New Delhi, June 4 (IANS). Life in space is quite different from life on Earth. There even simple everyday tasks have to be done in a special way. Astronaut Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) recently told how hairwashing is done in space and what special methods are used for it.
Sophie Adenot, sharing her experience on Instagram, said that at first glance, the process of hairwashing in space may seem similar to that on Earth. Applying water, shampooing and drying the hair – all these steps are the same. But in microgravity, i.e. an environment with extremely low gravity, this process becomes a completely different experience.
He told that washing hair starts with detangling the hair with a hairbrush. After this, with the help of a small water bag, little water is applied on the hair and scalp. The water is massaged thoroughly to spread it throughout the head so that moisture reaches every part.
Sophie told that a special type of ‘no-rinse’ shampoo is provided for astronauts. There is no need to wash with much water after using this shampoo. However, he also said that he likes to use a special bar of soap, which gives him an extra clean feeling. She massages the soap and shampoo to reach the hair roots properly.
After cleaning the hair, excess shampoo and moisture is absorbed with the help of a towel. It requires very little water. According to Sophie, an entire head of hair can be washed with about 250 ml of water, which is much less than the amount of water used on Earth.
He said that the used towels are later left to dry. The moisture in the towel is reused through the space station’s water recycling system. This water is purified and converted into potable water again.
Facilities like hair dryers are not available in space, so the hair is left to dry naturally. Sophie Adenot said that washing hair in space may be a different experience, but with the right technology and limited resources the process can be completed easily.
–IANS
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