Can I wash my hair during confinement? What precautions should I take?

The moment of giving birth to a baby is definitely a cause for celebration, but it is accompanied by a long confinement period. Confinement is a long-standing tradition for Chinese mothers, and there are many taboos. Many elderly people say that during the confinement period, you cannot wash your hair or take a bath, eat crabs, or use air conditioning, etc. There are many different answers.

So can you wash your hair during confinement? How should you wash it? Let’s find out together.

Can you wash your hair during confinement?

The traditional method requires not to wash hair or take a bath during the confinement period. This is a kind of protection for new mothers, as they are afraid that the mothers with low immunity will catch cold.

With the advancement of medicine and the improvement of the environment, the method of prohibiting washing hair during the confinement period has been moderately improved. As long as the hair is dried in time after washing and protected from wind, moderate cleaning is beneficial. Only when the breastfeeding mother keeps the body clean and happy can she better nourish the baby.

During the delivery process, new mothers will sweat a lot, and there is also a lot of sweat after delivery. The hair and scalp easily stick to dust in the environment and become very dirty.

At the same time, excessive oil can also breed fungi and bacteria. New mothers and babies with low resistance after delivery are likely to be infected with bacteria.

During the confinement period, washing and combing the hair can remove dust and dirt from the new mother's hair, keep it clean and avoid bacterial infection. It can also stimulate the meridians on the scalp, invigorate the new mother's spirit and bring a comfortable mood; it can also promote blood circulation in the scalp, increase the nutrients needed for hair growth, avoid postpartum hair loss, hair breakage or split ends, and make the hair denser and brighter.

Of course, whether you can wash your hair during the confinement period depends on the mother's personal physical condition. Generally speaking, as long as the mother recovers well, she can wash her hair one or two weeks after delivery.

Precautions for washing hair during confinement in winter

If a new mother wants to wash her hair during the winter, she should pay more attention to keeping warm and avoid being attacked by cold.

#1

Use electric heater or air conditioner to control the indoor temperature. The temperature should be such that you feel warm and comfortable indoors.

#2

Water temperature that is too high will irritate the scalp and make it more likely to become oily; water temperature that is too low will cause cold air to enter the body. The water temperature should be kept moderate, preferably at around 38°C.

#3

Postpartum hair is usually oilier and more prone to hair loss. When washing your hair, do not use irritating shampoo. You can use ginger boiled water to wash your hair. When combing your hair, it is best to use a wooden comb to comb it gently.

#4

When washing your hair, you can gently massage your scalp with your fingertips to promote hair growth and blood circulation in the brain.

#5

After washing your hair, do not tie it up or go to bed immediately to avoid moisture invading your body and causing headaches and neck pain. Immediately wipe your hair with a towel and blow dry it with a hair dryer. Keep warm and avoid being blown by cold air.

#6

It is not advisable to wash your hair too often in the first week after giving birth. If you feel your hair is a little dirty but don't want to get it wet, you can use dry cleaning as an emergency measure. That is, insert three pieces of gauze into your hair and brush your hair and scalp thoroughly. Beforehand, you can apply a small amount of shampoo suitable for you on your hair to help remove oil. If you can change the gauze two or three times, it is generally OK.

Note: There is no copyright issue for the pictures in this article

Author: Shen Xinya Bixia Zhao Jiangxia

About the Author

Bi Xia

Bi Xia, Doctor of Medicine, Chief Physician, Master Supervisor, is currently the Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhoupu Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, and the Vice President of the School of Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Medicine and Medical Sciences. In 2010, 2018 and 2019, she was selected into the Excellent Discipline Leader and Leading Talent Training Program of the Health System of Pudong New Area. She has published 4 SCI papers and more than 30 core journal papers as the first author and corresponding author.

Professional fields: stroke rehabilitation, fracture postoperative rehabilitation, spinal cord injury rehabilitation, artificial joint perioperative rehabilitation, hand injury rehabilitation, etc.

Main academic positions: Member of the Geriatric Rehabilitation Branch of the Chinese Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Member of the Medical and Nursing Integration Committee of the Chinese Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Rehabilitation Committee Member of the Geriatric Rehabilitation Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Executive Director of the Shanghai Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Member of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Branch of the Shanghai Medical Association, Vice Chairman of the Rehabilitation Treatment Committee of the Shanghai Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Member of the Orthopedic Rehabilitation Committee of the Shanghai Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Member of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Committee of the Shanghai Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Member of the Community Rehabilitation Committee of the Shanghai Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Member of the Sports Health and Rehabilitation Committee of the Shanghai Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Chairman of the Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Committee of the Shanghai Pudong New Area Medical Association, and other academic positions.

Funded by Shanghai Science and Technology Commission's Science Popularization Project

(Project No.: 20DZ2311100)