How do you wash your hair in space?

Washing your hair at home, on Earth, in a comfortable environment is understandable. But what about astronauts who live in zero gravity on space stations, where water is so precious like gold, and the hair stands on end?

An interesting and intriguing video was published on the official NASA website in which the female astronaut Karen Nyberg shows what she needs in order to wash her long blonde hair. She is an American female astronaut with a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. In May 2008, she made her first flight into space as part of the STS-124 expedition, and then followed the second flight into space, on which she showed “the everyday life of a woman in space”.

As it turned out, in order to wash your hair in zero gravity, all you need is a small airtight bag of warm water, a dry towel, indelible shampoo, a comb with rare teeth, and a mirror.

“Washing your hair in the shower at home is kind of a luxury. At the space station, even if there was water, it would not flow on your head, but would splatter in the air in funny weightless drops,” says Karen.

First, she applies a small amount of water to the scalp. Then, with her fingers, she distributes water from the roots to the ends of the hair, applies quite a bit of special shampoo that does not require rinsing, and helps to distribute it through the hair with a comb. Next, Karen wipes the hair roots with a dry towel to better remove dirt from the scalp. Add some more water and towel dry your hair. “Now the hair really looks clean,” says Nyberg. All this time, the woman's thick hair sticks up. It looks funny, but these are the realities of space.

Then it's up to space-age technologies. When the hair dries up and the water evaporates, the air becomes humid. The air conditioning system collects moisture into condensate, and the water treatment system converts it into drinking water. This is where the technology has come!:)

Karen also added that one last run with the comb ensures that no tangled hair will occur. “While my hair dries, I let it sway slowly in zero gravity, and then I will put it in a ponytail,” says the American astronaut.

Taking up the challenge from Karen, Luca Parmitano was the next person to show the head washing process on the space station. In his video, he showed that it is easier for men in space than for women because for his bald head you only need to moisten the top of the head with warm water and wipe it with a dry towel.

You can watch educational videos on the NASA website. Well, if you are not an astronaut and prefer comfortable shampooing, we are waiting for you in the barbershop Mr.Colt, where our masters will not only wash your hair and beard with professional products but also make the best haircut and modern styling for you.