Washing Oneself and Cutting Nails in the Nine Days

These Halachos are based on the rulings of the Mishna Berura, reflecting Ashkenazi practice

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Washing oneself: Throughout the Nine Days there is a restriction on washing one’s entire body, even in cool water. However, one may wash one’s hands, face and feet in cool water. One may also wash off dirt from other places of the body – this is permissible even on Tisha B’av (SA 551:16, MB 88, 94, SA 554:9).

Erev Shabbos

One who normally washes their whole body in hot water on Erev Shabbos may do so if Rosh Chodesh Av coincides with Erev Shabbos.
When Erev Shabbos falls on another day in the Nine Days, one who normally washes before Shabbos may wash their hands, face and feet in hot water; some also permit washing one’s hair. If Erev Shabbos falls on Erev Tisha B’av, one should ideally wash in this manner before Chatzos (halachic midday), though if one did not do so, one may wash in this manner after Chatzos (R 551:16, MB 89, 96-97, BH”L Bachafifas haRosh).

For mitzva purposes, one may wash even in hot water. Therefore, a woman may wash as usual before going to the Mikvah; this also applies if she is scheduled to go to Mikva on Motzei Tisha B’Av so commences her preparations on Erev Tisha B’Av (R 551:16, BH”L Uletzorech Mitzva, MB 554:18).

For medical purposes, it is permitted to wash in hot water in the Nine Days as required (MB 88, SHT 94)

It is advisable to consult with one’s Rav about how to apply these restrictions nowadays as the poskim debate this. Some poskim maintain these restrictions apply as outlined above, whilst others are more lenient, given we wash more frequently than in previous generations due to having running water etc, such that not doing so may cause distress, and given that we don’t generally treat showering as a pleasurable activity but rather do so for cleanliness.
Poskim also debate whether to apply further leniencies to washing on Erev Shabbos given the above, and they discuss from what age these restrictions apply to children, if at all; again consult your Rav for practical guidance (see eg Dirshu 551:108, 109, PT 48).

There is a dispute whether one may cut nails in the week of Tisha B’Av; however, it is permitted to do so the week before Tisha B’av ,even within the period of the Nine Days. A woman may cut her nails for mikva even in the week of Tisha B’Av (MB 551:20, Dirshu 34).