is cold water damaging?

[lastnite]

the thread on if hot showers/water is damaging to hair has me now wondering if cold water is damaging, good or just doesn't do anything? I know cold water rinses are supposed to seal the cuticle... but I mean washing, rinsing, conditioning, etc with cold water from start to finish.

[Modarunner]

I've never heard anything about cold water being bad on your hair, but I did read somewhere that warm water makes it easier to wash away dirt and oil from your hair. Kind of like when your doing dishes and try to clean a greasy pan, cold water makes the oil harder, where warm water dissolves the oil. I now use warm water during my shampoo and cold water to rinse my conditioner at the very end.

[Shesta]

Cold water can't hurt your hair but can easily bring you a cold.

[oktobergoud]

It won't be damaging, I think, but it is better to wash your hair with warm water! I think it's better to do a final cold rinse, instead of just washing it entirely with cold water. Basically because your hair gets better clean that way, less build-up etc.!

[Raiscake]

I feel like my condish just sits on top of my hair if I use only cold water. It's not as effective as warm water.

[Sookie]

It's not harmfull of course! I always wash my hair with a little bit warm water and then do a final rinse with cold water, so the hair cells close. I have noticed that it is more shinny but doing this cold rinse.

[danacc]

Being wet makes the hair weaker, but as long as you handle it gently, it won't be damaging. Using warm or cold water to make your hair wet in and of itself isn't beneficial. But it isn't harmful unless there is some sort of mechanical damage while it is wet.

[heidi w.]

I would not recommend showering or washing hair with cold water. It can, especially in snowy winter climates, overly chill the body as a whole.

Conditioner doesn't work best under too cool or cold water applications. Shampoo doesn't emulsify well under cold water; it remains a bit too viscous and doesn't emulsify well. Note how soap on a sponge works better when the water is warm vs. cold. Same idea.

Conditioner bonds with the cortex of hair's inner core, and too cool of water doesn't allow the cuticle outer layer to "open", as a way of putting it. Therefore the uptake of conditioner in cool or cold water isn't as effective as in warmer water.

I imagine one may have problems rinsing well in cool or cold water, too.

heidi w.

[jojo]

I always finish with a cold rinse as I find it makes my hair shinier and easier to comb through but BBBBrrrrrrr I couldn't do a whole wash in cold water; serious brain freeze!

[ktani]

Both shampoo and conditioner can work in cooler water temperatures but the cool water is helping the cuticles stay closed and it is not really necessary.

A cool not cold water rinse is good enough. Cold water is not damaging.

Conditioner sits on the hair surface and coats it (unless it is a specially designed treatment). The cortex of the hair shaft is the center. Conditioner does not reach it.

ETA: http://books.google.ca/books?id=T6uujBE7n7wC&pg=PA1401&lpg=PA1401&dq=conditioner+coats+cuticles&source=bl&ots=PrriDzMDXq&sig=DnRugkBxRNROZ--miNcETG3_L0w&hl=en&ei=-1WsTquFBoPg0QG-0MytDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=conditioner%20coats%20cuticles&f=false

[ktani]

When there is nothing to block it, lauric acid from coconut oil penetrates to the cortex level of hair and binds to protein inside the cortex, reducing further hair swelling and helping to prevent protein loss, Pg 17
http://journal.scconline.org//pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf (http://journal.scconline.org//pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf)

The link is not currently working. It does this periodically.

More on the hair cortex
http://dermatology.about.com/cs/hairanatomy/a/hairbiology.htm
"Most hair conditioning products attempt to affect the cuticle."

ETA: Technically the medulla is the centre of the hair shaft but it is often missing in fine hair. When I had my hair tested years ago by Redken, it was missing in hair strands. My hair is fine/medium.

From the above link
"The inner layer is called the medulla and may not be present."

[BlazingHeart]

You know, a lot of people talk about a cold water rinse making the hair shinier and easier to brush, but I've found nothing of the sort. All a cold water rinse does is make my head (and any part of me the water runs over) COLD! I haven't seen any benefit to it.

~Blaze

[slythwolf]

Cold water can't hurt your hair but can easily bring you a cold.
I'm not sure how; colds are caused by a virus.

[jacqueline101]

I'd say its more of a chill mater if you're in the middle of winter don't use cold. I'd suggest doing warm maybe a cool final rinse. I think your hair gets cleaner if you use warm water as to cold.

[ktani]

I'm not sure how; colds are caused by a virus.

Yes, they are but if you get chilled, your immunity can be compromised. It is an indirect connection.

I warm wash, cool, not cold, rinse.

[blondie9912]

Like others said, cold water isn't damaging, but it can make it harder to wash out dirt and oil

[cowgirllong]

I wouldn't wash in cold water. I think I'd get hypothermic doing that. I do my last rinse in much cooler water, though. Like others have said, it makes it shinier.

[turquoisedays]

I always wash just my hair in lukewarm water, and turn up the heat when I wash everything else.

[ktani]

I always wash just my hair in lukewarm water, and turn up the heat when I wash everything else.

I do that as well, especially on colder nights.

[KwaveT]

I tend to wash in just slightly cool water and finish with a cold rinse. I would never though take an entire shower with hot water. If your water is hot enough to create a steam sauna effect in your shower you are also breathing in all the toxins from the water and that is not good.

[ddiana1979]

I use cold water for the vast majority of my showers because I'm always trying to build my tolerance for open water swims in cold water for triathlons. It's not damaging to your hair, it's just weird. ;)

Some shampoos don't foam quite as well, but that's literally the only difference Re: hair that I've noticed. Some people say their hair is more shiny following cold water rinses though.

The water coming out of the tap is pretty hard to get to a low enough temperature to damage your hair or skin, unless your water source is outside, I suppose (and then you'd have to worry about the pipes freezing long before you'd damage your skin anyhow).

[proo]

In the WO world, cold water rocks. I guess the smoother the cuticle lays, the easier sebum slides down the hair shaft.