Why does washing my hair make an astounding difference to my face?

September 8, 2022 6:07 PM

My skin changes from splotchy, yellow, bloated, and hyperpigmented to looking super fresh with even coloring the day I wash my hair (which is about twice a week). No one else I know self-reports this level of difference, and everyone who has lived with me, including casual roommates, have commented on the change. What’s going on?

I’m just curious if there’s something up with my skin type that makes it so sensitive to the act of hair washing. I get that the extended shower, massage of the head, opening pores, etc probably help, but it seems like they shouldn’t help that much. I do shower and clean the rest of my body daily and wash my face twice a day, so it’s not like it’s all that dirty. I don’t even exercise or sweat that much for my hair to be particularly dirty, though I am prone to dandruff. I wear little to no makeup.

I also don’t think it’s an illusion caused by hair looking better since I’ve looked at the facial portions of my photographs taken at different times with hair cropped out and there is a marked difference.

posted by redlines to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

What kind of shampoo do you use? Is it possible it has some sort of anti-inflammatory ingredient, like zinc, that also contacts your face as the lather runs across it?

The hot shower water probably opens up your capillaries and promotes circulation, which could also help with bloating, I guess.
posted by Bardolph at 6:22 PM on September 8, 2022 [5 favorites]

What happens on a "no hair wash" day if you wash your face with the products you normally use on your hair on a "hair wash" day?
posted by RichardP at 6:23 PM on September 8, 2022 [8 favorites]

This happens to me too. My hypothesis is that on hair wash shower days, I let my whole head and, by extension, face, run under the warm water for a period of time. This makes my skin plumper and more hydrated, in addition to the blood flow/circulation benefits.

On non-hair wash shower days, I keep my head mostly away from the water (I usually wear a shower cap but still don’t really submerge my head under the running water), and so I don’t get the hydrating/circulation benefits.

I have no evidence to back this up, just my guess!
posted by rodneyaug at 7:18 PM on September 8, 2022 [4 favorites]

Me too and I have no idea.
posted by matildaben at 7:26 PM on September 8, 2022

Me too and I think it's from having my face in the hot water for so long. It feels like it gets everything moving in there. Also, I use tretinoin and on wash days my face is in the water long enough that I can rub any dry areas with my fingertips to exfoliate them.
posted by HotToddy at 7:54 PM on September 8, 2022

If this is about hydration, here are some other factors that influence hydration:

- drinking enough water
- eating enough fiber
- getting enough electrolytes

Our bodies can absorb water through our skin. If you're getting enough fiber and electrolytes from your diet, but not drinking enough water, then longer showers might literally be rehydrating you, like what plant leaves do when you water them.

You can test my theory by drinking more water and see if that changes anything.
posted by aniola at 11:41 PM on September 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

Try using your shampoo/conditioner as face and body wash and report back if it is the same, and do it with and without washing your hair. Do it only with shampoo, only with conditioner, and then combining with it both to see any potential difference. Also what is the shampoo and conditioner you use, and what is your hair washing routine?
posted by yueliang at 4:07 AM on September 9, 2022

I watch a Japanese ASMR person on YouTube, and her theme is visiting head spas in Japan that specialize in all kinds of scalp treatments: hair washing, scalp steaming, many, many different kinds of scalp massage. By the sheer number of places she visits, this is clearly a thing there and we have no equivalent to it that I am aware of. They also believe there is a total body health benefit and much talk about how treating the scalp benefits the face and is mandatory for the appearance of the face, not just skin but also muscle and tone. (I always feel pretty ripped off after watching her videos that we are so lacking in some of these basics).
posted by nanook at 8:39 AM on September 9, 2022 [2 favorites]

The hot shower's providing facial-steaming effects.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:39 AM on September 9, 2022

If $25 isn't too much to figure out if it's hydration/dehydration of your face, maybe try a facial steamer?
posted by shmurley at 10:57 AM on September 9, 2022

Do you have seborrheic dermatitis on your facial skin? It’s the same thing as scalp dandruff but causes ruddiness and blotchiness on the face. If so, dandruff shampoo is actually a recommended remedy, so maybe the shampoo suds are calming your skin?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:58 AM on September 9, 2022 [1 favorite]

Me too. It's why I wash my hair every day even though everyone tells you not to. My skin also feels itchy when I don't wash my hair every day.
posted by potrzebie at 7:38 PM on September 10, 2022