At Japanese hot springs, it is generally expected that you keep your hair out of the bath. Long hair is usually tied up with a rubber band or clip and kept above the waterline. Visitors from abroad may see this as a small rule, but it is simply a natural way to keep shared bath water clean and is not difficult to follow.

In short, keeping your hair out of the water is not just about appearance. There are hygiene reasons: it helps prevent shed hair, styling products, and dirt from the scalp from mixing into the shared bath. The solution is simple: tie up long hair and keep it out of the water.

This article explains why hair is treated carefully, then covers how to tie it by length, tips for short hair, and how to handle towels, outdoor baths, and saunas, all with a focus on keeping hair out of the water. For the overall bathing flow and detailed steps, see Basic Hot Spring Etiquette. For how to wash your body and hair before entering the bath, see How to Wash Before a Hot Spring Bath.

Why keep hair out of the water?

In Japanese hot springs, the bath is not a place to wash your body; it is a place to warm up after you are already clean. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's hygiene guidelines for public baths also encourage facilities to remind bathers to wash thoroughly before entering, making clean bath water a basic premise of shared bathing. Keeping hair out of the water is one part of that same mindset.

The reasons can be grouped into three main points.

Each issue may be small on its own, but in a shared bath used by many people, they add up. When long hair floats in the bath, it can harm not only actual hygiene but also the feeling that others can bathe comfortably. Keeping hair out of the water has become a standard courtesy for both reasons.

This idea is also the same as not putting a towel into the bath. The role of such no-go behavior is also discussed in Things You Should Never Do at a Hot Spring.

Tie up long hair and keep it above the waterline

For long hair, the main thing to watch for is the ends touching the water when you sit in the bath. If your hair is shoulder length or longer, tying it with a rubber band, clip, or headband and fastening it high at the back of your head makes it less likely to dip into the bath. It does not need to be styled perfectly; it is enough to keep it from falling into the water.

Having accessories is convenient, but not required. Here are the common options.

A hair tie or clip is small, so it is useful to bring one when you go to a hot spring. Some changing rooms provide them, but not always, so people with long hair are better off bringing their own. In deeper baths, your body sinks more easily and hair is more likely to touch the water, so it helps to tie it high before entering.

What to watch for with short hair

Short hair does not mean you can stop caring altogether. You do not need to tie it up, but the basic idea is the same: do not let your bangs or nape touch the water for too long when you soak.

The key point is not the hairstyle itself, but whether the hair is actually in the water. Even with short hair, avoid sitting so deeply that the back of your head or nape touches the bath. Keep your head above the waterline. If your bangs are a bit long, a headband can help lift them slightly.

In other words, the level of care changes with hair length, but the idea of keeping hair out of the water applies to everyone.

Towels should not go into the bath either

Along with hair, people often say that towels should not be put in the bath. The reason is the same: towels can carry lint, soap residue, and dirt from wiping your body, and many people do not want that mixing into the water.

The small towel you bring into the bathing area should either rest on your head or be placed outside the rim of the bath. If you use a towel to help lift your hair, handle it so it does not touch the water. Hair and towels follow the same simple rule: if it can stay out of the bath, keep it out.

Hair care in outdoor baths and saunas

The basic idea does not change in outdoor baths, but wind can make hair harder to keep in place, so it helps to tie it up firmly at the start. Because the open-air setting can make you relax and sink deeper, be mindful that the nape of your neck does not touch the water.

In saunas, dry hair can be damaged more easily by heat, so some people wrap a damp towel around their head or use a sauna hat. This is a way to protect the hair, not a hygiene rule. When moving from the sauna to a cold plunge bath or hot spring bath, just retie your hair so it stays out of the water.

No need to be overly strict

Some visitors to Japan feel these customs are very strict. But for Japanese bathers, it is less a difficult rule and more a normal expectation: this is simply how you behave in a shared bath. You do not need to make your hair look perfectly neat; it is enough to keep the ends from falling into the water.

Washing your hair is completely fine, and in fact it is better to enter the bath clean. After washing, just take a moment to tie it up again before soaking. If you are unsure how to prepare in the changing room, Basic Steps from the Changing Room to the Bath may also help.

Frequently asked questions

How tightly should I tie my hair?

It is enough to keep the ends from falling into the water. If your hair is shoulder length or longer, tie it high at the back of your head with a rubber band or clip and keep it above the waterline. It does not need to be styled neatly.

Do I need to do anything special for short hair?

You do not need to tie it up, but avoid soaking so deeply that your bangs or nape stay in the water. Regardless of hair length, the idea is the same: do not let your hair touch the bath water.

Is it okay to wash my hair at the hot spring?

Yes. In fact, it is better to enter clean. After washing, retie your hair before entering the bath so it does not touch the water. Washing steps are covered in How to Wash Before a Hot Spring Bath.

Are hair ties or clips available at the facility?

Sometimes they are, but not always. If you have long hair, it is safer to bring your own small hair tie or clip.

Why should towels not be put in the water?

Because towels can carry lint, soap residue, and dirt, and many people do not want that dissolving into the bath water. In the bath, place the towel on your head or outside the rim. Like hair, it is a courtesy for keeping the bath clean.

Summary

In Japanese hot springs, keeping your hair out of the bath helps prevent shed hair, styling products, and dirt from mixing into the shared water, so everyone can use it comfortably and cleanly. Long hair should be tied up with a rubber band or clip and kept above the waterline, and even short hair should not be left in the water for too long. Towels should not go into the bath for the same reason.

You do not need perfect styling; it is enough to keep the ends from falling into the water. Keeping hair out of the bath is less a fine point of etiquette than a basic courtesy for sharing a communal bath. For the full bathing flow, see Basic Hot Spring Etiquette.

Sources

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Hygiene Management Guidelines for Public Baths (bathers should wash their bodies thoroughly before bathing; keep bath water clean)
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: On the Hygiene Management Guidelines for Public Baths, etc. (guidance to wash the body before bathing; water quality management)
• Kinosaki Onsen Tourism Association: Seven Manners for Visiting Sato-yu Baths (tie long hair up; do not put towels in the bath)