Cold Water

[Barbara]

Is it really necessary to use cold water as the final rinse? I notice my stylist have been doing this. What is the purpose of this? Will the hair experience setbacks if this is not done? I'm just wondering because when I wash my own hair--which is 1/1,000 percent of the time--I never use cold water.

 

[blackbarbietea]

I always do it. but ive been told it closes the (correct me if im wrong) pores in your scalp and also locks in any moisturizing you might of done during your wash/condish. idk. that's my reasoning and it seems to work.

 

[LushLox]

I use cold water to seal help seal the cuticle, this is great after I've had a hot steaming session. The cold water helps with shine too.

 

[~marti26.]

From my understanding warm water causes the cuticle to open up and once you are done washing and conditioning you want to close the cuticle allowing the hair to retain moisture and lie flat and have an overall better appearance. Cold water closes the cuticle. I recently learned that aloe vera juice (organic) also closes the cuticle so you could skip the cold water all together if you chose to employ this technique.

 

[iri9109]

YES. it reduces frizz and lays down the cuticle...i cold rinse out my deep conditioners, and do cold rinses after i moisturize and seal wash n go's but i dont cold rinse after shampooing because i still want the cuticle raised so my conditioners and oils can get in

 

[Barbara]

Thanks for your responses ladies!

 

[RubyWoo]

I used to do this; however, I stopped because I don't like cold water on my scalp. I always use a leave-in conditioner(which also seals the cuticle) and I've had zero problems w/breakage or retention as a result.

 

[Nonie]

Barbara, I don't know where the rumour about cuticles or pores closing coz of cold water came from. What opens and closes cuticles is a change in pH. The only logic I can see in using cold water and why pple swear their hair looks better is because it probably doesn't rinse all the conditioner off so a bit coating is left which makes strands feel smooth.

I do not use cold water on my head at all. Not only would I get a headache from that but I think I would also catch a cold.

Someone suggested that cold water would close pores. While that isn't true regardless of the number of "experts" that chant that lie, even it had been true, why would you want the pores on your scalp to be closed? I love th( My sebum production is uninterrupted. Keeps my scalp moisturized and with baggying my hair too so that I could go over a year w/o needing a leave-in product for moisture.

OP, if you want to close your cuticles, use lukewarm water with some ACV mixed in.

 

[~marti26.]

I am by no means an expert in this category but I have visibly seen the pores on my face close using cold water. This is a common practice that aestheticians use. I guess the cuticle of the hair is not the same as pores but it doesn't seem far fetched that if it could close pores it could close or seal the cuticle. I could be way off but it seems right. Maybe someone else can weigh in.

 

[shunta]

I tried the cold water rinses and they made my hair hard and tangled for some reason.

 

[Americka]

I tried the cold water rinses and they made my hair hard and tangled for some reason.

I had the same experience. Cold water robs my hair of the slip from the DC. I rather do a final con with Porosity Control instead.

 

[gadgetdiva]

I LOVE cold water rinse! My mom has had me do this since I was 12 washing my own hair! It helps to seal cuticle and adds luster & shine!

 

[LittleLuxe]

I prefer porosity control, tried the cold water method and there was no discernible difference (other than my hair experience ending unpleasantly) plus I also have my doubts about whether the cold water thing is a myth OR if the degree of cold water being used would even be effective enough.

If I compared it to the difference between those who use heat to deep condition I imagine the water would have to be rather significantly cold.

 

[Nonie]

I am by no means an expert in this category but I have visibly seen the pores on my face close using cold water. This is a common practice that aestheticians use. I guess the cuticle of the hair is not the same as pores but it doesn't seem far fetched that if it could close pores it could close or seal the cuticle. I could be way off but it seems right. Maybe someone else can weigh in.

@Marti26, there was another discussion like this and someone's brother who is actually works in the field of chemistry said cold water doesn't close hair cuticles. Also, if that was the case, those of us who never use cold water would have the most tangled hair ever but ironically, I rarely get tangles or knots and I never use cold water. When I did, I had the same experience as those whose hair got hard. Warm water with ACV on the other hand gives soft smooth strands whose cuticles are clearly closes...or they'd not be so smooth and tangle-free.

As for pores on your skin, I know what you've heard and what you believe, but there's no truth to it. Most people who claim this are people who probably also heard the lie and believed it and continued to propagate the rumor. Just like all other lies like your hair will fall off if you don't grease your scalp, et cetera. Here's what some experts have to say about this topic. As I've gone through life, I've learned to question everything I hear. I especially get suspicious when those preaching don't seem to have the results they claim their methods produce.

 

[MRJ1972]

My stylist did this all the time, helps seal the cuticles I believe....