Does washing with hot water damage hair?

[Dreamkitty]

I used to wash my hair with very warm water but then I read heat is bad for your hair, there is more shedding and you get white hair. So I just wash my hair with lukewarm water now, sometimes the water is more on the cold side.

:( I feel that I might have damaged my hair by using very warm water and maybe my hair would have been even thicker if I stopped using warm water earlier on.

[Vermelha]

Absolutely. And the kicker is that most people don't know that they are washing their hair with too warm water, and then they wonder why their hair is brittle/dry/not growing, etc. I'm not saying use cold water (which wouldn't hurt...) but hot water is a no-no.

[HairFaerie]

I don't know the scientific answer to this.
I also wash my hair (and shower) in really hot water. Most people would probably say "Ouch! How can you stand it that hot?!?!" but I have been doing it since I was younger. I don't like lukewarm water. Period.
To me, as soon as you are done washing, the temperature of your hair goes back to room temperature. As long as you are not brushing it or being overly rough with it when it's wet and malleable, I think you're OK.
I don't think washing in hot water is damaging like using hot tools. It's not the same.
That's just my opinion.

I haven't had any problems with shedding, not growing, dry/brittle/damaged hair from using hot water.

[Yozhik]

Not washing your hair in hot hot water is just one way in many that can contribute to the overall health of your hair. In my opinion, it's not one of those clear-cut things where if you don't wash your hair with cool water your hair will be damaged.

Hair health is affected by so many factors, like handling when wet, mechanical damage, updos, sleeping habits, combs/brushes, product, etc., etc., ad finitum, ad nauseum. As such, if you generally have good hair care habits, your hair will generally be healthy. This is why some people on this site blow dry or dye or do the occasional straightening and their hair doesn't reflect it -- because on most other fronts they keep really good care of their hair.

Anyway, that's just the way I feel about it. Don't beat yourself up over past hot showers, especially if you take cooler ones now. That being said, if you can't live without a hot shower (guilty :o), then try to take good care of your hair in other ways. I hope this made sense. :)

[nemileo]

I don`t really know to earnest, but I have always herd about people that wash their hair with cold water to keep it healty. Somehow hot water is supposed to open the outer layer on the hair strand, but I don`t know if this is mistaken with the pores of the skin?

I have only had one experience with that I am afraid, and that was when I was working in Tanzania for four months. We did only have a tap with occational and very cold water to shower, so there were nothing but cold water showers for four months. It did cause an awful lot of greasy and dirty buildup in my hair. Almost like the cold water could not bring the cleansing hair sebum out of the hair properly. It must be added that the heat and dust and different hair products could be a part of the problem too.

[Artsy]

I think it is true, and a few days ago I have seen a proof to that. On G. Ramsey's show F Word there was a scene, which was very disturbing itself, the pig was butchered and they showed how they remove all of the pig's fur at once. All they did was to place the body into very hot water and all of the hair came off resulting in a smooth hairless skin that you'd later get in a supermarket on your pork.
________
Strain Index (http://strainindex.com)

[rymorg2]

I'm a stylist.

Washing in hot water absolutely can damage your hair....depending on how suseptible to damage you are. Either way, water ALONE is higher in PH than the hair is, so even wetting your hair will swell it (that's why it feels thicker/longer when wet) but hot water also adds the heat. It's also true it's not the same as say a 400 degree flat iron, but it can contribute.

I always recommend especially if someone colors that they wash in lukewarm water only.

HTH.....

[mali]

It kind of does destroy the hair shaft.:poot:

[HintOfMint]

As counter-intuitive as posting here is, I'm going to pretend I haven't read this thread.

[MinderMutsig]

As counter-intuitive as posting here is, I'm going to pretend I haven't read this thread. I always start my shower with luke-warm water so I can wash my hair. Then I wrap it in a towel, bring the shower head down and turn the heat up for the rest of the shower.

You get the best of both worlds and your hair is towel-dry and ready to finger comb / bun / whatever by the time you finished your shower.

[TrudieCat]

I am wondering if the coconut oil shampoo blends that have recently been discussed in the "Hair care of movie stars from the past" thread might help to reduce damage from washing in very hot water, since coconut oil mixed into shampoos seems to keep the hair shaft from swelling as much when wet? :hmm:

I know that hot showers contribute greatly to my sanity. :D I've given up my flat iron and my blow dryer and my combs with seams, but I don't think I have the personal strength to give up really hot showers, no matter what they are doing to my hair. :o

[rymorg2]

I am wondering if the coconut oil shampoo blends that have recently been discussed in the "Hair care of movie stars from the past" thread might help to reduce damage from washing in very hot water, since coconut oil mixed into shampoos seems to keep the hair shaft from swelling as much when wet? :hmm:

I know that hot showers contribute greatly to my sanity. :D I've given up my flat iron and my blow dryer and my combs with seams, but I don't think I have the personal strength to give up really hot showers, no matter what they are doing to my hair. :o

As long as you're not blowfrying and stuff you should be fine. It's when you wash with hot water and do all that other stuff that it matters.

[pepperminttea]

It does damage mine, but no doubt there are some that can get away with it. I shower in lukewarm/cold water, finishing with a cold-as-I-can-stand rinse. It wakes me up in the mornings, I can tell you. :p That said, with the weather cooling down, it has been more toward the lukewarm end than usual.

[ratgirldjh]

Yes definitely! I used to always use cold or luke warm water for washing and recently switched to warmer water (not really hot but pretty warm) and started noticing not only more shed hairs but also that my hair was much drier.

I'm going back to cool and cold water for washing. :D

[kitten1986]

When I wash my hair I usually use tepid water, then finish off with just cold water. The only reason why I do that is because someone told me that cold water makes hair shiny... and I am vain and like to have shiny hair :laugh: but I never actually knew that hot would damage it!

[Artsy]

i fight porosity issues even on my virgin hair, and wash it in lukewarm water. And for the rest of me it better be nice and hot:) I love those flexible showerheads
________
Free vaporizer (http://howtomakeavaporizer.info/)

[jojo]

I'm a stylist.

Washing in hot water absolutely can damage your hair....depending on how suseptible to damage you are. Either way, water ALONE is higher in PH than the hair is, so even wetting your hair will swell it (that's why it feels thicker/longer when wet) but hot water also adds the heat. It's also true it's not the same as say a 400 degree flat iron, but it can contribute.

I always recommend especially if someone colors that they wash in lukewarm water only.

HTH.....
I totally agree with this, my hair is always washed in lukewarm and looks much healthier since doing this (5 years now) plus washing with hot water causes the hair to get greasy quicker too. Any heat, sun, water, hair dryers etc etc damage hair period!

[archionblu]

When I wash my hair I usually use tepid water, then finish off with just cold water. The only reason why I do that is because someone told me that cold water makes hair shiny... and I am vain and like to have shiny hair :laugh: but I never actually knew that hot would damage it!
Yeah, I believe that the reason that people say that hot water is damaging is because the heat raises the little scales, whereas cold water helps close them, just like how your pores are. The scales that are smoothed down against each other are going to look shinier than the raised scales, and are less vulnerable to catching and sustaining damage. having the scales smooth also holds in moisture better, I suspect, and that'd be why people say their hair feels drier when they use hot water.

ETA: Just wanted to update my opinion after paying more attention to what I do in the shower last night. I tend to oil my hair heavily before washing, so I start off with fairly warm water, to help the oil soak in just a little. I then turn it down to luke-warm for general washing, and finish by standing for at least a minute and a half (I actually count) under cold water. I usually use an mix of ACV,honey, and water as a rinse right before the cold, which also helps to smooth down the scales and lock in moisture.

[christine1989]

I don't know about warm but hot water makes my hair frizz like crazy. I think cold is better for my hair just because it reduces frizz quite significantly.

[Anywhere]

I have no proof of this and it isn't the only factor that has changed since then, but when I was younger and did CO-washing (pre-lhc) I used super hot water on my hair and it was thicker and my scalp was healthier. When I started dyeing it and using cold water (to stop the color from fading so quickly) i seemed to shed more and my scalp became unhappy. I still use cold water though just because, like I said, I have no idea exactly what factor made these changes in my hair. I didn't really think it was all that damaging to me though. :shrug:

[sailing]

Hot water, yes. I use the cool to cold water in the summer, and my hair is happy and springy. But once it gets below about 60* or so, that same temp will break my hair. So I just use whatever water temp is comfortable to me, seems to be the most agreeable solution to my hair.

[dreamsofthewind]

My hair just gets icky when I wash with lukewarm/cold water. My shampoo and conditioner NEVER washes out properly without the use of at least semi-hot water. That might just be my shampoo/conditioner though... When I run out of the bottles I have now, I will be switching to cone-free products, and hopefully that will make a difference. Sorry that that wasn't very helpful... :P

[McFearless]

WHAT? Hot water is bad for hair? Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had no idea

[LisaMonster]

I feel like washing with too hot of water makes my scalp overly oily anyway. I like the feel of cool water running through my hair.

[Dyefree]

WHAT? Hot water is bad for hair? Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had no idea

Ditto.... And I have suuuuuper hot showers :(

[RachelRain]

I think it depends on what your hair can handle - kind of like how some can handle brushes and some can't.

I've always used hot showers (exceptionally hot, so that it's just this shy of burning me) except for when I lived in Lowell, where I didn't have hot water and always took cold showers. The only difference I ever noticed was the cold water didn't wash out the shampoo or the conditioner as well. I had no difference shedding-wise.

But I've always doused myself with ice cold water for a few minutes before I get out, too, so who knows, maybe the extra long cold rinse counteracts the hot shower. :shrug:

[dfotw]

:scissors:

I know that hot showers contribute greatly to my sanity. :D I've given up my flat iron and my blow dryer and my combs with seams, but I don't think I have the personal strength to give up really hot showers, no matter what they are doing to my hair. :o

This! :agree: I always have very hot showers (even during most of the summer), and even the thought of doing a cold rinse at the end makes me break out in goosebumps! shudder: I'll pamper my hair in each and every other way, but not on this...

[alwayssmiling]

Well I've recently turned down the heat on the shower and wash in warm water and rinse in very cool (not cold) water. It has reduced frizz and it is shinier (though I'm doing avc rinses too). No idea whether hot water was damaging my hair, I was doing so many worse things to know.

BTW I tip my head upside down and have the shower facing right down rather than an angle so my hair gets cold but not my body. I just do the cool rinses at the length so avoiding a cold scalp, of course I get a bit of cold splashing (shudder). But I like the results.

[rymorg2]

I take cooler showers in summer than this time of year....in fall/winter I'm just not willing to go as cool. I do turn it down lower than when I'm doing the other showerly things I do though. I start my shower with my hair, turn it up while my condish is absorbing, then turn down a bit and rinse last.

It's all in what you're willing to put up with. Some of us have to have heat. Some of us color. Some of us heat style. You just have to know what to do to offset it. If hot water is ALL you do to your hair, you're not going to have to worry about it. But if you pair hot water with chlorine from the pool with blow dryers and flat irons and highlights you have a recipe for disaster.

[lajsa]

Hmm, this is a interesting read! I personally love taking really hot showers, and I didn't think it was really damaging to my hair, really. I'll start washing my hair first, in lukewarm or cold water, and then perhaps put it up into my shower cap and boil away at the rest of me :p My hair shouldn't suffer because I like hot water, and I'm pretty desperate not to hinder growth or cause additional damage in any way. :D

[bumblebums]

I have only had one experience with that I am afraid, and that was when I was working in Tanzania for four months. We did only have a tap with occational and very cold water to shower, so there were nothing but cold water showers for four months. It did cause an awful lot of greasy and dirty buildup in my hair. Almost like the cold water could not bring the cleansing hair sebum out of the hair properly. It must be added that the heat and dust and different hair products could be a part of the problem too.

Well, yeah, there are a lot of differences, so you can't really compare the situations and attribute the main effect to cold water.

But, stuff does dissolve easier in hot water than in cold water. Try it with salt, for example--it disappears almost immediately in boiling water, but you will usually be able to see the crystals for a long time after putting them in cold water, especially if the water is on the hard side. So that would explain why some people find cold water to not be as cleansing for hair washing as hotter water. Stuff just dissolves better in hot water. Still, no reason not to end with a cool rinse to close the cuticle, if you're going for shine.

By the way, the sensitivity to heat and cold is very much a cultural matter. Cultures differ in how hot the bathing water is. In Japan, bathtubs have electric heating ducts to heat the water as you're sitting in it, sort of like in a crock pot. In Russia, many believe that washing in cold water is healthier and better for the skin. Children not reared with normal human parents (a.k.a. wolf children, after Romulus and Remus) are insensitive to cold water. There is the famous example of Genie, who would pour herself an ice-cold bath and just get into it without a second thought. So, you can definitely train yourself to stand cold water if you wanted to.

[rymorg2]

Hmm, this is a interesting read! I personally love taking really hot showers, and I didn't think it was really damaging to my hair, really. I'll start washing my hair first, in lukewarm or cold water, and then perhaps put it up into my shower cap and boil away at the rest of me :p My hair shouldn't suffer because I like hot water, and I'm pretty desperate not to hinder growth or cause additional damage in any way. :D

I know. You wouldn't think that the temperature you use in the shower would affect things, but for some of us (like me) it does a lot. You may find that it makes a difference you didn't know it could!

[bumblebums]

On a semi-related note, I found an interesting article about cold caps for preventing hair loss during chemotherapy:

http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/home/cold_caps_aim_to_prevent_chemo-related_hair_loss/a95025aa

[marisa]

That is an interesting article.

There is no way I could give up my warm/hot showers in the winter, but I do follow up with a cool ACV rinse in the sink afterwards.
Hopefully that counteracts what I do in the shower.

[Ash]

I think it depends on the person and the hair. I have taken very hot showers almost all my life and never had a problem with my hair being damaged from it. Now especially I have to use hot water otherwise I can't get my hair clean. It is sticky and tangly feeling and impossible to get a comb through. I think if I still used sulfate shampoos daily and didn't use oil that it would be slightly better but I think I still had reasons for using hot water back then. I feel that the hot water is helping to thin out the oils and sebum making them easier to wash off. Since my hair has issues with oil preventing moisture from getting to it I feel this is a good thing. I do use cool distilled water as a final rise, perhaps this is helping prevent damage that may be caused by the hot water.

[Madora]

In his book "George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair" (1981) he wrote:

"...if you can tolerate it, give yourself a final rinse with cold water, as cold as you can stand it. The cold water shrinks the molecules of the hair and knocks off any superfluous coatings, making your hair much more manageable."

"...adopt a program of rinsing your hair first with warm, then lukewarm, and finally with cold water."

[CaityBear]

Since I hate the cold and we have nasty winters, I usually start my showers fairly warm (sometimes I refuse to shower because I'm too cold to get into the shower lol) then I try to turn the water down to rinse my hair. But sometimes I'm too lazy or the warm water is too nice and I just leave it warm.

Incentive to shower with water not as warm is also how it affects your skin. The hot water wil dry out your skin sooo much more. And I can tell. So I try to tell myself it's all around better to lower the temp...but sometimes I just say screw it! :)

[rymorg2]

In his book "George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair" (1981) he wrote:

"...if you can tolerate it, give yourself a final rinse with cold water, as cold as you can stand it. The cold water shrinks the molecules of the hair and knocks off any superfluous coatings, making your hair much more manageable."

"...adopt a program of rinsing your hair first with warm, then lukewarm, and finally with cold water."

Once the heat hits the hair though the cold water alone isn't enough to close the cuticle enough to really get the best results. It can HELP, but it's better to use just lukewarm. This is one thing I don't agree with G. M. on.

[feralnature]

I use luke warm water to wash my hair, hot shower for my body, and cool water to rinse hair, then hot water to rinse body.

Hair is never in hot water.

[nellreno]

I've been taking hot showers since I was a child, and my hair was healthy and damage-free until I discovered dye and the hair straightener. >.< Cold showers do more damage to my hair as cold water makes my hair tangled like crazy.

Sorry, no cold showers for me.

[Milui Elenath]

If I did a cold rinse my hair would NEVER dry, okay maybe never is an exaggeration. It dries so much faster when washed warm/hot. I also feel I would have more damage from cold as my hair would be wet longer thus in a fragile state longer. Also, even though I wash hot I don't have any sheds in the shower - most seriously. I brush and scritch before so I suspect all sheds are out before the wash so I don't know if hot water would cause that, at least it doesn't for me.

It is probably better for the hair to be in tepid temperatures but personally I believe on the scale of damage it's likely the very least of the evils.

There is no substitute for a hot shower when I have the beginnings of a migraine (before it gets to that - can not stand to be touched by shower water - too much sensory overload stage) my hair is the last thing on my mind at such times and the shower cap sometimes too irritating to wear or to put on.

I love my hair but I also love my hot showers.

[blondecat]

OK OK what kind of temps are we talking about here.


Hot =
I read warm =
Lukewarm =

I take my showers and wash my hair in 42 celcius hot water. I get a heck of lot of sebum, even when washed on cold rainwater. So at least the heat melts it better.

Am I doing much damage by having it so very warm ??

My hair is as thin as cotton candy.

[Heitu]

I once asked my hairdresser about this; she said that it is not possible to wash oneself with water that warm/hot that it could do damage to your hair. So at least at her opinion the skin should burn first :D But then again, I do believe that the cooler the water the happier the hair.

[DivineComedian]

I've been wondering this for a while actually, so it's interesting to have a thread on it. I had heard that washing with cold water can make hair appear shinier though. I do tend to find my hair feels nicer and looks shinier and less frizzy when I don't wash it with hot water: when I do this, I usually rinse the shampoo out with lukewarm, put on conditioner, clip it up whilst I wash the rest of me in the shower (turned up fairly hot), then after 3 or so minutes turn the temperature right down and rinse out the conditioner. It makes me shiver, but seems to have an effect. I can only do it when I'm at home though- our showers at college have no temperature controls, so the water is always boiling hot.

[allmixedup88]

Gosh I've been washing my hair in burning hot water all these years, that changes today :-)

[kabelaced]

I never noticed an extra dryness [in my hair] resulting from too-hot water, but my skin is very dry so using hot water just damages it more and makes me very itchy. I keep the water warm, but not as hot as it used to be, and when I do my ACV rinse at the end of the wash, it's with cool tap water. I found that really increases my shine (both the ACV and the cold water).

[boomygrrl]

I wash my body with warm/hot water...my hair with warm/luke warm water. Sometimes I rinse with cooler water, but usually I'm lazy or too cold.

I don't think warm water is bad. It can clean your hair better than cold...and rinsing afterwards with cool or cold will give you the benefits of washing it fully with cold, I would think. ???

Hot water sounds like it would be bad, though. Although I know I have done so a few times...perhaps if you don't make a habit of doing it, it'll be okay ???

I say if you can stand cooler water, then do that. But to me, comfort/laziness trumps perfect hair.

[Quahatundightu]

My hair gets cold enough after I get out of the shower! I figure that can be my cold rinse xD

[spidermom]

Hot is relative. I thought I took hot showers until I stepped into the shower with my husband. OW! Major hot.

I've been told that if the temperature doesn't burn the skin of your neck, it won't harm your hair.

[Coan-Teen]

I think like everything else it's kind of individual. Hot/warm water can cause damage, but not so much that it's going to ruin your hair. Besides, once you get out of that cold shower your hair will return to room temperature anyhow, and those scales that went down will open up.

I'm not saying cold rinses are useless. They can help stimulate your scalp and increase growth. They do increase shine for some, at least temporarily, but this is one of those places where I think it's about on par with touching your hair at all. Everything causes some damage. Personally I do warm showers and take care of my hair in every other way.

[Clarisse]

Hot water will make blood run to your follicles, which in turn will make your hair grow, get thicker and flush toxins away. But hot water will also raise the scales (like cassia). I don’t think hot water is that bad, as long as it isn’t burning-hot. Anything to hot for the skin is too hot for hair too.

[tigerlily38]

I can only speak by experience with my own hair. There is a 100% difference in my hair since I switched to cold water/air dry only. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if you see a change.

[ddiana1979]

I agree that we need to define terms in order to have a meaningful conversation on this. What is hot, lukewarm, cool, and cold?

Scalp temperature is 34.4 &#176;C (93.92 &#186;F). Room temperature is typically 20 &#176;C (68 &#176;F) to 27 &#176;C (80 &#176;F). So in my opinion, anything between 68 - 93.92 &#186;F should be perfectly safe for hair, since that is the temperature range it's exposed to most frequently (unless you spend a lot of time outdoors). Of course, most adults take baths & showers much hotter than this. It seems that most sites recommend a bathing temperature of 90 - 100 &#176;F for babies.

That said, I do notice much shinier hair with fewer flyaways when I rinse well with cold water. Since I don't have a thermometer in my shower, I'm not sure what "cold" is, except that it's uncomfortable for my body. ;)

[littlenvy]

hhmm ... don't know about hair, but hot water makes my skin really dry!! I used to love taking hot showers in the winter time but then I was itchy no matter how much moisture I tried to put back into my skin.
So now I make sure my bathroom is nice and hot before I take my refreshing warm shower. :) I make it so hot in my bathroom that if I hot shower would be too much. Little heater for 15 minutes does the job just fine.

And I second the cold ACV rinse. :cheese: Does lots of good for my hair.

[jenjen10]

My question is: What is defined as "hot"?? I take very hot showers (according to my bf! hehe) but turn down the water to what *I* consider lukewarm to rinse my hair... but isn't "hot" kind of a relative term? :confused:

ETA: Oops... I didn't read down far enough in the replies and see that someone already addressed this... I apologize.

[EdG]

I think that as long as the water isn't too warm for the skin, it won't be too warm for the hair. The danger with hot water is, of course, that the hair won't let you know it's too hot.

Warm or hot water will remove the sebum more completely than cold water, and that may be a downside.
Ed

[allmixedup88]

Does rinsing with ACV & Peppermint tea help with that sebum issue if you only rinse with cold - luke warm water??

[EdG]

Does rinsing with ACV & Peppermint tea help with that sebum issue if you only rinse with cold - luke warm water??That I don't know. Sebum has both lighter (oily) and heavier (waxy) components. The waxy part can be hard to remove without warm water and shampoo. One usually doesn't want to remove all the sebum.
Ed

[allmixedup88]

ah! okay thank you :-)

[aenflex]

I don't think extremely hot water is good for the hair. Too much swelling and cuticle uplift.

[AlexDig]

I love my hot showers too :-) But I'll turn down the water temp when I'm actually holding my hair under the water. I have really fine hair though that's very prone to damage so I just know I can't get away with some of the things other ladies can let sneak by.

[captaincrunch]

I love my hot showers too :-) But I'll turn down the water temp when I'm actually holding my hair under the water. I have really fine hair though that's very prone to damage so I just know I can't get away with some of the things other ladies can let sneak by.

I'm going to consider trying this. I love hot showers but know it's damaging my hair.

[Larki]

I've never liked hot showers. :p They just make me feel sweaty. In the winter I use warm water, and in the summer I use lukewarm, like body temperature water.

[Kaelee]

I've been washing my hair daily with scorching hot water for years and I haven't seen any ill effects whatsoever, but everyone's hair is different.

[Nadine <3]

I would rather stink than wash in anything but hot water.

[mica]

I've been an advocate for hot showers since I can remember, but I'm trying to change that. Not only for my hair, I feel like my skin could use a break from it too!

[lapushka]

It can't be hotter than the skin can bear, and that's not dangerous to your hair - at all. So, rest assured...

[Starchild]

It causes heat damage.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I wash my body in roastingly hot water but wash my hair in warm water, and (shudder) do a final cold diluted vinegar rinse. Then I roast my body again with hot water to warm up after the cold rinse but keep my hair out of the hot water.

[lapushka]

It causes heat damage.

Not at 35 to 38°C it doesn't.

[Agnes Hannah]

I would rather stink than wash in anything but hot water.
I love this, it made me laugh! I'm a hot water lover too Nadine.

[meteor]

I think the "antique lace" or "fine silk" metaphor works very well here: would you rather wash your fine silk in extremely hot water or lukewarm water to reduce weathering of the fiber?

However, a much bigger issue with very hot showers is how drying it is to skin. Hair is more resilient than that. Ideally, showers shouldn't be too long and too hot for the sake of skin, hair and nails.
Some people have mentioned that hot water causes their hair to frizz up: I've seen it too and I think it's the dryness that does that.

I like what Science-y Hair Blog (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/do-cold-water-rinses-make-hair-shine.html) wrote about water temperatures and hair:
" 1) Warm to hot water assists in removal of oil and soil from hair - including sebum - with but also without detergent.
2) It is more difficult to remove oil and soils (dust, dirt) in cold water.
3) Heat: Dry heat causes cracks in cuticles which tend to develop into chips and ultimately break away as they wear and weather. Hot water heats in a different way which is not necessarily well-studied in hair because hair product manufacturers are more interested in shampoos and conditioners and styling products and curling or straightening irons and blow dryers than hot water.
4) Warm water (heat) speeds up reactions such as diffusion of solutes (proteins, amino acids) in and out of hair; heat liquefies and "thins" more solid or more viscous oils. Things happen faster in heat, in this case oils and proteins are lost from your hair or removed if that's what you're after."
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/do-cold-water-rinses-make-hair-shine.html

[Entangled]

On the subject of science, I would like to point this out for anyone that cares. I know it's an old post from an old thread but in response to this:
But, stuff does dissolve easier in hot water than in cold water. Try it with salt, for example--it disappears almost immediately in boiling water, but you will usually be able to see the crystals for a long time after putting them in cold water, especially if the water is on the hard side. So that would explain why some people find cold water to not be as cleansing for hair washing as hotter water. Stuff just dissolves better in hot water. Still, no reason not to end with a cool rinse to close the cuticle, if you're going for shine.
Temperature change when trying to dissolve salt (NaCl, or sodium chloride) does not significantly change dissolving time. You can put it in ice water or boiling water and it won't make much difference. What matters with NaCl is surface area of the crystals and agitation. However, temperature is a factor for other minerals and compounds.

As for me, I shower with hot water, but only rinse with warm--> cold water. I have to use some heat, otherwise my conditioner doesn't do anything. Plus, my 'cold' water is only room temperature, which is perfectly comfortable for me.

[Voqque]

I've heard from many people that it's true... And washing in cold water always makes your hair shiny.

[Fufu]

Not hot water for washing hair, only lukewarm water.

I usually only use cool water for the final rinse.

[Wosie]

I love showering in hot water... I'm a very cold gal in the colder months (...which are pretty many in Sweden). My feet and hands are known to be virtually ice cold. :|

I try my best not to wash my hair in hot water, though, I already have an issue with frizz and I don't need a bigger one. o-O Very warm/hot water definitely creates more frizz for me. But I do use warm water when I wash it, so that it gets cleaner and most of the shampoo and oils I've used get removed easier. Once I'm done I like to rinse in an ice cold ACV rinse (50% of the time). :)

[fiðrildi]

I love showering in hot water... I'm a very cold gal in the colder months (...which are pretty many in Sweden). My feet and hands are known to be virtually ice cold. :|

I try my best not to wash my hair in hot water, though, I already have an issue with frizz and I don't need a bigger one. o-O Very warm/hot water definitely creates more frizz for me. But I do use warm water when I wash it, so that it gets cleaner and most of the shampoo and oils I've used get removed easier. Once I'm done I like to rinse in an ice cold ACV rinse (50% of the time). :)

This is my routine too. I wash with warm water, and then do the final rinse with ACV and very cold water. If I don't do a cold water rinse at the end, I end up with awfully frizzy hair. Plus, the final cold rinse is pleasant, and it leaves my hair super shiny :)

[Zebra Fish]

Not hot water for washing hair, only lukewarm water.

I usually only use cool water for the final rinse.

Same here.

I also don't like the feeling of something hot on my scalp, so I would usually ask 10 times to lower the water heat at the hairdressers' (while I used to go).

[Stray_mind]

I usually wash my hair with lukewarm water in winter and cold in summer. I think a little cold water if applied for a short period of time is healthier for the scalp, because your body wants to keep it warm and more blood fills the bloodvessels and therefore your hair gets more nutrition. Washing with hot water is probably simmilar to using heat tools. It opens the hair cuticle and leaves it more susceptible to damage and more prone to drying out and breaking off.

[JustPam]

I can't stand bathing or showering in tepid water, do a cold "rinse" by filling up a jug with cold water and dunking as much of my length into it as I can, then I try and keep it as far away from my skin as possible, haha.

[Olavi]

I will go by "if my body can take it, so will my hair" with heat in shower or sauna. Usually I shower in really warm (not hot) water and so far I haven't witnessed damage beyond normal.

[Wosie]

I will go by "if my body can take it, so will my hair" with heat in shower or sauna. Usually I shower in really warm (not hot) water and so far I haven't witnessed damage beyond normal.

...With the difference that the body constantly sheds small skin fragments and new ones take the old ones' place (the skin is an alive organ) and hair doesn't have that advantage. So be careful!

[Rosetta]

Hmm, interesting how most people seem to automatically equate taking hot showers with using the same temperature for hair... I love hot showers too (at least in cold seasons), but I never use that same temperature for my hair, I always adjust it to cooler when I wash or rinse hair. :)

[Skade]

I´ve thought about start washing my hair with cold water but I decided... No, That´s where I draw the line. I do a lot for my hair. I´ve given up a lot. But I will not give up hot showers. Sorry hair. I always end with a quick cold rinse though.

[Skade]

I think the "antique lace" or "fine silk" metaphor works very well here: would you rather wash your fine silk in extremely hot water or lukewarm water to reduce weathering of the fiber?

However, a much bigger issue with very hot showers is how drying it is to skin. Hair is more resilient than that. Ideally, showers shouldn't be too long and too hot for the sake of skin, hair and nails.
Some people have mentioned that hot water causes their hair to frizz up: I've seen it too and I think it's the dryness that does that.

I like what Science-y Hair Blog (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/do-cold-water-rinses-make-hair-shine.html) wrote about water temperatures and hair:
" 1) Warm to hot water assists in removal of oil and soil from hair - including sebum - with but also without detergent.
2) It is more difficult to remove oil and soils (dust, dirt) in cold water.
3) Heat: Dry heat causes cracks in cuticles which tend to develop into chips and ultimately break away as they wear and weather. Hot water heats in a different way which is not necessarily well-studied in hair because hair product manufacturers are more interested in shampoos and conditioners and styling products and curling or straightening irons and blow dryers than hot water.
4) Warm water (heat) speeds up reactions such as diffusion of solutes (proteins, amino acids) in and out of hair; heat liquefies and "thins" more solid or more viscous oils. Things happen faster in heat, in this case oils and proteins are lost from your hair or removed if that's what you're after."
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/do-cold-water-rinses-make-hair-shine.html

This post made me very happy. To see that there can be pros to warm showers. Maybe I can ease up on the hair-guilt I feel every time I put warm water on my head.

[Olavi]

...With the difference that the body constantly sheds small skin fragments and new ones take the old ones' place (the skin is an alive organ) and hair doesn't have that advantage. So be careful!

That's true, but I meant it more as "as long as the heat is comfortable, then it's not too much for my hair". Yes, my skin will recover from (mild) burns, but I have zero desire to take it there, because then it would hurt and so my body would "not take it" :)

[lapushka]

That's true, but I meant it more as "as long as the heat is comfortable, then it's not too much for my hair". Yes, my skin will recover from (mild) burns, but I have zero desire to take it there, because then it would hurt and so my body would "not take it" :)

You're not alone. I'm also of the opinion that if it's not too hot for your skin, it certainly is okay for your hair. My hair is always washed in warm water (between 35-38°C) and it's okay (no white dots and no splits at TBL). Sometimes you gotta let the hair speak for you. ;)

[Wosie]

Heh, I personally have a very high threshold when it comes to what kind of high temperatures that're comfortable for my skin, so I daren't trust its judgment. :p

I also guess it depends on how often you wash your hair, I would be especially careful of hot water if I were a frequent washer.

[ZeppHead]

I agree with most other posters say. The hot water will cause dry hair in return you have more chance of split ends. Also hot water is not good for your scalp it will cause itching just like it causes itchy skin because it dries it out. I always use lukewarm water to shower and cool water at the end to rinse conditioner out. In the long run I've seen a huge improvement in my hairs shine and frizz factor.

[Rushli]

Heh, I personally have a very high threshold when it comes to what kind of high temperatures that're comfortable for my skin, so I daren't trust its judgment. :p

I also guess it depends on how often you wash your hair, I would be especially careful of hot water if I were a frequent washer.
I have quite hot showers too so I always turn it down to warm when doing hair stuff. Before getting out of the shower I do a room temp AVC rinse which feels rather frigid comparatively.

[Spinder]

Excessively hot water is very harsh and strips all traces of the natural oils from your hair, which in turn is very very drying and damaging. That doesn't mean you have to douse yourself with freezing cold water though; I find lukewarm to slightly cool water to be the best for getting things nice and clean while still retaining all of the hair's natural moisture :)