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According to ancient texts: Frequent hair washing causes Qi stagnation in the brain and obstruction in the middle Jiao (middle energizer), leading to a thin body but heavy weight, and eventually unsmooth meridians and collaterals.
It is auspicious to wash hair on the first day of the lunar month and bathe on the last day. Hair washing and bathing should not be done on the same day. Washing hair after a full meal, washing the head with cold water, rinsing the head while drinking, washing the head with warm rice water (gan water), and washing feet with cold water are all harmful to the human body. After freshly washing hair, do not let the wind blow directly on the coiled hair, and do not sleep with wet hair; otherwise, it may cause Head Wind (tou feng), dizziness, and stuffiness, as well as scalp flakes, hair loss, dark complexion, toothache, and deafness.
Women should not wash their heads during menstruation. If illness is contracted due to this, it may ultimately be incurable.
Lying down while soaking in bathwater accumulates Qi in the lower abdomen and yin region, forming Kidney Bi (Kidney Obstruction Syndrome).
Using boiled water that has been left overnight to wash the body can lead to tinea (xuan); washing the face without care results in a dull complexion and causes Zengwa Chuang (crust-like sores resembling those formed in a steamer).
Frequent bathing causes blood to coagulate and Qi to scatter; although the body appears moist, the vital energy is damaged. Therefore, patients suffering from carbuncles and ulcers have an inability of Qi to overcome Blood, and Spirit to overcome Form.
When a seasonal disease has just resolved, bathing with cold water damages the Pericardium (Xin Bao). Entering water while sweating immediately leads to Bone Bi (Bone Obstruction Syndrome).
In the past, a renowned physician was preparing to enter Shu when he saw a woodcutter bathing in a river while sweating profusely. The physician said, "This person will surely die." He intervened to save him. The man went into an inn, took garlic, chopped it finely, mixed it with noodles, and ate it. After eating, he sweated heavily like rain. The physician said, "Even poor people know the use of medicine, let alone the wealthy." Thus, he decided not to enter Shu.
Ancient texts state: In intense summer heat, washing hands with cold water can still cause the five Zang organs to dry up, how much more so for full-body bathing? When traveling far and exposed to heat, do not wash your face by rivers, or you may develop [condition implied by 'Sheng Wu', possibly referring to premature graying or hair loss].
The book *Xian Lan* states: Those with eye diseases must avoid bathing, as it can lead to blindness.
Bai Yanliang suffered from red eyes frequently in his prime. A Daoist priest said, "If you do not wash your head, you will not suffer from this illness." Bai Yanliang remembered this advice and had no eye diseases after the age of seventy.
The True Man said: Combing hair dispels wind and brightens the eyes; it is a way to avoid death. It is also said: Comb the hair one hundred times daily; do not wash it lightly.
Tao Hongjing stated: Bathe when full, comb when hungry; more combing and less bathing benefits the eyes and heart. Therefore, Daoists often comb their hair one hundred and twenty times in the morning, and bathe only once a month or so.
The True Man said: Hair should be combed frequently, and hands should massage the face. Teeth should be tapped repeatedly, saliva should be swallowed constantly, and Qi should be refined. These five practices constitute the method of cultivating Kunlun (referring to the head/top) for immortality.
The poem *An Le* says: Hair is the surplus of Blood; comb it once a day. This unblocks blood vessels and disperses wind-dampness.
The book *Suo Sui Lu* states: Storing loose hair in bedroom walls for a long time attracts misfortune.
Ancient texts record: If hair falls into food and is consumed, it forms a Jia mass (abdominal lump). An imperial concubine of Emperor Ming of Song suffered from lower back pain radiating to the heart, and her hair fell out causing Qi collapse. Xu Wenbo diagnosed it as "Hair Jia" (Fa Xia). By administering oil, she vomited a two-foot-long object whose head had taken the shape of a snake. Hung on a pillar until the water drained, only hair remained. When Tang Zhen Liyan served as Taichang, a patient suffered from mental restlessness and abdominal fullness, feeling like miasma. Upon diagnosis, he said, "This is caused by accidentally ingesting hair." He prescribed Realgar (Xiong Huang), and the patient vomited a thumb-sized snake without eyes, which emitted a burning hair odor when incinerated. If the snake's head and tail were intact, consuming the human heart would cause death.