The microgravity conditions of the International Space Station (ISS) mean that its human inhabitants are barred from eating crumbly foods as the particles could float away and clog up air vents and other machinery, and could even become a hygiene issue. Similarly, liquids also have to be carefully managed, as loose droplets could cause havoc if they find their way into electronic systems aboard the orbital outpost.
So, how do astronauts tackle the seemingly tricky task of washing their hair during a six-month mission aboard the station?
Well, NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers on Monday shared a video (below) of herself doing just that.
“It’s not unlike [how you do it] on Earth, but you don’t have the advantage of gravity pulling the water or letting the water flow,” Ayers, who arrived at the station in March, explains as she gets started.
To wet her hair — and in Ayers’ case there’s a lot of it — the astronaut uses a water-filled pouch with a one-way valve that lets her carefully control the release of water. To prevent droplets from becoming airborne, she presses the tube directly onto her scalp before releasing the water.
She also releases water into the ends of her hair, which is the longest among all of the astronauts currently aboard the space station.
While it’s hardly soaking at the end of the process, it’s wet enough that she can apply some shampoo — using a shampoo bar — to start washing it.
“For the rinses, I’ll usually just do my scalp,” Ayers says. “That way, you can work it through to the rest of my hair.”
After giving it a quick dry, she adds some conditioner, gives it a quick brush, and then says that she’ll let it dry naturally.
“The water will dry, get into the air, and then we’ll reclaim it, and it’ll probably become somebody’s coffee tomorrow,” Ayers says in a nod to the station’s recycling systems.
For more on how astronauts live their daily lives on the ISS — including the delicate act of going to the bathroom — check out these short videos made by the crewmembers themselves over the years.
