Astronaut Karen Nyberg once recorded a fascinating demonstration showing how astronauts wash their hair aboard the International Space Station, where gravity is so weak that even water behaves like floating jelly pearls…
‘I’m often asked how I wash my hair in space,’Karen explains at the beginning of the video.
First, she carefully applies warm water directly to the roots of her hair using a special pouch. In microgravity, the water doesn’t fall downward like it does on Earth. Instead, tiny droplets drift through the air, and astronauts try to catch every floating drop to avoid wasting water.
Next, Karen uses a leave-in shampoo specially designed for space travel. With gentle massage movements and a comb, she spreads the shampoo throughout her hair. Since there are no normal showers in space, a towel helps remove dirt and excess moisture.
After that, she lightly rinses and blots her hair dry with another towel. Every bit of water aboard the station is precious because supplies are limited.
The most incredible part comes afterward: when her hair dries, the station’s air-conditioning and recycling systems collect the evaporated moisture and purify it into drinking water again. On the ISS, even a damp strand of hair becomes part of a giant recycling loop.