I thought the 'cold water rinse for hair color' thing was just a salon myth

For years, I would tell clients to rinse with cool water to seal the cuticle, but honestly, I never really believed it made a big difference. I figured it was just something we said to sound professional. Then, about two months ago, I did a full color correction on a client with very porous, highlighted hair. I did one side with a lukewarm rinse and the other with genuinely cold water, just to see. The cold water side dried noticeably shinier and felt smoother to the touch. The client even pointed it out without me asking. It was a small thing, but seeing it side by side convinced me. I guess some of the old school advice is right. Has anyone else done a similar test with a basic technique they were unsure about?

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3 Comments

the_jason6mo ago

Ever tried it with a deep conditioner?

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andrew_shah696mo ago

Okay, the side by side test is pretty convincing. Did you notice if the cold water side held the color longer too, or was it just about the shine?

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jones.alice6mo ago

Honestly I bet the water TEMPERATURE changes the hair's surface itself. Like cold water might flatten the cuticle down tighter, locking stuff in. So shine AND color stay better, it's all connected.

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