affects of frequent water trips

[gthlvrmx]

So i was wondering, what if your hair goes through water a lot! like rain and shower and bathe kinda of everyday? what are the effects?

[christine1989]

I'm concerned about this too since I wash it daily and live in a very rainy city. I know that constant wetness is not great for hair because it is more fragile when wet and has a tendacy to be more elastic. It's not the worst thing you can do to your hair but you should keep it dry as much as possible.

[gthlvrmx]

I'm concerned about this too since I wash it daily and live in a very rainy city. I know that constant wetness is not great for hair because it is more fragile when wet and has a tendacy to be more elastic. It's not the worst thing you can do to your hair but you should keep it dry as much as possible.

oh yes thank you. i shall always keep a towel and umbrella with me :P this actually concerned me recently because i realized im moving to the wettest city in America-Hilo, Hawaii.

[owlathena]

I wonder this too(hooray seattle!). I'm extra careful with it when wet, but does the constant wetting and drying and wetting and drying dry it out (I'm thinking of how my lips get dried out when I lick them a lot...)?

[christine1989]

oh yes thank you. i shall always keep a towel and umbrella with me :P this actually concerned me recently because i realized im moving to the wettest city in America-Hilo, Hawaii.

Yes, I have visited there a few times and although it seems to rain less than here in Seattle the air is always very humid and moist. I have only stayed for a month at a time but I noticed much more frizz than usual so you may want to keep a brush/comb and some anti frizz sirum with you. Luckily I have never experienced any real damage from regularly wet hair- just frizz.

[ibleedlipstick]

I have never experienced any real damage from regularly wet hair- just frizz.

This. I haven't noticed any real damage from having wet hair, but my hair LOVES to frizz. Seriously — I leave the house with smooth hair, walk a block, and have a white-girl afro. Not a good look for me :p

I don't really mess with my hair a whole lot though, so it may be different for those who are compulsive hair-twirlers.

[gthlvrmx]

Yes, I have visited there a few times and although it seems to rain less than here in Seattle the air is always very humid and moist. I have only stayed for a month at a time but I noticed much more frizz than usual so you may want to keep a brush/comb and some anti frizz sirum with you. Luckily I have never experienced any real damage from regularly wet hair- just frizz.

oo ok thank you! :D comb, im actually going to try and use the brush less and less-my hair is much too thick to even get through it without going too hard and creating breakage. My hair will probably just curl more than frizz luckily for me :P thank you!

[ravenreed]

My hair gets extremely dry and more prone to split unless I wet it regularly. As long as one is careful with one's hair when it is wet, I don't see any damage from it actually being wet.

[milagro]

I find my hair loves water but hates water (especially salt water) + sun combination. And high humidity always increases frizz.

[Aleria]

I actually think my hair likes water. It looks best after a rainfall or the day after my shower, the water really brings out my waves.

[Siava]

My hair is fine even if washed daily, but if washed/wet multiple times a day it gets dry and splits. Summertime comes to mind when being in the swimming pool or visiting the beach.

I took a trip to Puerto Rico last year for a week and washed my hair at least twice every day due to multiple trips to the ocean, sweating, and random mayhem (didn't want to smell like a distillery after rum got splashed onto my hair). It was horribly dry upon return and took several deep conditioning treatments to feel normal again.

[rena]

Depending on hair's relative condition, it will soak up water and hold onto it like a new sponge, which in turn, could stretch the hair into a weakened state and compromise its structural integrity. Hence, why hair is weaker when wet. Being in such a constant "stretched" state as this can be damaging and ruin your hair's ability to absorb needed moisture.

So its important to keep hair dry to keep it healthy (not too dry though!). Not to mention to also keep yourself from getting sick.

[Lianna]

My hair doesn't mind water. I live in a hot climate, so I wet it everyday, twice. Nothing bad happend all my life...I wash once with shampoo, once with just conditioner. I'd get very stressed and my head very hot and unconfortable if I didn't.

Strechting washes was bad for me, my hair grew way slower. Hot weather plus sweaty scalp isn't good.

My hair isn't strechty when wet...it's pretty similar when dry.

[ravenreed]

I think the getting sick when one's hair is wet is a myth. Is there anything scientific to back up the idea that wetting hair weakens it structurally and permanently??

I could wash mine every day. The only reason I don't is that the routine I use takes a lot of time and a lot of water and I am living in a desert. In addition, the five hours it takes my hair to dry is a bummer.


Depending on hair's relative condition, it will soak up water and hold onto it like a new sponge, which in turn, could stretch the hair into a weakened state and compromise its structural integrity. Hence, why hair is weaker when wet. Being in such a constant "stretched" state as this can be damaging and ruin your hair's ability to absorb needed moisture.

So its important to keep hair dry to keep it healthy (not too dry though!). Not to mention to also keep yourself from getting sick.

[einna]

I think the getting sick when one's hair is wet is a myth.

Not a myth in Norway, its freakin`cold and humid here in winter ;)
In really hot climates I think it would actually be good for you.

[Mesmerise]

I've never really thought of rain as being damaging to hair before! The only time it annoys me is when I've straightened my hair lol... I don't straighten it often, so when it IS straight and I get in the rain I'm not happy!

However, if my hair is just normal and it gets wet it goes curlier and looks better (which is weird), I mean...it frizzes but it usually frizzes anyway, and as long as it's curly it looks better than sort of half wavyish blah...

I'm also not sure that wet hair makes you sick. I guess if you live in a really cold climate it will keep you colder, which is bad...but actually being cold shouldn't make you any sicker than being warm... unless you're exposed to some sort of virus or bacteria and have a weakened immune system??! If your immune system is strong, I don't think it would be any different...BUT it would be awfully unpleasant if it was so cold your wet hair started to freeze!!

[krissykins]

I remember when I first started at LHC, someone had mentioned the possibility of wetting your hair every day as a way to promote growth. I don't know if it's true though.

[rena]

Is there anything scientific to back up the idea that wetting hair weakens it structurally and permanently??

Its just what I have read in my research about hair and what not. It seems that it is a universally accepted fact that hair is much weaker when it is wet, but the weakened state does not become permanent if it is allowed to be dry more than wet. Its being in a constant wet state more than dry that may damage it. Hair (not necessarily everyone's though, but a fair number) can soak up a lot of water and hold onto it if the cuticles are in good condition, but the weight of the water can stretch the hair and pull its structure out of wack. Perhaps not much in individual instances, but over time this can take its toll if its happening unusually frequently and for prolonged time. Levels of such damage will vary among different hair thicknesses and abilities to retain water, but this is genrally what is supposed to happen.

[ravenreed]

My understanding is that the danger with wet hair is that it can stretch more when wet and and is more prone to snap, not that it somehow damages the hair just from being wet. I don't know anyone who wanders around with chronically wet hair unless they live in the water, such as surfers and all the ones I saw growing up had hair, some of it quite long. Again, I would really have to see an scientific article or something to understand this better.


Its just what I have read in my research about hair and what not. It seems that it is a universally accepted fact that hair is much weaker when it is wet, but the weakened state does not become permanent if it is allowed to be dry more than wet. Its being in a constant wet state more than dry that may damage it. Hair (not necessarily everyone's though, but a fair number) can soak up a lot of water and hold onto it if the cuticles are in good condition, but the weight of the water can stretch the hair and pull its structure out of wack. Perhaps not much in individual instances, but over time this can take its toll if its happening unusually frequently and for prolonged time. Levels of such damage will vary among different hair thicknesses and abilities to retain water, but this is genrally what is supposed to happen.

[Cleopatra18]

Has anyone heard of hygral fatigue? I read about it before on a long-haired blog.From my understanding It means the swelling of the shafts that happens with wetting the hair,and may actually lead to damage and wearing off of the cortex,making it more prone to splits.Coconut oil prepoo is supposed to prevent that.

[Islandgrrl]

Hmmmm...I don't know about this.

When I lived in So. California, I washed my hair every day with shampoo, and conditioned it (back in the dark ages before I knew things I know now). It was between classic and knee length, and had a thick, blunt hemline. If it was damaged from water, I sure never noticed.

I live in the Pacific Northwet (no, not a typo) now and it still gets wet nearly every day (not washed every day). You can see the length and condition in my profile pic. I still don't think my hair suffers from being exposed to water.

[Cleopatra18]

Hmmmm...I don't know about this.

When I lived in So. California, I washed my hair every day with shampoo, and conditioned it (back in the dark ages before I knew things I know now). It was between classic and knee length, and had a thick, blunt hemline. If it was damaged from water, I sure never noticed.

I live in the Pacific Northwet (no, not a typo) now and it still gets wet nearly every day (not washed every day). You can see the length and condition in my profile pic. I still don't think my hair suffers from being exposed to water.
It is certainly not suffering Islandgrrl.Looks amazing as usual.:)

[varintalonguard]

I condition or just rinse my hair every night. My hair doesn't like it if I don't. I have noticed though if i wet it and don't braid it or bun it, it decided to become much curlier and have enough volume to look yuck rather than lovely. Though this may be a person preference as my mother loves it when my hair is shirley temples.

Anyways back to the subject at hand, my hair tends to be dry especially at the ends because my hair is curly so if it doesn't get moisture everyday I can end up with breakage.

[gthlvrmx]

I condition or just rinse my hair every night. My hair doesn't like it if I don't. I have noticed though if i wet it and don't braid it or bun it, it decided to become much curlier and have enough volume to look yuck rather than lovely. Though this may be a person preference as my mother loves it when my hair is shirley temples.

Anyways back to the subject at hand, my hair tends to be dry especially at the ends because my hair is curly so if it doesn't get moisture everyday I can end up with breakage.
This right here, i think i will definitely benefit from a more humid environment. Whenever it's cloudy and rainy here, my hair is curlier and so soft, but once it leaves and it's sunny So.Cal again, it tends to get drier faster.
All i can think of is oiling the ends to prevent so much leaving until im in a humid environment :D
But for it to be everyday, your hair must love it's water :)

[gthlvrmx]

Has anyone heard of hygral fatigue? I read about it before on a long-haired blog.From my understanding It means the swelling of the shafts that happens with wetting the hair,and may actually lead to damage and wearing off of the cortex,making it more prone to splits.Coconut oil prepoo is supposed to prevent that.
I've actually recently read about this, something about the cuticle opening and closing too often that it may damage the cortex.

[spidermom]

Has anyone heard of hygral fatigue? I read about it before on a long-haired blog.From my understanding It means the swelling of the shafts that happens with wetting the hair,and may actually lead to damage and wearing off of the cortex,making it more prone to splits.Coconut oil prepoo is supposed to prevent that.

Yes - this. And coconut oil doesn't prevent it, but it does add a bit more strength to the hair.

Every time you wet your hair, the cuticle lifts and the hydrogen bonds relax, so your hair is weaker. As it dries, the cuticle closes again and the hydrogen bonds re-set. Over time, the closing becomes less perfect, so the cuticle is no longer as tight, and it begins to fray. This happens over time, so you aren't going to notice it unless (maybe) you look back at a picture from 5-10 years ago and wonder why your hair is more frizzy and less shiny.

Plus wetting your hair does not give it more moisture. In fact, it makes it more likely that the moisture inside your hair shaft will evaporate while that cuticle is raised. It's kind of like licking dry lips.
The only way you can get more moisture into your hair is to drink more water, and it affects the new hairs, not the hairs that are already halfway down your back. Moisture treatments are only temporary; what you get into your hair evaporates right back out.

[gthlvrmx]

Yes - this. And coconut oil doesn't prevent it, but it does add a bit more strength to the hair.

Every time you wet your hair, the cuticle lifts and the hydrogen bonds relax, so your hair is weaker. As it dries, the cuticle closes again and the hydrogen bonds re-set. Over time, the closing becomes less perfect, so the cuticle is no longer as tight, and it begins to fray. This happens over time, so you aren't going to notice it unless (maybe) you look back at a picture from 5-10 years ago and wonder why your hair is more frizzy and less shiny.

Plus wetting your hair does not give it more moisture. In fact, it makes it more likely that the moisture inside your hair shaft will evaporate while that cuticle is raised. It's kind of like licking dry lips.
The only way you can get more moisture into your hair is to drink more water, and it affects the new hairs, not the hairs that are already halfway down your back. Moisture treatments are only temporary; what you get into your hair evaporates right back out.
Oh wow i had no idea! Thanks spidermom, i love learning the science stuff here! :D So that's another reason why we've told each other here to take less washes here aside from the natural oils.

[bunzfan]

Yes - this. And coconut oil doesn't prevent it, but it does add a bit more strength to the hair.

Every time you wet your hair, the cuticle lifts and the hydrogen bonds relax, so your hair is weaker. As it dries, the cuticle closes again and the hydrogen bonds re-set. Over time, the closing becomes less perfect, so the cuticle is no longer as tight, and it begins to fray. This happens over time, so you aren't going to notice it unless (maybe) you look back at a picture from 5-10 years ago and wonder why your hair is more frizzy and less shiny.

Plus wetting your hair does not give it more moisture. In fact, it makes it more likely that the moisture inside your hair shaft will evaporate while that cuticle is raised. It's kind of like licking dry lips.
The only way you can get more moisture into your hair is to drink more water, and it affects the new hairs, not the hairs that are already halfway down your back. Moisture treatments are only temporary; what you get into your hair evaporates right back out.

I have seen you posted this fact several times and now i'm very concerned, i have been just spraying the mid length and ends and adding oil to the ends and its making the hair much softer than adding oil to dry hair. But obviously i don't want to weaken the ends any further as they haven't been cut since December hmm i don't know:confused:

[haibane]

I have seen you posted this fact several times and now i'm very concerned, i have been just spraying the mid length and ends and adding oil to the ends and its making the hair much softer than adding oil to dry hair. But obviously i don't want to weaken the ends any further as they haven't been cut since December hmm i don't know:confused:
Water is actually not the enemy. Hair needs water as part of its structure to not get fragile. See for example this article: http://journal.scconline.org//pdf/cc1997/cc048n02/p00123-p00126.pdf (Mechanism of split-end formation in human head hair) that luxepiggy posted in this awesome thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=60257 It mentions that among other things water is one part that helps strengthen the hair and prevent splitting. ktani has discussed this before too.
My take on it is that hair that has too much water becomes too soft. This is well known, wet hair is very soft, pliable and fragile, and need to be treated very carefully. But on the other side, hair that doesn't have enough water is not soft enough, it gets hard and brittle and fragile because of that, which makes it split and break easier.

Now, hygral fatigue, look at this blog post: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2011/05/before-you-shampoo-conditioner-or-oil.html Basically, when hair is so wet that is it completely saturated with water, the shaft swells (too much) and this causes stress on the strucure of the hair, especially when this happens repeatedly. Pre-oiling can help it not swell so much. See also this post: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/03/monday-myths-can-you-really-deep.html from the same blog which mentions that it takes 15 minutes for water to completely penetrate and saturate the hair shaft.

Now, given all of the above, misting to me is the perfect compromise. A light misting (I use about a teaspoon of water for my whole length) doesn't add nearly enough water to saturate and swell up the shaft. But it does add enough to keep the hair moisturized, supple and soft, and prevent it from going dry and brittle. I also add a bit of conditioner and coconut oil to the mister, which seems to help make the hair feel supple rather than just wet.

[Jeni]

My hair actually seems happier when its wet and stay wet/damp for as long as possible...

I was my hair daily and put it up in a bun while damp (only way I can get it to stay up). Its usually at least still slightly damp when I take it down and I have never noticed an issue.

[bunzfan]

Water is actually not the enemy. Hair needs water as part of its structure to not get fragile. See for example this article: http://journal.scconline.org//pdf/cc1997/cc048n02/p00123-p00126.pdf (Mechanism of split-end formation in human head hair) that luxepiggy posted in this awesome thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=60257 It mentions that among other things water is one part that helps strengthen the hair and prevent splitting. ktani has discussed this before too.
My take on it is that hair that has too much water becomes too soft. This is well known, wet hair is very soft, pliable and fragile, and need to be treated very carefully. But on the other side, hair that doesn't have enough water is not soft enough, it gets hard and brittle and fragile because of that, which makes it split and break easier.

Now, hygral fatigue, look at this blog post: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2011/05/before-you-shampoo-conditioner-or-oil.html Basically, when hair is so wet that is it completely saturated with water, the shaft swells (too much) and this causes stress on the strucure of the hair, especially when this happens repeatedly. Pre-oiling can help it not swell so much. See also this post: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/03/monday-myths-can-you-really-deep.html from the same blog which mentions that it takes 15 minutes for water to completely penetrate and saturate the hair shaft.

Now, given all of the above, misting to me is the perfect compromise. A light misting (I use about a teaspoon of water for my whole length) doesn't add nearly enough water to saturate and swell up the shaft. But it does add enough to keep the hair moisturized, supple and soft, and prevent it from going dry and brittle. I also add a bit of conditioner and coconut oil to the mister, which seems to help make the hair feel supple rather than just wet.

Thank you for explaining it further i really appreciate it :applause i will be checking out those blogs and do some further reading, your right i am just misting so it's just damp and then adding a tiny bit of oil before braiding or bunning.

[gthlvrmx]

Water is actually not the enemy. Hair needs water as part of its structure to not get fragile. See for example this article: http://journal.scconline.org//pdf/cc1997/cc048n02/p00123-p00126.pdf (Mechanism of split-end formation in human head hair) that luxepiggy posted in this awesome thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=60257 It mentions that among other things water is one part that helps strengthen the hair and prevent splitting. ktani has discussed this before too.
My take on it is that hair that has too much water becomes too soft. This is well known, wet hair is very soft, pliable and fragile, and need to be treated very carefully. But on the other side, hair that doesn't have enough water is not soft enough, it gets hard and brittle and fragile because of that, which makes it split and break easier.

Now, hygral fatigue, look at this blog post: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2011/05/before-you-shampoo-conditioner-or-oil.html Basically, when hair is so wet that is it completely saturated with water, the shaft swells (too much) and this causes stress on the strucure of the hair, especially when this happens repeatedly. Pre-oiling can help it not swell so much. See also this post: http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/03/monday-myths-can-you-really-deep.html from the same blog which mentions that it takes 15 minutes for water to completely penetrate and saturate the hair shaft.

Now, given all of the above, misting to me is the perfect compromise. A light misting (I use about a teaspoon of water for my whole length) doesn't add nearly enough water to saturate and swell up the shaft. But it does add enough to keep the hair moisturized, supple and soft, and prevent it from going dry and brittle. I also add a bit of conditioner and coconut oil to the mister, which seems to help make the hair feel supple rather than just wet.
Oh :D It's perfect when you don't want to wash for a long time. I'll make a bottle with the good stuff. :D
But what about the root being wet too much? What if the cuticle opens and closes too much too often? Won't that have an effect?

[haibane]

Thank you for explaining it further i really appreciate it :applause i will be checking out those blogs and do some further reading, your right i am just misting so it's just damp and then adding a tiny bit of oil before braiding or bunning.
Happy to help! :)


Oh :D It's perfect when you don't want to wash for a long time. I'll make a bottle with the good stuff. :D
But what about the root being wet too much? What if the cuticle opens and closes too much too often? Won't that have an effect?
Yeah, it probably can hurt the hair to get it wet or even damp too often. But so can many other things too.
The recently revived porosity thread ( http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=44562 ) had some good stuff, in particular this link: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair?page=3 and the next page: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair?page=4

Pretty much anything can damage the cuticle. Aside from the very well known (chemical treatments and heat) other more mundane stuff can too, like exposing it to sunlight, or the products used to clean the hair, or even just combing or brushing the hair. But that doesn't mean that moving into a cave, never washing your hair and never detangling your hair again is going to be the most optimal hair care for everyone. Everything in moderation and depending on what your hair needs. You need to balance the potential long term risk of damage with the potential benefits for each thing you do to your hair.

For me the choice is made easy, because without daily misting my hair splits like crazy, it's very noticeable. So while theoretically there may be some long term risks with getting my hair wet too frequently, the immediate hair-saving benefits far outweighs it.
Also, for my sleek, straight, low porosity hair, hygral fatigue seems to be pretty low on the list. Even with all the pre-LHC mistreatment of my hair (including frequent wetting) the oldest, longest parts of my hair don't have any more porosity issues (ie cuticle damage) than the youngest hairs closer to the scalp.
But for someone with a different texture and more delicate cuticles, they might be more susceptible to this type of damage.

And just to note re: frequent wetting, there are those who wash daily and damp bun and their hair is thriving. I mean, just look at Cinnamon Hair: http://www.beyondclassiclength.com/ :)
But if your hair is doing just fine with infrequent washing, there is no reason to get it wet more often just because. There are those who are on a sebum only routine who haven't wet their hair for years, and their hair is thriving too. It really is all about figuring out what your individual hair likes. :)

[gthlvrmx]

Happy to help! :)


Yeah, it probably can hurt the hair to get it wet or even damp too often. But so can many other things too.
The recently revived porosity thread ( http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=44562 ) had some good stuff, in particular this link: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair?page=3 and the next page: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/curlchemist-porosity-and-curly-hair?page=4

Pretty much anything can damage the cuticle. Aside from the very well known (chemical treatments and heat) other more mundane stuff can too, like exposing it to sunlight, or the products used to clean the hair, or even just combing or brushing the hair. But that doesn't mean that moving into a cave, never washing your hair and never detangling your hair again is going to be the most optimal hair care for everyone. Everything in moderation and depending on what your hair needs. You need to balance the potential long term risk of damage with the potential benefits for each thing you do to your hair.

For me the choice is made easy, because without daily misting my hair splits like crazy, it's very noticeable. So while theoretically there may be some long term risks with getting my hair wet too frequently, the immediate hair-saving benefits far outweighs it.
Also, for my sleek, straight, low porosity hair, hygral fatigue seems to be pretty low on the list. Even with all the pre-LHC mistreatment of my hair (including frequent wetting) the oldest, longest parts of my hair don't have any more porosity issues (ie cuticle damage) than the youngest hairs closer to the scalp.
But for someone with a different texture and more delicate cuticles, they might be more susceptible to this type of damage.

And just to note re: frequent wetting, there are those who wash daily and damp bun and their hair is thriving. I mean, just look at Cinnamon Hair: http://www.beyondclassiclength.com/ :)
But if your hair is doing just fine with infrequent washing, there is no reason to get it wet more often just because. There are those who are on a sebum only routine who haven't wet their hair for years, and their hair is thriving too. It really is all about figuring out what your individual hair likes. :)
Ah makes sense :) Thank you!