For middle-aged and elderly people, washing hair is a meticulous matter, and the wrong way of washing hair can lead to health risks. Let's take a look at the 5 precautions for washing hair for middle-aged and elderly people.
1. Don't wash your hair too often
Washing hair too frequently for middle-aged and elderly people can easily cause disorder in sebum secretion. Sebum secreted by sebaceous glands can protect the hair, making it moisturized and showing natural luster and elasticity.
However, the sebum secretion situation varies among different individuals, so the frequency of hair washing is also different.
Therefore, it is recommended that middle-aged and elderly people with oily hair wash their hair every 2-3 days in spring and autumn, 1-2 days in summer, and 1-2 times a week in winter.
For middle-aged and elderly people with normal hair, they can wash their hair twice a week in spring and summer, and once a week in autumn and winter.
2. The water temperature should be around 40 degrees Celsius
Many middle-aged and elderly people often do not pay much attention to the water temperature when washing their hair. Some like to use cold water, while others prefer hot water. In fact, water that is too cold or too hot is not good, as the scalp of elderly people is sensitive to temperature stimulation.
Using too cold water will cause the sebum to harden, making it difficult to dissolve, and it will also cause the blood vessels of the scalp to contract sharply, resulting in dry and brittle hair, hair loss, and premature aging. Over time, it can also lead to frequent headaches.
Using very hot water may feel comfortable when washing, but it will remove the sebum layer needed by the scalp and make the hair lose its softness, becoming brittle and prone to breakage.
The ideal water temperature for washing hair is around 40 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, washing hair can expand the capillaries of the skin and the superficial capillaries of the dermis, open the sweat pores, facilitate the excretion of waste products, promote blood circulation in the scalp, reduce fatigue, and invigorate the spirit.
Especially for patients with diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and other diseases, attention should be paid to the water temperature.
3. Massage while washing
The head has rich blood vessels and many important meridians and acupoints. Proper scalp massage during shampooing can have a health-preserving effect.
Method:
After rinsing off the shampoo with clean water, use the fingertips of both hands to massage the scalp from the hairline on the forehead to the hairline on the back of the head, while combing and massaging the scalp for 10-15 minutes.
Long-term massage can prevent or alleviate age-related hair loss, but be careful not to scratch the hair and scalp with sharp nails~
4. Washing hair in an upright position is the healthiest
There have been news reports about strokes occurring while washing hair by tilting the head back.
Can you have a stroke while washing hair by tilting the head back?
This is because most middle-aged and elderly people have degenerative cervical spondylosis, and the blood supply to the brain is naturally insufficient. When washing hair with the head tilted back, excessive twisting of the cervical spine can cause vertebral artery spasm, leading to arterial bleeding and stroke.
For middle-aged and elderly people, the traditional posture of bending the body forward is relatively safer.
However, it should be noted that if the head is tilted too much or for too long, it can also have negative effects, such as causing facial sagging, deepening wrinkles, and unstable blood pressure.
The upright position during showering is the most suitable for washing hair.
5. Washing hair in the afternoon is the most suitable
Many middle-aged and elderly people like to wash their hair first thing in the morning before going out, especially in summer.
Actually, this habit is not good because many functions have not fully recovered right after waking up, and washing hair at this time is the most stimulating to the scalp and can easily catch a cold when exposed to wind.
Washing hair before sleep, due to the relatively high humidity in the air at night, the hair is not easy to dry completely. When sleeping, the residual moisture can accumulate dampness in the body, making people feel drowsy, headaches, and fatigue the next day.
Therefore, it is best for middle-aged and elderly people to wash their hair in the afternoon when the temperature is higher during the day. If it is necessary to wash at night, try to towel dry or blow dry the hair thoroughly before going to bed.
