Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth this evening. The two spent more than nine months on the International Space Station (ISS). During this time, Sunita Williams did many activities to pass the time, but one question has attracted people’s attention—why did Sunita Williams always keep her hair open?
Let us know what was the reason behind this, and what is the scientific approach adopted to take care of hair in space.
Why does Sunita Williams keep her hair open in space?
Sunita Williams had a habit of keeping her hair open in space, and the main reason for this is microgravity . While on Earth we have a habit of tying or grooming our hair, there is no need to do so in space. Due to microgravity, there is no fear of hair falling or falling in the normal way, as it happens on Earth.
There is no need to tie hair in space because air flow and ventilation systems prevent hair from spreading in the air and keep them more organized. Also, astronauts do not have any problem in washing and drying their hair, because water spray and ventilation systems in space help in cleaning hair even without shampoo.
How to take care of hair in space
Hair care in space can be a challenging task, but astronauts have a simple routine for it. NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg recorded a video in 2013 showing how she takes care of her hair in space.
Karan Nyberg said in the video, “What I like to do is I take some warm water and spray it on my scalp, and I also get a mirror so I can see what I’m doing.” No shampoo is used in this routine, and the hair is cleansed without shampoo.
Considering the scarcity of water in space, this process is done very intelligently. With the help of water spray and ventilation system, there is a way to not only wash but also dry the hair. Apart from this, special techniques are followed to keep the hair always clean and tidy.
Donald Trump joke: What did he say about Sunita Williams’ hair?
When Sunita Williams and other astronauts were about to return to Earth from space, during a press conference, Donald Trump joked about Sunita’s hair, saying, “I’m looking at this lady with wild hair, she has nice and thick hair. No jokes, no chance to play with the hair.”
This joke first went viral on the internet as a meme, but later it took the form of a discussion about Sunita Williams’ hair. In fact, Sunita’s open hair and her personal choice became the reason for discussion.
Is it challenging to take care of hair in space?
Taking care of hair in space is not a simple process, but it is not difficult either. Scientific methods are adopted to take care of hair in space. Due to microgravity, hair neither stands upright nor falls here and there, due to which it does not need to be groomed in the usual way. Apart from this, astronauts use special types of water-sensitive products to wash hair which saves water wastage.
Cleaning hair without shampoo has become a common practice for astronauts, and they do it comfortably with the help of ventilation systems. In addition, some astronauts wear their hair loose to keep it more manageable as they find it more comfortable and also to avoid hair falling on their faces, as happens on Earth.
Hair care in space is a little different from Earth, but it is just as important as it is on Earth. For Sunita Williams and other astronauts, hair care has become a simple routine, which is done with the help of microgravity and ventilation systems. Also, keeping open hair according to their personal choice gives them more comfort and convenience.
In this way, hair care in space is an interesting and science-based process, which shows us that many things in our daily life work differently even in space.
