Can I wash my hair during confinement in summer?

Confinement is a critical period for women. If not properly cared for, many sequelae may remain. Many older generations will warn mothers not to wash their hair during the confinement period, for fear of catching cold or wind, which will cause headaches in the future. If it is winter, you can still bear it, but if it is summer and the weather is hot, do mothers really have to endure the sweat and not wash their hair?

Can I wash my hair during confinement in summer?

Confinement is a traditional Chinese custom. Every woman has to do it after giving birth. There are many things to pay attention to during confinement, one of which is that you cannot wash your hair. However, doctors now say that you should pay attention to hygiene during the confinement period and take a bath and wash your hair frequently so as to avoid getting sick easily. One says you can wash your hair, the other says you can’t, who has the final say?

In many places, especially in rural areas, there is an unwritten rule that a woman can only wash her hair and take a bath after the full month of pregnancy. This is not advisable. Because mothers sweat a lot during childbirth and often sweat after childbirth, plus the continuous discharge of lochia and secretion of milk, their bodies are dirtier than ordinary people and more susceptible to invasion by pathogens. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to personal hygiene after childbirth. You can take a bath two or three days after giving birth, but it is better to take a shower instead of a tub bath. In the hot summer, wash your hair once a day with warm water. You can wash your hair with hot water 7 to 10 days after delivery. If you use warm water for a sitz bath, it is best to add 1 gram of potassium permanganate to 5000 ml of water to achieve the effect of sterilization. So you can wash your hair during the confinement period in the summer. New mothers should keep their hair clean and not too messy.

The reason why you can’t wash your hair during the traditional confinement period:

1. In the past, the living conditions were poor, the water temperature and room temperature could not be well controlled, and there was a possibility of air leakage. If it blew on the head, it might cause postpartum headaches.

2. It is easier to catch a cold when washing your hair. If you accidentally catch a cold when washing your hair during the confinement period, it will be a big deal because you will be breastfeeding and the disease may be passed on to your baby.

3. There was no tap water or purified water in the past. The water used for washing hair is river water or well water, which contains more bacteria and parasites and has a greater impact on the body.