If you find yourself frequently sleeping with wet hair, you may think twice after reading this.
You won’t magically wake up with a cold or flu if your hair isn’t dry at bedtime since those are caused by viruses, not temperature or wet hair, but there are other consequences to this common practice.
Some of the more obvious consequence has to do with hair health, while the more surprising ones affect your skin and body. When it comes down to it, the inconvenience of drying your hair is much less impactful than dealing with the conditions below.
- Hair Breakage
Hair is at its most fragile when it’s wet. It’s porous and can absorb up to 45% of its own weight in water.
The involuntary movement of your head during sleep pulls your hair every which way, increasing the risk of breakage. This affects the overall texture of your hair and makes it harder to grow out. Plus, broken ends have a tendency to frizz, a situation most of us want to avoid.
- Tangling
Hair is much more likely to tangle when it’s wet. Tangled hair can pose a challenge in the morning, as knotting can lead to breakage.
Many women don’t brush their hair after showering since we’ve been told it can damage the hair shaft and cause breakage but the solution is simple: run a wide-tooth comb, boar bristle brush, or your fingers through your wet hair, towel dry, and style as usual.
- Dandruff
Dandruff can be caused by dry scalp, eczema, psoriasis, or a fungus, all of which can be exacerbated by sleeping with wet hair.
Fungus thrives where it’s warm, dark, and moist your scalp is all of the above when you go to bed with wet hair. Additionally, skin that is kept wet and left to slowly air-dry can worsen the itchiness and flaking caused by eczema and psoriasis.
- Ringworms
Scalp ringworm is a highly contagious fungal infection that itches terribly and can cause patchy hair loss. It’s called “ringworm” because it grows in red, scaly circles.
Scalp ringworm is a different strain than the ringworm that grows on other parts of the body or on the skin of your family pet.
When you lie on a pillow with wet hair, the pillow becomes warm and damp; the combination of damp hair and damp pillow fosters fungal growth. It also makes you more likely to infect other family members, especially if you share a bed.
https://dailyhealthpost.com/sleeping-with-wet-hair/3/
http://newsely.com/health/7-diseases-that-are-caused-by-sleeping-with-wet-hair/
