Water temperature can have a huge impact on your naturally curly hair. Is it okay to use hot water to shampoo and condition your curls? Does cool water affect your hair differently than warm water? I’m here to answer these questions and share what has been working for me.
Ever since I was a little girl, I always preferred hot over warm or cold water, especially when washing my hair. But, I had no idea the damage it caused my curls.
Water Temperature: Hot vs. Cold
Hot water particles have more energy and move faster than cold water particles. Similar to dry skin after a hot shower, hot water can also leave hair feeling extremely dry. The hotter the water, the more the hair strands expand. The opposite happens with cold water.
Perform Water Test to Compare Water Temperature
The best way to see the difference between hot verses cold water on your natural hair is to do a water test.
Fill a container with hot water. Then fill another container with cold water.
Take a section of your hair and divide it into two equal parts. Place each section of hair in each container. Notice how hot water causes hair to shrink, while the cold water causes hair to remain stretched and keeps definition intact.
Hot water penetrates the cuticle layer allowing the removal of product and oils. Since water molecules move faster in hot water, there’s more spacing between them making it easier to interact with the cleansing product.
Cold water is able to remove dirt, but has a harder time when there’s product left on hair strands. There’s also less spacing in between molecules as opposed to hot water.
My Recommendation
The hotter the water temperature, the more likely to remove your curl’s moisture. It can also cause breakage. It’s best to cleanse your hair with warm water to lift the cuticle layer and gently dissolve dirt and product build up. Then follow up with cool water to close the cuticle layer while retaining moisture to your curls. Also, make sure that the products you use fits into the safe pH zone for your hair.
I’ve come a long way from the little girl who shampooed and conditioned with hot water. Now a woman, there’s visible change in the overall texture and moisture of my curls.
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