiter alright.

[leayellena]

When I was little my mom washed my hair with almost boiling water. No matter how much I screamed she told me it gets rid of the grease. She takes painfully hot showers herself till today and still counting. Because "it takes the grease off". Fact is, we bought have oily skin and scalp so yeah boiling water doesn't do a thing. Her ponytail circumference is barely 1 inch but she has very voluminous hair because of her 3b curly pixie. My hair is 1c so yeah no volume on the crown. I wash with lukewarm water since I lurked on LHC and stopped scratching my scalp "to get the grease off" and my ponytail circumference has gone up from barely 6 cm to 8-8,5 cm (3-3.5 inches). Go figure hihi

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I have never heard of doing this. I'm thinking maybe it would help dissolve the oils? I don't think I'll be trying it.

I remember in the 70's I would bend over the ironing board and IRON my hair with the clothes iron to straighten it. It didn't work....lol.

[lapushka]

I do it every washday. Just water a little warmer/hotter (not boiling, I mean, don't think that at all) than usual and massage the head, to loosen the gunk. Then the water warmth goes down a little bit and I wash my hair. I use water that feels warm on my scalp to wash, not hot. I mean, what is hot. It can't be much beyond 40° or you'd burn. So let's not... think too much of it.

[EdG]

I would not use water that is too hot for the skin. Maker sure the temperature is comfortable.

Hot water will loosen waxy sebum. That is the only benefit I can think of.
Ed

[littlestarface]

I do it every washday. Just water a little warmer/hotter (not boiling, I mean, don't think that at all) than usual and massage the head, to loosen the gunk. Then the water warmth goes down a little bit and I wash my hair. I use water that feels warm on my scalp to wash, not hot. I mean, what is hot. It can't be much beyond 40° or you'd burn. So let's not... think too much of it.

What you describe sounds nothing like what the OP said IMO.

[spidermom]

I've never heard of this. What I have heard is that hot water is not good for hair.

[Ylva]

I would certainly not recommend trying what my mom told about, even she herself thought it was stupid. I was just wondering what the purpose might have been. :)

[lapushka]

I would certainly not recommend trying what my mom told about, even she herself thought it was stupid. I was just wondering what the purpose might have been. :)

Only your mom knows that, right? :)

[Ylva]

How often did your mom do this?

I remembered to ask! She doesn't really remember, but suspects it might have been every time she washed her hair or something like that. She washed it 2-3 times a week, which I was surprised by, because her family only showered once a week when they had sauna day.


Only your mom knows that, right? :)

Well I wish, but she has no idea why she did it. Someone had just told her it was good to do that. :D