Is Hot Water Bad For Your Hair? [The Reality]

Surely you are wondering if hot water is bad for your hair? Today there are many opinions about it, and therefore it is normal that you do not have it very clear.

Surely you have heard that you should avoid using hot water on your hair. And that is excellent advice! But why?

The truth is that hot water is not good for your hair or scalp. When we use hot water we dry our hair, weaken it and also wash out the color of the hair. And if we have a problem on the scalp such as dandruff, oil or hair loss, we will simply make the problem worse.

How bad hot water is for your hair depends on each personal case, but as a general rule it is better to avoid it.

In this article you will discover all the reasons why you should avoid using hot water, and practical tips to avoid damaging your hair:

Is hot water bad for your hair?

Using hot water is not beneficial for your hair or scalp. This doesn’t mean you have to suffer every time you wash your hair using cold water, but you should use warm water instead.

Also bare in mind that hot water is specially bad for you if your hair is greasy, as it can develop scalp complications and produce more oils.

If you really like to shower with hot water, you can always use hot water on your body, and when you go to wash your head, reduce the temperature a bit.

The main reasons why you should avoid high temperatures in your hair are:

It makes your hair dry much more than normal.
Your hair will be more brittle and will break more.
The color of the dye will fade faster.
Any problem you have on your scalp will get worse as it will make your hair more oily.

Let’s look at these points one by one:

#1 Hot water makes your hair dry

When you wash your hair with hot water, you damage the cuticle of your hair and this will cause you to have problems with dryness.

Hot water is one of the most aggressive agents for our cuticle, and the more you use it, the drier your hair will be.

When our hair is dry, it feels rough and tangles easily. Dry hair problems are very annoying because it costs a lot of work and money for you to be able to hydrate your hair.

If your hair tends to have dryness problems, avoid problems and use warm water to make your hair feel more nourished.

#2 Your hair will break more

Hot water is bad for your hair because it will break more

Another of the most serious problems caused by using hot water is that your hair will break more often.

This is especially dangerous if you have chemicals in your hair such as dyes or highlights. Your hair will already be quite weakened, and using high temperatures on your hair will be the icing on the cake for your hair to break.

If your ends break frequently, you will suddenly feel that your hair does not grow. This happens because all the growth you have from the root vanishes when the tips break.

It is not worth going through this type of situation. I recommend that the more damaged your hair is, the more careful you are with the temperature of the water you use.

READ MORE >> Is your hair over conditioned?

#3 Your color will fade faster

This problem can become a nightmare! Hot water makes dyes wash out of your hair 3 times faster.

Maybe if you have dark brown hair you don’t care too much. But if your hair has a sensitive color such as red, copper or ash, you will make the color not last at all.

Another super annoying case is when your hair tends to get brassy easily. No matter how ashy you use the toner, in a couple of washes with hot water your color will be probably gone.

Where the washout of the dyes is most noticeable is if you have fantasy colored hair. If you had, say, a pastel pink color in your hair, it probably won’t survive more than one wash in very hot water. Better use the warmest – coolest water you can.

READ MORE >> Can stress cause oily hair?

#4 It will make the scalp condition worse

If you have any condition on the scalp such as greasiness, dandruff, fall or sensitivity, you will greatly aggravate the problem using hot water. Let’s see them one by one:

Greasy scalp: The high temperatures in the water will stimulate the sebaceous glands of your hair, causing hair to be 3 times more greasy.
Danduff: Dandruff is usually caused by a fungus, excess oil or build up on your scalp, or sensitive scalp. In any of these cases hot water will make it worse.
Hair loss: High temperatures will weaken your follicles, and this causes hair loss. Drying out your scalp will also aggravate the problem.
Sensitivity: If you have a sensitive and red scalp, hot water will irritate you a lot and can even cause the skin on your scalp to peel a little.

As you can see, it’s not worth making our scalp worse by poor care, so use warmer water instead.

Bottom line

Now you know the main reasons why you should use warmer water when showering.

Our hair is very sensitive, and as much as you can take care of it, it will thank you. Avoid problems and start pampering your hair. The small cares are the ones that make big differences.

And don’t worry if you can’t change your habits from one day to the next! Start little by little, maybe just a few times a week, reducing the temperature of the water and you will see that little by little your hair begins to recover.

Until next time!