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The idea of stepping into a cold shower first thing in the morning sounds horrendous to most of us, especially if you prefer water so hot it turns your skin red.
But a hot shower might not be the best option when it comes to your hair’s health. On the contrary, cold water might do your hair some good.
No one is going to switch over from a soothing, hot shower to an icy cold rinse without some good reasons, of course. Let’s talk about the benefits of cold rinsing hair. So let’s dive in!
What Is Cold Rinsing?
Cold rinsing is a method of rinsing out your hair using cold water. Most people prefer to make this the last step of their shower routine so that they can enjoy warm water first and quickly finish off with a cold rinse.
This trendy beauty tip states that doing a cold rinse benefits not only your hair but also your skin and body.
The 5 Benefits of Cold Rinsing Your Hair
Should you be cold rinsing? Find out for yourself! Check out these benefits of cold rinsing hair.
1. Minimizes Frizz
One of the best ways to avoid frizzy hair is to keep it well-moisturized. Heat can pull moisture out of your hair, even heat from the water. And very hot water can make damaged hair swell even more, which gives you frizziness.
Cold water will help contract the cuticles on your hair strands, which minimizes swelling and frizziness. Overall, it gives you a smoother, shinier texture.
Read Next: How to Reduce Frizziness in Hair
2. Increases Circulation
Blood circulation is critical throughout the whole body, but we don’t often think about the circulation in our scalps. Good blood circulation in your scalp makes sure that your hair gets all the nutrients and oxygen it needs to grow and thrive.
Rinsing your hair with cold water can cause more blood to flow to your scalp to warm up the area. The increased blood flow is good for your overall hair health and can encourage essential nutrients to rush toward your hair follicles.
3. Seals in Product
Your hair reacts differently to different temperatures of water. When it interacts with hot or warm water, the outer layer, called the cuticle, opens up and expands.
This expansion can be a good thing for washing, as it helps your hair release dirt and oil that need to go. But a cold rinse is important for good conditioning when you want to lock in the good nutrients that your conditioner is providing.
Switching to a cold rinse for conditioner helps to close the cuticle back up, which seals in the product and moisturizes your hair better for shine and softness.
4. Lessens Breakage
You’ve probably heard that over-washing your hair can strip it of its natural oils. Well, washing it with hot water can do this as well. Your hair’s natural oils, called sebum, work to nourish your scalp and hair.
Without them, your hair can become very dry and brittle. Dry and brittle hair is more susceptible to breakage.
Rinsing with cold water can help preserve your natural hair oils, which leads to stronger, softer, and better-looking hair. No one wants their hair to look greasy, but natural oils are critical to good hair health.
Read Next: Take Our “How Often Should I Wash My Hair” Quiz!
5. Helps With Hair Growth
Overall good hair care can help your hair grow faster – especially when it means removing bad habits. One of the benefits of cold rinsing hair is that it may help your hair grow a little bit faster.
Cold rinsing means eliminating the habit of rinsing with hot water. The latter can lead to dry, brittle hair that breaks easily and frequently. With less breakage, your hair can maintain longer lengths.
By improving circulation, locking in good nutrients, and minimizing breakage, your hair can grow healthier and more vital for longer strands. For an even more significant impact, try minimizing the use of heat tools such as curling irons and straighteners in conjunction with cold rinsing.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If you’re not an expert on hair care and beauty, it can be challenging to know all the answers to even common questions. Our frequently asked questions section below can help you answer some more queries about rinsing your hair with cold water.
Is rinsing with hot water bad for your hair?
Using hot water in the shower can be detrimental to your hair. Experts have found that steaming hot water can dry out your scalp and your hair, leading to brittle strands, breakage, and reduced volume.
Rinsing with hot water can also be bad for your skin, as scalding water can cause burns, redness, and irritation.
Is warm water okay to use in the shower?
Warm shower water provides a nice balance between comfort and care. Warm water prevents you from freezing or being uncomfortable during your shower, but it’s also better for your hair than hot water.
In fact, it’s best to wash your hair with warm water because the warmth allows your shampoo to penetrate your hair shaft deeper. But as we mentioned above, rinsing the conditioner with cold water lets your strands trap conditioning ingredients.
How much should you cold rinse your hair?
To get the maximum benefits of cold rinsing, you should do it every time you wash your hair. How often you wash your hair might look different from someone else’s.
If you have very oily hair, you might prefer to wash it every day. However, most experts recommend every other day or every two to three days.
Will washing your hair with cold water make it greasy?
Washing your hair with cold water won’t necessarily make it greasy, but cold water isn’t as effective at removing oil, grease, and grime from your hair and scalp.
That’s why it’s best to wash your hair using warm water and rinse with cold. That way, you get the benefits of cold water while still giving your hair a thorough cleansing.
Does cold water close your pores?
Many people believe that warm water opens your pores while cold water closes them. The truth is that pores cannot open or close because they’re not muscles.
It’s true that warm water is best for washing your face or hair, but not because it opens your pores. Warm water just does a better job of loosening dirt, oil, and grease. Rinsing with cold water after conditioning can be beneficial, but not because it closes your pores.
So, What Are the Benefits of Cold Rinsing?
Cold rinsing your hair does much more than give you a jolt of energy and wake up your sleepy body first thing in the morning. There are several benefits of cold rinsing hair, many of which can help you achieve a softer, shinier style.
Try implementing a cold rinse after washing your hair with warm water. The cold water can help increase blood flow to your scalp, encourage the presence of natural oils, and calm down some of your hair’s frizziness.
Of course, great hair care starts with excellent nutrition and hydration, so make sure you’re also eating a well-balanced diet and drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Good nutrition combined with great habits can lead to your best hair yet.