Confinement Hair Care: Do We Believe The Taboos?

I’ve never been in confinement but I have had friends who have had babies. Some of them follow the traditional Chinese confinement taboos strictly. Others, on the other hand, are more modern and choose to believe in scientific western medicine. In terms of hair hygiene, traditional taboos prevent mothers from washing their hair for at least a month after giving birth.

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But is this proven by science?

There is actually no solid scientific proof that bathing or washing your hair will cause any sort of illness after giving birth.There is actually no concept of ‘wind’ in science, and therefore bathing won’t cause any ‘wind’ to enter your body.

It won’t cause water retention or bloating. In fact, not bathing or cleaning up will increase the risk of infection, especially on the skin and open wounds.

If you would like to wash your hair during confinement, do follow these tips for your own comfort:

Wash Hair in Warm Water

Warm water is comforting and will help ease any aches and pains you may have. Warm water helps minimize inflammation too, which tends to happen in postpartum mothers. Make sure that the water you wash your hair in is between 35-40 degrees Celcius, which is not too hot.

Take a Quick Shower

Don’t take more than 10 minutes to wash your hair as staying too long in the bathroom can cause you to feel cold, and that will aggravate any aches and pains you may be feeling. This is especially true for mothers that have undergone C-section.

Use a Blow Dryer to Dry Your Hair

The local weather isn’t cold and we don’t have winters so its okay to air-dry your hair without any negative effects. However, there are many benefits to blow drying, including preventing infections by dandruff causing fungal spores.

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Belief should always be rooted in evidence and scientific facts will protect your health in the long run. Although ancient beliefs should be respected, it should always be followed in moderation.