Does Not Drying Hair Cause Hair Loss? Have you missed a late-night shower when you were too exhausted to blow dry, to hear your mother’s voice in your mind warning you that you’re going to get a cold when you’re sleeping with damp hair?
Does Not Drying Hair Cause Hair Loss?
Turns out, your mother was wrong — at least because of the cold. Sleeping with your hair damp may make you sick, but it’s not the way you imagine. We got the low down on the two doctors who were sleeping with damp hair. Here’s what could happen if you hit the hay with a wet ass, and you know how to do it the right way.
Can Wet Hair Damage Your Scalp?
We’ve been told of the risks of wet hair since childhood. What’s the truth, and what does that mean for your scalp? Hot, sore throat, runny nose. We’ve been advised since childhood that these are the effects of going to sleep or leaving a house with wet hair. There is a lot of research that indicates that wet hair is softer and more likely to be damaged or destroyed. But wet hair issues will spread to your scalp.
Wet Hair And Your Scalp
The biggest problem with the scalp when it comes to wet hair has a lot to do with the fungus. Our scalps are home to a wide range of bacteria, and most of them are very harmless. Some, though, like Malassezia globosa, maybe less so. Malassezia is entirely normal, but it induces pain, dryness, itch, and flakes in half of the world’s population – yeah, dandruff. This is where damp hair will pose a problem.
A Perfect Microclimate for Dandruff
Wet hair creates complications by giving Malassezia a perfect growing environment. Especially in wet weather, the combination of warmth and dampness between the hair and the scalp is a great way to promote Malassezia development. Sleeping with wet hair will lead to similar problems; the pillow will cling on to moisture and keep your head damp for longer-making it suitable for Malassezia to flourish.
Risks In Not Drying Out Damp Hair
There’s no reason to miss sleep because of something your mom told you to get sick by sleeping with wet hair. Risks are tiny, but there are several things that you should be mindful of before you think you can hit wet hay sopping every night.
Getting sick
Getting a cold tends to be the most prevalent problem, due to folklore and defensive mothers and grandmas. While they’re basically right, they’re wrong about wet hair and colds. There is no proof that you will catch a cold by going to bed with damp hair. If you have the flu, it’s because you’re sick with a bug. The common cold may not actually have anything to do with being cold, but rather being infected with one of over 200 cold-causing viruses, commonly the rhinovirus.
The virus enters your body from your nose, mouth, or eyes and travels from droplets in the air while an infected person sneezes, coughs, or speaks. You may also get it by rubbing a polluted surface or by hand-to-hand contact with an infected human. Colds are most likely during the winter months due to the beginning of the academic year, and people spend more time indoors, in close proximity with others.
Fungal infections
While sleeping with wet hair doesn’t give you a cold, it does increase the chance of contracting a fungal scalp infection. Fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to conditions such as dandruff or dermatitis, according to Shah, who advises sleeping with dry hair whenever possible. In addition to the fungus naturally found on your scalp, the pillows are also a hotbed for the fungus. It thrives in a warm atmosphere and a damp pillowcase and pillow make it the perfect breeding ground. An older analysis of fungal flora found on bedding found somewhere between 4 and 16 species per pillow studied. This included Aspergillus fumigatus, a widespread form of fungus responsible for causing serious infections in people with compromised immune systems. Symptoms of asthma can also intensify.
Hair breakage
Sleeping with damp hair has an effect on the hair itself. In addition to the inevitability of waking up with a badly kinked bedhead, the hair can also be impaired. Hair is the weakest when it’s hot. The biggest concern (other than cosmetic ones) is hair breakage while tossing and turning while asleep. This is especially a concern if the hair is braided or in a tight updo, which brings more friction to the shaft of the hair. If you can’t stop sleeping with wet hair, the safest bet is to lay it down.
If drying your hair thoroughly before bed is just not a choice, here are several tips you should do to make sleeping with wet hair as healthy as possible:
Apply coconut oil to your hair
There is evidence that coconut oil prevents damp hair from breakage. The hair cuticle consists of flaps similar to shingles on the roof. When you’re soaked, your hair soaks up water and swells, causing these flaps to stand up, leaving your hair vulnerable to injury. The oil decreases the amount of water consumed so that it is less susceptible to injury.
Use conditioner
Conditioner helps seal the hair of the cuticle, minimize pressure, and make hair easier to detangle. Bleached or chemically conditioned hair will benefit much more from daily conditioning.
Clean and remove hair as soon as possible
Whether you can get dry in a short blast or if you can shower with some additional air-drying time a few minutes sooner, do it. The less water you have in your hair, the easier it is to mitigate damage. Make sure to (gently) untangle your hair before you go to sleep to help prevent any additional tension on your hair.
Use a silk pillow
There is some evidence that sleeping on a silk pillowcase is safer for the skin because it is less dry and has a frictionless base. While there is no proof of its advantages to the scalp, the milder surface can also serve to minimize harm if you go to sleep with your scalp wet — or dry, for that matter.
Takeaway
It can be terrible for you to go to bed with damp hair, just not in the way your grandma told you about it. Ideally, you should go to bed with fully dried hair to reduce the chances of fungal infections and hair loss. Sleeping with wet hair may also lead to more tangles and a funky mane in the morning. If you can’t stop sleeping with damp hair, you can alleviate potentially harmful pressure with a few quick tweaks on your bath and bedtime routine. Does Not Drying Hair Cause Hair Loss?