Washing your hair in wee? All you need to know about the most bizarre 2019 hair hack

Do you ever wish you could un-hear something traumatic? Well, that was us this morning, when we found out about the latest “secret” to getting the shiny locks you’ve always dreamed of: washing your hair in wee.

Yes, you heard us right. This bizarre trend (we’re not sure we can call it that yet, as unsurprisingly, it hasn’t taken off) was instigated by British athlete James Cracknell’s wife, who, according to The Sun, claimed that her locks had “never been silkier” since she started practicing the habit.

Beverly Turner took to Twitter to announce her unconventional beauty hack plans, saying, "about to get in shower where I will wash my hair in a cup of pee....I'm genuinely not kidding.

"Who needs costly shampoo when you can shower in your own urine?!"

We have so many questions. First of all, what made Bev decide to give the wee-wash a go the first ever time? It’s a bit like the farmer who milked the first cow- what was going through her head? Unfortunately, there’s not yet a single interview with her out there regarding this fascinating subject, so for now, our questions remain unanswered.

Scarily, though, a bit of research has unearthed that while washing your hair with wee isn’t common by any means, people around the world have been doing it for years. From weird hippies, to random reality TV stars, to even a couple of beauty experts, wee-washing has been practiced by them all. But the craze really jumped up a notch when a woman called Miriam was seen washing her hair in her own urine on reality TV show, New Lives in the Wild.

According to Ten Daily, Miriam lives a nomadic lifestyle, and has done so for the past 12 years. Part of that lifestyle includes the regular hair-wee-wash, in which Miriam leaves the, er, product in her hair for up to 20 minutes before rinsing it out.

Despite usually being flushed down the loo and forgotten about, wee apparently has some surprising benefits to the hair and body. A study at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, found that that urine is rich in melatonin, the hormone involved in producing circadian rhythms. It discovered that drinking a cup of wee first thing in the morning can calm and refresh the system, giving illusion that you’ve had a good night's sleep. Hmm, something says we won’t be trying it, nevertheless.

As for actual benefits to your hair, “urine therapy” for hair growth is a thing, according to the website Beauty Glimpse. They list wee as a “natural hair remedy”, saying that it is “full of essential elements”, and that benefits include:

·         Rejuvenating the hair follicles, which treats hair loss effectively and stimulates hair growth

·         Ridding of a number of scalp problems including infections and dandruff

·         Nourishing hair fibres from all aspects, creating shine and lustre

·         Boosting the volume of hair

·         Helping retain the natural colour of hair and reducing premature greying

Okay, okay, it all sounds very impressive, but certainly more research is needed before we jump on the wee-wash bandwagon. We’d like these benefits to be scientifically proven, please, before we consider saving our own wee to douse our hair with. Still, we’re intrigued to hear more about this and will keep an ear out for any updates.

Until then, we think we’ll stick to our regular shampoo and conditioner.

Aana Bowering