Can I Wash My Hair During a Boil Water Advisory? Yes, with Care
Yes, you can wash your hair during a boil water advisory in most cases, but you need to be careful not to swallow any water or let it get into your eyes, nose, or mouth. The main risk from contaminated tap water comes from ingestion, not external skin or hair contact, so shampooing and rinsing your hair is generally considered safe for healthy adults.
What Is a Boil Water Advisory?
A boil water advisory is an official notice issued by local authorities or water utility companies when the public water supply is believed to be contaminated or could potentially carry harmful microorganisms. These advisories are typically triggered by events like water main breaks, loss of pressure in the distribution system, equipment failures at treatment plants, or natural disasters such as floods and storms.
During an advisory, residents are instructed to boil tap water for at least one full minute before using it for drinking, cooking, making ice, or brushing teeth.
The boiling process kills harmful pathogens including bacteria like E. coli and Shigella, as well as protozoa like Giardia and Cryptosporidium that may be present in the water supply. Understanding what the advisory covers helps you figure out which activities are safe and which ones require extra caution.
Can You Wash Your Hair During a Boil Water Advisory?
For most healthy adults, washing your hair during a boil water advisory is perfectly fine using regular tap water. The key concern with contaminated water is ingestion, which is why activities like drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth require boiled or bottled water. Your hair and scalp are external surfaces, and simply rinsing shampoo through your hair does not pose a significant health risk as long as you take a few basic precautions.
The main rule to follow is straightforward: keep the water away from your mouth, eyes, and nose while you wash and rinse. Tilt your head back when rinsing to direct water away from your face, and avoid rubbing water across your eye area.
If you typically wash your hair in the shower, just be mindful not to swallow any water that runs down your face, which is the same precaution recommended for showering in general during an advisory.
Precautions to Take When Washing Your Hair:
Even though washing your hair is generally safe during a boil water advisory, a few thoughtful steps can help you minimize any risk. These are not complicated changes to make, but they do matter, especially if there are vulnerable people in your household.
Avoid Getting Water in Your Eyes or Mouth
This is the most important precaution you can take. Contaminated water primarily causes illness when it enters the body through the mouth, eyes, or nasal passages, where pathogens can then reach the digestive or respiratory system. When rinsing your hair, lean back so water flows away from your face rather than over it. Use a cup or detachable showerhead if it gives you more control over where the water goes.
Keep It Brief and Controlled
The longer you spend under the tap water, the greater the chance of accidental exposure. Wash your hair efficiently and rinse quickly, without letting water pool on your face or splash into your mouth. Keeping the process focused and calm reduces the small window of risk that does exist when using unboiled tap water during an advisory.
Do Not Rely on Shower Filters or Home Filtration Units
A common misconception is that a shower filter or refrigerator water filter makes the water safe during a boil water advisory. Standard home filtration systems, including carbon-based pitcher filters and shower filters, are not designed to remove bacteria, viruses, or protozoa from contaminated water. Do not assume your filtered water is safe during an advisory — it is not a substitute for boiling.
Who Should Be Extra Careful or Avoid Tap Water Entirely?
While healthy adults can generally wash their hair without issue, certain groups of people face higher risks from any exposure to contaminated water, even if it does not reach the mouth. If you or someone in your household falls into one of the categories below, it is worth taking additional steps during a boil water advisory.
Young Children
Babies and young children are particularly vulnerable because they have weaker immune systems and are more likely to accidentally swallow water during bathing or hair washing. Parents and caregivers should supervise children closely and consider a sponge bath or careful rinse using cooled boiled water for young kids. Even a small amount of ingested contaminated water can cause illness in an infant or toddler.
Immunocompromised Individuals
People undergoing chemotherapy, those living with HIV or another condition that weakens the immune system, and individuals on immunosuppressive medications are at elevated risk. For these individuals, even minimal contact with contaminated water during bathing or hair washing carries more risk than it would for a healthy adult.
Health officials consistently recommend that immunocompromised people use cooled boiled water or bottled water for all personal hygiene activities during an advisory, including rinsing their hair.
People with Open Wounds or Recent Surgery
If you have any cuts, open sores, recent surgical wounds, or skin conditions that have broken the skin barrier, you should avoid exposing those areas to tap water during a boil water advisory. Contaminated water can enter the body through broken skin and cause localized or systemic infections. Use boiled and cooled water or bottled water to gently clean any wound areas, and consult your doctor if you are unsure.
Elderly Individuals
Older adults often have reduced immune function compared to younger, healthier individuals, making them more susceptible to waterborne illnesses. While showering and hair washing remain generally safe for most elderly people, it is wise to take extra care to prevent accidental ingestion and to consider using boiled or bottled water for the final rinse if there is any concern about health status.
What If You Want to Be Extra Safe?
If you want complete peace of mind while washing your hair during a boil water advisory, you can use cooled boiled water for the final rinse. Bring tap water to a full rolling boil for one minute, let it cool for at least 30 minutes before use so you do not risk burns, and then use it to do a final rinse after shampooing with regular tap water. This approach is especially useful for households with children or individuals who are health-vulnerable.
Bottled water is another practical option for the final rinse. While it may feel like an unnecessary step for a healthy adult, it is a genuinely good solution if someone in your home belongs to a higher-risk group. Keep in mind that a boil water advisory is usually temporary, lasting between 24 to 72 hours while water utility crews test and confirm that the water supply is back to safe levels.
Other Hair and Personal Care Activities During a Boil Water Advisory
Hair washing is just one of many grooming routines you might be wondering about during a water advisory. Knowing what is safe across your whole routine helps you navigate the advisory with confidence.
Showering and Bathing
Taking a shower or bath during a boil water advisory is considered safe for healthy adults, provided you avoid swallowing water. Be mindful of water running near your face and take extra care when shaving to avoid nicks and cuts, since an open wound could allow bacteria to enter. For babies, a sponge bath using boiled and cooled water is often the recommended approach to eliminate any risk.
Brushing Teeth
Unlike washing your hair, brushing your teeth requires direct contact between water and the inside of your mouth, which means unboiled tap water should not be used for this purpose. Use bottled water or water that has been boiled and fully cooled to brush your teeth during an advisory. This is one of the most important personal hygiene rules to follow because even a small amount of contaminated water swallowed while brushing can cause illness.
Washing Hands
In most cases, it is safe to wash your hands with tap water and soap during a boil water advisory, particularly for general hygiene purposes. However, if you are washing your hands before handling food or preparing a meal, health authorities recommend using boiled or bottled water to reduce the risk of transferring pathogens to food. The CDC’s guidance on drinking water advisories notes that following local official advice is always the safest approach during any advisory.
When Is the Advisory Lifted?
A boil water advisory is lifted once the water utility and local health department have collected water samples and confirmed through two consecutive days of clean test results that the water is free of harmful contamination.
Once the advisory is officially lifted, you can return to all normal water use activities. It is a good idea to run your faucets for a few minutes to flush the lines, replace any water filters that may have been clogged or compromised, and discard any ice made during the advisory period.
Your local water authority or municipality will communicate the end of the advisory through official channels such as local news, social media, and direct notifications.
Until you receive that official confirmation, continue treating tap water as potentially unsafe for drinking, cooking, and food preparation, even if the water looks and smells normal. Contaminated water often appears completely clear, which is why the advisory should always be taken seriously regardless of appearance.
So, Can I Wash My Hair During a Boil Water Advisory?
To wrap things up simply: yes, washing your hair during a boil water advisory is generally safe for healthy adults. The risk comes from swallowing contaminated water, not from it touching your hair or scalp. As long as you keep water away from your mouth, eyes, and nose during the process, your usual hair washing routine can continue without issue.
If you have young children, are immunocompromised, have open wounds, or are elderly, it is worth taking the extra step of using boiled and cooled water or bottled water for the final rinse. For everyone else, a little mindfulness during your wash is all that is needed.
Stay aware of when the advisory is lifted, follow your local authority’s guidance throughout, and you will get through it safely. For a broader understanding of how different types of water advisories work and what each one means for your household, the CDC’s overview of drinking water advisories is a reliable and comprehensive resource worth bookmarking.
