Hair maintenance is a part of everyday life for most individuals, particularly those who have long hair. Whether going out to pick up coffee and meet friends, or simply running around the house in pajamas, washing the hair and then styling it seems to be a central activity within your day. But do you ever consider the way astronauts prepare their hair in space?

"Woman with wild hair" – Trump's response to Sunita Williams

Recently, the news was dominated by the President of the US, Donald Trump, after making a comment regarding NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' hair. When sitting in the Oval Office, Trump was asked what message he had for NASA's astronauts while on a rescue mission. He joked "We love you, and we're coming up to get you, and you shouldn't have been up there so long."

But what was everyone talking about was his observation on Williams' hair. Trump commented, “I see the woman with the wild hair, good, solid head of hair she's got. There's no kidding, there's no games with her hair.”

Why do women astronauts have their hair down in space?

You would expect long, loose hair to be a problem in the weightless environment of space, but that is not true. A lot of women astronauts actually prefer to have their hair down while performing tasks aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Here's why:

No gravity, no problem

In space, there is no gravity to pull the hair down against the face. That is, hair does not interfere with working, so the astronauts do not have to keep it back as they would on Earth.

Easy to wash

Astronauts shampoo their hair with a no-rinse shampoo and towel. As their hair does not drop naturally because of microgravity, it does not stick to their face or get knotted.

Ventilation dries hair

The ISS also has a ventilation system that aids in evaporating water and drying hair. On washing, astronauts can just dry their hair rapidly using the airflow.

Personal choice

Some astronauts just prefer having their hair down. Since there’s no practical need to keep it tied up, they go with whatever feels comfortable.

Hair care in space – How do they wash it?

Astronaut Karen Nyberg provided a behind-the-scenes tour of how it's done in space during her 2013 flight aboard the ISS. In a YouTube video, Nyberg walked viewers through her hair care routine step by step using warm water, no-rinse shampoo, a comb, and a towel.

Nyberg described, “What I like to do is start by just putting some hot water, squirting it onto my scalp, and I have a mirror so I can kind of watch what I'm doing. Sometimes the water gets away from you and you try a

You might also be interested in - Sunita Williams’ net worth: How much extra did she earn from her extended space stay?