Hair-Freezing Competitions Exist and Look *Insane*

Every February since 2011, the Takhini Hot Springs in Whitehorse, Yukton, Canada have hosted a little something called the International Hair Freezing Contest. Fair Warning: The sight of the contestant's frozen styles will give you the chills (literally) and probably a little secondhand anxiety. The competition takes place during Yukton's Sourdough Rendezvous, an annual winter festival that celebrates the territory's heritage. So if you ever took part in a "wacky hair day" during your high school's homecoming spirit week, our guess is that you're probably dying to enter a hair-freezing contest.

A post shared by Marta Keller (@marta.k.keller)

Throughout the entire month a few brave pool guests who choose to enter the contest will first hop in the 104° F waters of the hot springs and completely submerge so every strand of their hair gets wet. Once wet, the "contestants" will then just let their heads chill (again, literally) above water in the subzero temperatures until the hair begins to freeze. That's when the fun begins. As the hair starts to harden, contestants begin to style their hair until it is completely frozen solid. The results are typically somewhere between Guy Fieri and a frosted Cindy Lou Who. Hopeful participants submit their pictures to the Takhini Hot Pools, either at the resort's front desk or via Facebook or email. The winners are announced in March and the most ridiculous of the bunch can win up to $750 and a complimentary pass for 30 soaks.

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Worth it? Possibly. However, while we're all for taking risks in the name of beauty, we can't imagine that turning your locks into stylized icicles does anything for its moisture in the middle of the already very dry winter. But hey, I guess that's what hair masks are here for, right?