During a nuclear explosion, why a shampoo can save your life and a condition could be deadly

New Delhi, Sep 23: As the war in Ukraine drags on, Russia is willing to use nuclear weapons reports have said. Vladimir Putin has said that this is not a bluff during an address to the nation earlier this week.

Did you know that it is dangerous to apply conditioner on your hair during a nuclear war?
In the wake of this threat, the United States issued a list of dos and dont's for its citizens in the event of a nuclear explosion. The list specifically mentions that applying conditioner on that day is not safe.

If a nuclear bomb explodes, throwing clouds of radioactive dust into the air, make sure you hop into a shower as soon as possible. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also instructed people to seal of contaminated clothes and take a shower.

Use shampoo as it is designed to cling to oil and dirt in your hair and take away any dirty particles when you rinse the shampoo out. The conditioner on the other hand contain surfactants that attract water at one end and oil at the other. However they have different properties.

A shampoo can save your life, but a conditioner could be deadly. The advisory said avoid using conditioner on your hair to prevent significant radiation exposure. The conditioner can act like a glue between your hair and radioactive material.

Most conditioners have cationic surfactants which are positively charged. Since high fibres are negatively charged they both attract and act as a glue for the radioactive dust and these radioactive particles can cause cell damage and also prove fatal.

In case anyone is exposed to a nuclear explosion, they should seek shelter inside a brick or concrete building to avoid radiation, the advisory also says. Also during such an event avoid touching the nose, mouth and eyes.