Sleeping with wet hair

Our hair is very sensitive and small things can lead to breakage easily. They are prone to breakage very easily and small misleading can also lead to hair fall.  You must have heard your mother say that sleeping with wet hair at night may cause you to catch a cold. Well she is right but not only can you catch a cold but also you can damage your hair.

A lot of people prefer to take a shower at night which leads them to sleep with wet hair. But this can affect you based on the condition and texture of your hair and other issues that you might be facing such as dandruff and itching. You should wait till your hair is fully dry before sleeping.

When wet, your hair cuticle, which is the outer layer of your hair shaft, opens up which makes your hair more brittle and stretched. When the hair cuticle stretches out more it becomes prone to breakage. This can also happen when you brush your wet hair and they break.

Now let’s see why you shouldn’t sleep with wet hair.

Side effects of sleeping with wet hair

Fungal infections

Sleeping with your hair wet and full of moisture can increase your risk of developing a fungal infection of the scalp. The moisture on the scalp can cause infection and itchiness.

Hair breakage

When our hair is wet they are more prone to breakage because they become weak and the pores open up. Not only will you wake up with some serious kinked bad head but you may also do some damage to your hair. Remember that your hair is at its weakest when it’s wet.

More expenditure on hair styling tools

When you have a bad head hairstyle you don’t like to go anywhere and they are really difficult to style too. You need a lot of tools to style your bed hair which also includes a lot of expense. You can smoothen your hair by restyling with hair gels, aerosols, and heat styling tools.

Promotes bacterial growth

Water and warm temperature lead to the growth of bacteria. With wet hair your pillow gets damp which leads to the ideal breeding ground for mold and bacteria. The frequent changing of the pillowcase will also not help so much as the dampness has already penetrated inside your pillow.

Can cause dandruff

When you sleep with wet hair the moisture and oil are sucked up by the fabric which results in a dry scalp and causes dandruff. The bacteria grows and natural oils deplete which results in an itchy dry scalp.

Cause dullness of hair

When all your moisture has been soaked up from your scalp your hair naturally becomes dull and lifeless. This also makes them easily breakable. Your hair texture becomes dry and they appear dead.

Can cause hair loss

Going to bed with wet hair can result in hair loss and scalp ringworm. It is a type of fungal infection, caused by warm and damp conditions. This can cause hair fall and irritate your hair roots. The wet hair can cause hair to fall from the temple and the mid area.

Can cause scalp irritation

The feeling of the itchy and irritated scalp is because of going to bed with wet hair. Diseases of the scalp can occur when you sleep on a damp pillowcase. A humid and warm environment can increase bacterial growth.

It can make the hair knotty

When you go to bed with wet hair they tend to get tangled during sleep. In the morning your hair can be unruly and hard to detangle and this can add extra stress to your morning routine.

It can give you a headache

A wet head can give you a headache. Some experts also say that sleeping with wet hair may lower your body temperature but it can cause a normal headache as your body tries to warm up.

It can cause frizzy hair

When you sleep you tend to roll a lot on your pillow. Damp hair creates stronger friction against the pillowcase which makes your hair frizzy. This will make it difficult for you to detangle your hair and can also cause hair loss.

It will cause hair thinning

When you go to bed with wet hair it results in hair fall which eventually causes hair thinning and loss of volume.

It can cause cold and sore throat

After washing your hair, if you sleep in an air-conditioned room or if it is winter time then you may catch some cold and chills. It is very easy to catch a cold and sore throat due to wet hair. Avoid rinsing your hair in the winter season.

It can give you acne

After sleeping for a few times on a pillowcase your pillow traps bacteria and can cause a breakout of acne. Your skin will thank you for drying your hair before you sleep. The trapped bacteria can cause a lot of irritation to your skin.

Take Away

In conclusion you can sleep with wet hair but there should be some precautions taken to do so. If you have weak hair then prevent sleeping with wet hair as it can cause damage.