Does Hot Water Cause Hair Loss?

Water temperature is all a matter of personal preference — one person’s just right is another person’s scalding hot. And if you’re someone who lives for the steamy embrace of a hot shower, you might be wondering what effect they have on your hair.

While there’s not a direct relationship between hair loss and water temperature, frequent hot showers can affect your hair in a few ways that could lead to damage down the road.

Here’s what you need to know.

Let’s start with an important warning: water hot enough to scald skin will damage your hair follicles too. Boiling water on your skin — besides leaving you in extreme pain — could also lead to hair loss.

While hot and lukewarm water isn’t dangerous to your skin, excessively hot water — water hot enough to cause scalding or burning — can cause damage to your hair follicles and potentially lead to baldness. 

That said, even if you like a steamy rinse, it’s unlikely that you’re showering at temperatures high enough to scald you (some anti-scald shower devices shut off automatically before the water reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which water can scald skin, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission). 

The good news is that there’s no evidence that hot water under 120 degrees causes hair loss. 

While regular hot showers are not known to contribute to thinning hair or hair loss, frequent exposure to hot water can affect your hair in several ways.

If you’re showering frequently, hot water may affect your hair and scalp health. Hot showers might reduce your skin’s hydration level and could also throw off your scalp’s natural balance for sebum production.

Reduced sebum (your hair and skin’s natural oils) might leave your scalp feeling dry, scaly, or itchy.

Conversely, your scalp may respond to increased dryness by producing more sebum, which could leave your scalp feeling filmy from excess oil.

Does Showering Make Your Hair Grow Faster?

A common myth is that showering may increase the speed at which your hair grows. Unfortunately, it’s simply not true — cleaner follicles do not grow faster.

While it would be nice if they did, soap and water don’t turbo charge your hair growth cycle.

Water temperature is not the only part of your shower that might affect the health of your hair and scalp. In fact, it may be the least important, especially when compared with the haircare products that you use, your styling choices, and the processes your hair undergoes.

First things first: If you’re noticing loose strands in the shower, it’s not necessarily a cause for alarm; humans shed an average of 100 hairs a day, and because you’re washing, drying, and styling your hair during a shower, you’re more likely to see your daily quota of hair shedding pile up around the drain or on your brush, comb, and towel.

However, combing, scrubbing, and towel drying your hair with too much force can cause hair breakage, or rip the hair out at the root, which can lead to a condition called traction alopecia where your hair roots die from being pulled too many times or too forcefully.

Additionally, some styling products and techniques can stress or damage your hair shafts and scalp. This includes everything from tight ponytails to bleaches and relaxers — even just a brush that snags one too many follicles.

• Use cooler water. While you don’t have to become a cold shower guy to maintain your follicles, but cold water showers are known to increase blood flow and improve blood circulation, which supports better scalp health and hair health overall. Switching to warm water from hot water may also reduce your risk of dryness, which can lead to scalp issues, itchiness, dry hair, and an increased risk of hair breakage.

• Wash your hair according to its needs. Everyone’s hair type and scalp act differently, so while your friend may wash his hair every morning before work to keep it from getting oily, you may only need to do so two or three days a week. The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends washing only when you need to. They also recommend using just enough soap for your scalp if you have long hair, rather than coating the full length of every follicle in shampoo.  If you’re experiencing dryness due to hot water, hard water, or something else entirely, you might consider our dandruff detox shampoo (pyrithione zinc 1% & salicylic acid).

• Be gentle. The AADA also recommends being gentle on your hair. Don’t rub too aggressively with soap or towels, brush and comb it only enough to style as needed. Also, you should avoid excessive use of heat styling tools, like curling and flat irons, as well as products that cause chemical burning effects, like bleach and styling gels. One product they recommend you don’t skip if you’ve got dry or brittle hair: conditioner.

• Treat hair loss early. If you’re experiencing hair loss, protecting the hair you have with FDA-approved hair loss treatments like finasteride or minoxidil is crucial. If you’re concerned, speak to a dermatologist about your options. Hims offers access to treatments like combination topical finasteride & minoxidil spray, minoxidil foam, minoxidil solution.

While hot showers may not be shown to contribute to hair loss, frequent hair washing with hot water can cause dry scalp and other issues. 

Whether you’re worried your shower routine is leading to hair loss or just trying to understand why your hair looks thinner, it’s a good idea to consult a dermatologist to learn about your options. The sooner you act, the more hair you’ll protect.