If your shower’s too hot, you could damage your scalp. Too cold and you might not get the best wash. See what shower temperature you need to get a great clean and keep your scalp healthy.
First, think about what the water does for you:
- helps the shampoo lather and spread across the scalp
- dissolves dirt and oil
- rinses away the shampoo and dirt, dust, and flakes on the hair and scalp
Hot enough to clean well…
Warm water begins to melt the oils on your hair, which are in a waxy, semi-solid state. These oils are liquid at body temperature but begin to solidify on cooler hair surfaces.
Warm water makes it easier for your shampoo to remove the oil, dirt and dust that accumulate to make the scalp dirty.
But not TOO hot…
Don’t get carried away with turning the heat up though – water that’s too hot can irritate and even damage your scalp.
With excessive exposure, your weakened scalp can become vulnerable to further damage from factors that irritate it, like stylingproducts or dandruff-causing microbes.
So how hot is “hot enough”?
You need a temperature that’s high enough to deep clean dirt and grime, but not so high as to cause irritation.
Just above body temperature is perfect – so around 100°F.
It’s the ideal balance to keep your hair clean and healthy, and your scalp free from irritation.
More about hair washing