Practices
Can I wash my hair during confinement?
Tradition says no hair washing for the confinement month. What the rule means, where it comes from, and the warm middle ground most families use today.
23 July 2026
All guides
Confinement guides
Everything we have written on Chinese confinement, gathered in one place. New guides are added as they are researched and reviewed. Not sure where to begin? Start with our overview of what confinement is.
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Confinement
What confinement is, its history and how practice varies across regions.
1 guide
Practices
The month structure, rest, warmth, bathing, hair washing and visitors.
1 guide
Food and Recipes
Confinement soups, herbs, lactation support and week by week eating.
Coming soon
Australia Hub
Confinement in Australia: nannies, family, costs and the hospital to home move.
Coming soon
Planning
Preparing before birth, shopping lists and caesarean recovery notes.
Coming soon
Latest guides
Confinement
An introduction to Chinese confinement (zuo yue zi)
Zuo yue zi, the Chinese confinement month, in depth: the 30 day structure, the TCM reasoning, foods week by week, and what the evidence supports.
30 June 2026