Could Hot Showers = Increase Hair Loss?

[worm]

So Ive noticed Ive been shedding more than what I'd like. It takes me back to about 1.5 years ago, where I was only using cold water on my scalp. I was also taking Lugols potassium iodide at the time and had super thick hair (at my age of 39 - little shedding and much fuller than the years before). I chalked it up to the iodine, and eventually after at least a year of cold shampoos, I gave myself permission to bask in the warm and soothing embrace of hot water on my scalp. I did notice that when I was using cold water I was shedding much less. People said the notion is nonsense, I figured less time under water meant I wasnt spending enough time for my hair to rinse off my scalp.

Since then Ive stopped both (no iodine and back to hot showers), and while I think there is some need for iodine, it is nowhere near as much as the excess amounts I was taking. So here I am almost 2 years later, and the thinning has returned. I spend a good amount of time under the shower head, and Im starting to think that the hot water is making my hair more prone to breakage, strips my scalp of natural oils and potentially opens up the pore to slip out more easily than would otherwise.

Im not sure how much it could contribute to hairloss, but I do recall thinking it worked when I didnt expose my scalp to unnecessary heat. I think I'll give it another try, maybe I wont go totally cold, but I wont use hot anymore either. Even if it reduces the shdedding by 10 hairs a day, I consider this significant.

I'll report back, in the meantime here are some links I dug up.

+

https://www.hairIossrevolution.com/do-hot-showers-cause-hair-loss/

http://www.prevention.com/beauty/11-bad-habits-that-make-your-hair-thinner/slide/3

http://www.worldhairloss.org/index.php/forums/viewthread/739

https://www.gourmetstylewellness.com/interact/threads/cold-showers-highly-recommended.89613/

https://www.gourmetstylewellness.com/intera...-showers-causing-hair-loss-may-be-true.12095/

 

[worm]

Alright, day 1 update. Yesterday I didn't use scalding hot water, nor did I spend an inordinate amount of time with the water beading down my head. I got around 20/22 hairs in the drain. That imo is excellent.

Today I took a pretty cool (not ice cold, but cold) shower. I didn't let the shampoo sit on my scalp but I did make sure I spent a decent amount of time letting the soap rinse out along with any hairs roll of my head. I probably spent 50% more time than yesterday in spite of finding the water chilly just to make sure any hair that was destined to hit the drain made it there. I counted 12 hairs. I haven't shed so little in a long time, and that's about 20 less hairs than normal (i.e. 30-35).

Encouraging results for day 1, will keep it up if I continue to see consistent results.

 

[SmoothSailing]

I read once that cold showers help with all forms of hairloss.

Probably bullshit but there are proven benifits of cold showers so I always turn mine right down before getting out.

I feel better afterwards as well.

 

[worm]

I read once that cold showers help with all forms of hairloss.

Probably bullshit but there are proven benifits of cold showers so I always turn mine right down before getting out.

I feel better afterwards as well.

Yeah, it's like saying nofap also works. I did notice I shed much less for the year and a half I was only using cold water on my scalp though, and it seems to hold true 1 day in.

That said, I'm willing to put in a few more weeks to see if it works. It saves me money with this experiment by not using nearly as much hot water.

When I was cold showering and using iodine for 1.5 years I definitely had much thicker hair than I had had in several years. Perhaps the cold shower is the main reason.

If the shedding stays consistently low, I'll definitely be advocating it this much more.

 

[rclark]

NO. Hot showers don't increase hairloss.

Unless it's burning hot, and scalding your skin!

If your skin/scalp turns red, it's too hot!!

MASTURBATION won't increase hair loss. Had to put that out there.

 

[worm]

So 1 week of cool water on my scalp later, and so far I feel encouraged The most I lost was 22 hairs on one day, and other days I only have 12 hairs in the drain catch.

While it's neither here nor there at this stage, what I have noticed on top of less hair in the drain is that my scalp doesn't look red and inflammed as it has in the past after a hot shower or after using the blow dryer (only use the cold setting). Rather, it has the same whitish/grey appearance that a healthy scalp normally has. Furthermore, my scalp feels loose/not tight on my head.

I suspect this makes the growing conditions for my hair much healthier. I dont think I'll really notice any cosmetics results for 3-4 months if this is helping, but just reporting my experience so far.

I am using Zix (for past 12 years) on my scalp as well. So I am by no means advocating cold showers alone could reverse hairloss, but maybe it could be a small change in conjunction with other things that is helping.

 

[worm]

NO. Hot showers don't increase hairloss.

Unless it's burning hot, and scalding your skin!

If your skin/scalp turns red, it's too hot!!

MASTURBATION won't increase hair loss. Had to put that out there.

Interesting, you say if it turns red, it's too hot. That's exactly what used to happen. So maybe I should change the title of this thread to "don't scald the crap out of your scalp with scorching hot water" - that could be the real point here. Scalding your scalp with hot water increases shedding.

I agree, I do not believe masturbation causes hair loss.

 

[rclark]

Interesting, you say if it turns red, it's too hot. That's exactly what used to happen. So maybe I should change the title of this thread to "don't scald the crap out of your scalp with scorching hot water" - that could be the real point here. Scalding your scalp with hot water increases shedding.

I agree, I do not believe masturbation causes hair loss.

Glad I educate you in that. That's why I'm here, to help.

 

[worm]

Glad I educate you in that. That's why I'm here, to help.

Needless to say, not scorching the sh*t out of my scalp, seems to be helping

I seem to be losing about 15 less hairs per day in the shower.

From what I understand it takes about 4-6 months for that hair to fall out, start regrowing, and be noticeable on your scalp. So with that in mind after about 5 months, I should technically have about 3000 more hairs on my scalp after 5 months. Given the density, Im guessing it's mostly on top of my head as opposed sides and back which are thicker. And hopefully, the hair that still grows after being scalded, may grow in thicker.

All bro-science here, but testing out a possibility...

 

[resu]

Cold shower help in fighting the itch for me.

 

[rclark]

Needless to say, not scorching the sh*t out of my scalp, seems to be helping

I seem to be loosing about 20 less hairs per day in the shower.

From what I understand it takes about 4-6 months for that hair to fall out, start regrowing, and be noticeable on your scalp. So with that in mind after about 5 months, I should technically have about 3000 more hairs on my scalp after 5 months. Given the density, Im guessing it's mostly on top of my head as opposed sides and back which are thicker. And hopefully, the hair that still grows after being scalded, may grow in thicker.

All bro-science here, but testing out a possibility...

Cold water is actually better for hair. Not over washing hair helps hair restore it's own natural oils.

Generally speaking, people with straight hair usually have a more oily scalp. The opposite
is true for people with curly hair.

Curly hair is "flat", so it bends more. Straight hair is cylindrical, so that's why it doesn't "curve".