Epsom salts and flotation therapy

[snoop]

I'm planning on doing a flotation therapy session on Friday and I'm trying to figure out what I should do with my hair -- if anything at all.

The tank will be filled with warm water and 1,000lbs of epsom salts. You can float for up to 1.5 hours, which I probably will do. I'm told that you can put a pool noodle or something of the sort so that your head isn't "completely" in. So, I'm torn between just going for it and using nothing, using a noodle, a swim cap and no noodle, or a swim cap and a noodle. At the very least I'll saturate my hair in the shower and cover with oil before floating and washing well after and possibly CO washing for the days following.

I was just wondering if anyone has done this and what they did with their hair.

 

[rririla]

I think I would use the cap and the noodle. The idea of floating in epsom salts sounds amazing to me, but I would be concerned about it sucking all the moisture out of my strands. I would be safe and just use both.

On another note can you please keep us updated on how it went? I am very interested in this. Being a healthcare worker, every part of my body aches from the heavy lifting. This sounds very interesting.

 

[Ogoma]

Sea salt seems to do wonders for people's hair, but I am not sure if epsom salt does the same.

I would go whatever will allow me to fully participate. It is only for a short time so I don't think it will damage your hair.

 

[greenandchic]

I tried it with a swim cap and I regret it. I ended up taking it off a few minutes after going into the water. The water started seeping in and it just felt strange and uncomfortable.

I did a deep, deep, deep conditioning treatment after using ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo to remove the salts and minerals.

 

[snoop]

rririla for sure I’ll let you know. I’d only heard about it recently and coincidently a friend asked me if I wanted to try it. Right now I have two under 3 years and so I haven’t had a real opportunity to just relax in a long time! HAHA!

Ogoma visited the other long hair community and they had some of the same concerns too about whether or not it would be drying (someone had asked about using it on their hair at home.) A poster had mentioned that sea salt is mostly sodium chloride and minerals, while Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is magnesium and sulfur. This prompted the question on whether epsom salts would help your hair to grow because of the sulfur. At the levels I’m talking about for floating, I’d have to agree that too much could be a bad thing.

greenandchic how did you like the experience?! I wish someone would invent a swim cap that works! I’ll be sure to bring lots of conditioner, oils, clay, etc. tomorrow.

 

[greenandchic]

snoop - It was definitely an "out of body" experience, if there's no better way to explain it. I did it for 90 minutes but it felt more like 30. For the first time I was able to let go and let my unconscious mind do the work.

 

[snoop]

So the jury is still out on the flotation. I think that the concept is pretty interesting, but I didn't really like the facility that I did it in. I think I'll try one more time at another location before I decide whether I liked it or not.

At first it was hard to relax and so my neck and shoulders were in pain. I sat up for a bit then tried again and it was much better. Pain went away. And after the whole experience it felt like I had a full body massage!

As for my hair, it didn't dry out TOO much. I'd soaked my hair and put on some coconut oil. After I co-washed, and put on some Mud Puddle mud wash over night. In the morning, I shampooed and conditioned again. I had swimming today (salt pool) so I LOC's before and co-washed after. Hopefully, My hair will go back to normal over the next couple of days. My ends didn't feel like they suffered, either.