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This will prevent any friction between your strands and pillowcase and will eliminate any added frizz in the process. Sleeping with wet hair can cause hair breakage, which isn’t quite the same thing as hair loss. Hair loss refers to an absence of hair growing from the scalp, while hair breakage is an actual break in the hair shaft and doesn’t always occur at the root. Still, “rubbing wet hair against your bedding increases the chances of hair tangles and hair breakage,” says Gitau, which is something you want to avoid. A pillow that is damp or has collected residue from hair products could potentially make acne worse by creating an environment that is humid or oily, leading to clogged pores and inflammation. For these reasons, some experts suggest it is better to sleep with clean and dry hair that is pulled away from the face.
What Happens If You Sleep With Wet Hair?
Family medicine specialist Matthew Goldman, MD, talks about the potential hazards of wet hair — including a concern you may not have considered. Rehkopf strongly recommends making sure your hair is at least 75% dry before you go to bed. Is washing your hair in the evening a non-negotiable part of your routine?
Does Sleeping With Wet Hair Cause a Cold?
Forget what you’ve heard — sleeping with wet hair doesn’t increase your likelihood of catching a cold. The common cold is typically caused by a virus, not wet hair (5), so illness isn’t a potential drawback. Despite these widely held beliefs, there is not a lot of strong scientific evidence that sleeping with wet hair is going to cause problems for everyone. Depending on the circumstance, a person should consider the potential risks of sleeping with wet hair and how to take care of your hair while you sleep. Ideally, you should be going to bed with completely dry hair to reduce your risk of fungal infections and hair breakage.
How to Sleep with Wet Hair Minimizing Damage
Illness-causing bacteria and viruses don’t appear spontaneously, and so you’re not going to make yourself ill by getting your pillow a little damp at night, Schaffner says. To prevent hair breakage, you can use a leave-in hair moisturizer or conditioner. The leave-in coats your strands with protective layers of oils and prevents your hair from tangling or breaking. Wet hair can be a breeding ground for all kinds of creepy organisms, including bacteria and fungi. And the growth of these tiny microorganisms can lead to infections on your scalp.
They believe that sleeping with dry hair can help prevent certain health problems and avoid pillow breakage, as it doesn’t give you a great hair day the next morning. Hair is at its most fragile when wet, so if you go to bed with it damp and proceed to toss and turn against a pillow, you run a higher risk of breakage. But aside from being rough on your delicate strands, hitting the pillow with damp hair puts you at risk of developing skin infections, primarily on your scalp.
Is Going to Sleep With Wet Hair Bad for Your Health in Some Way? SELF - Self
Is Going to Sleep With Wet Hair Bad for Your Health in Some Way? SELF.
Posted: Mon, 11 May 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Geoff’s passionate about helping readers improve their well-being to lead happier lives. Outside of work, Geoff enjoys cycling and hiking and believes that by leading a healthy lifestyle, he can help others do the same. “If your hair is recurrently wet and warm, such as from sweat in a warmer climate, and it comes into contact with a microorganism, then it is more likely for infection to occur,” Dr. Goldman says. Not only is that generally gross for you and anyone you share a bed with, but it also increases the chance of spreading bacterial infections. The simplest step is to dry the hair as much as possible before going to bed.
Drying your hair before bed is best for your health, but don’t panic if you go to bed here and there with wet hair. However, I also understand that showering at night does allow you a few extra minutes to sleep in the morning. I also personally know several people who can’t get in the bed “dirty,” so a nightly shower is a must. “Sleeping with wet hair will make your pillow and surroundings damp, which can disrupt your sleep,” says Wu. In addition to potentially decreasing your body temperature too much for optimal sleep, wet hair can be just plain uncomfortable to sleep on.
How to Sleep with Wet Hair Based on Your Hair Type
However, drying long hair with heat-based tools may result in damaged hair. If individuals can wash their hair every other day or go longer between washes, this may reduce the time they lie on a damp pillow. “Once you’ve sufficiently dampened the hair, it pays to opt for some precautionary prep. Work a sizeable amount of hair serum such as the L'Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Liss Ultime from the mid-lengths to the ends of your hair to discourage tangles,” says Merchant.
She also advises changing up your bedding if you’re planning to sleep with wet hair. “A silk pillowcase is ideal for resting your head, as the usual cotton options are extremely rough on your hair and can cause knotting and further breakage. A silken surface allows individual strands of hair to remain separate, thereby reducing tangles and knots,” she explains.
Due to the fragile state of wet hair, the AAD recommends allowing your hair time to partially air dry before styling or combing it. Washing your hair at night may mean saving some time in the morning, but sleeping with wet hair may be more trouble than it’s worth. Besides a soggy pillowcase, you could be setting yourself up for both hair breakage and a scalp infection. We spoke with two experts about the potential risks of sleeping with wet hair and what you can do to minimize them if you really can’t avoid that night-time shower. The "fun" part about sleeping with wet hair is that these downfalls can even go beyond your scalp and hair.
You should also consider the hairstyle you want to wake up with the next day. “If you would like to wake up with curls, make sure to twist your hair well and secure it in a top knot, so that your strands can dry into those curls. However, if you would like to leave your hair straight, push it all up in one uniform direction and let it dry naturally. This also ensures that you won’t get any random waves or kinks from your head resting against the pillowcase,” she adds.
Instead of vigorously rubbing your hair with a regular towel, use a microfiber towel to blot excess moisture. Patting or squeezing your hair gently is less likely to cause damage or frizz. Sleeping with wet hair can have different effects depending on your hair type. Your hair’s unique characteristics, such as its natural oil levels and hair strand structure, play a significant role in how you should manage wet hair before bedtime. Hair stylists often recommend putting your wet hair up in a bun or in French braids for a more attractive morning style. However, it’s essential to be cautious about making these styles too tight when your hair is wet.
When you wake up, undo your braids to reveal your air-dried strands and easy heatless style. Whether you’ve just finished an evening workout or got back from a long travel day with that one extra layer of dry shampoo still in your hair. Hair-wash day can turn into hair-wash night and we’ve never thought twice about it.
If you need to (or want to) go to bed with wet hair, there are steps you can take to help protect your hair from damage. If you have naturally straight hair, going to bed when it’s wet isn’t the best idea because it can lead to tangles, breakage, moisture loss and increased frizz. If you shower before bed, allot some time for your hair to air dry or blow dry your hair to about 70 percent dry before you check out for the night. Removing most of the moisture from your hair will help to make it less vulnerable while you sleep. Acne, on the other hand, could be another unpleasant side effect of sleeping with wet hair. While there is no specific evidence linking going to bed with wet hair and an acne breakout, it’s certainly possible.
Sleeping with wet hair also leads to scalp concerns like unwanted bacteria, fungal infections, skin irritation, itchiness, dryness, redness, and dandruff. Don’t worry if you don’t want to give up your nightly shower routine; we’ve got your back. Below, we’re breaking down the right way to sleep with wet hair for every hair type, from top knots to morning wake-ups.
One braid will give you loosely textured curls, but the more braids you make, the thinner and tighter the curls will get, thus giving you more volume. When you wake up, open all the braids and separate them with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb and instead of a brush. Flip your hair from side to side to help it settle in, and then style it the way you like,” Merchant advises. It's a widely held belief that going to bed with wet hair can be detrimental to your health, but there is a lack of strong scientific evidence to support this idea. While for most people, sleeping with wet hair is unlikely to cause serious health risks, there are some potential risks to consider.
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