Does washing in really warm water harm hair?

**dontcallmejessi** · January 22nd, 2011, 01:49 PM

I love taking really warm (almost hot) showers and I'm starting to wonder if that is having a huge impact on the condition of my hair. I'm wondering if there are others who have another method to help me enjoy my hot shower and still save my hair. I have started using a 1 liter size squirt bottle filled with water for my final rinses. Which is great and makes it much shiner, but I'm thinking maybe I should be using this for my whole washing process to protect my hair from the heat of the shower. I just fill it at the end of my shower so that by the time I go to use it again in my next shower it is room temp and ready to go. Any other ideas? Or do I have nothing to worry about?

**xoxophelia** · January 22nd, 2011, 01:55 PM

I personally just take a warm shower and then turn the water so it isn't hot or cold for when my hair is under the water.

**spidermom** · January 22nd, 2011, 02:02 PM

I've run into the advice to keep hair out of hot water in a number of places, so I tend to believe it. I keep the water on the cooler side of warm to wash my hair, then I move my hair out of the way or clip it up when I want to turn the water hotter.

Of course, what is hot is relative. I thought I took hot showers until I stepped into the shower with my husband one day. Yow! Talk about hot! I thought it would scald the skin right off me. In comparison, my showers are warm, not hot.

**Phiona** · January 22nd, 2011, 02:05 PM

about 4 months ago I stopped washing my hair when I take a shower because I love very hot showers and the hot water was drying my scalp. So now I wear a shower cap to protect my hair. After my shower I wash my hair over the side of the tub with cool/luke warm water. after i condition I do a final rinse with freezing cold water. Wow my hair is soo shiny now and my dry scalp is completely gone

I first got the idea from Youtube's YouTips4U

**~~ericthegreat~~** · January 22nd, 2011, 02:14 PM

I've always taken warm showers, and doing so has never harmed either my skin or my hair. I just won't stand for cold showers, the way I see it any possible benefit that cold water might give to my hair is far outweighed by me shivering or catching a cold.

I just make sure that I only use moisturizing products when I'm in the shower. I use a gentle body wash, on a regular basis I only CO my hair, and once a week I apply coconut oil as a deep treatment.

**Madora** · January 22nd, 2011, 02:24 PM

I use warm water for shampooing/rinsing. For the final rinse I use water as cold as I can stand.

**ravenreed** · January 22nd, 2011, 02:26 PM

My showers are never super hot. I don't like really hot water. However they are not cold or warm either. They are mild to moderately hot. I have yet to notice any significant benefit by only using cold water on my hair, or any harm by washing in the temperature I use on the rest of my body.

**lyria** · January 22nd, 2011, 02:31 PM

I LOVE long hot showers (and pity whoever goes after me without warm water!). But at the end, I make sure to run it cold and soak my hair before getting out. I've been doing this for years and it works well for me

**Amraann** · January 22nd, 2011, 03:17 PM

I have tried the cool water final rinse and it makes my hair tangled. Not to mention I despise cold water on my skin. Unless its in the middle of a Florida summer.

**MinderMutsig** · January 22nd, 2011, 03:26 PM

I'm willing to give up a lot to have nice, shiny, healthy hair but giving up my hot showers is NOT one of them. There is just no way. Ever. I'd rather go bald.