Imagine this – you’ve had a long tiring day, and you can’t wait to hop into the shower to feel refreshed and more like yourself again when you get in. So, that’s what you do, before putting on your comfortable clothes and relaxing with something to eat. Come bedtime, though, your hair is still wet… but you just don’t have the energy to do anything about it.
That begs the question – is it bad to go to sleep with wet hair?
If you’ve been wondering whether you can safely do this, let’s explain more and provide some answers.
Should You Go to Bed With Wet Hair?
It’s not a disaster to go to bed while your hair is still wet. You could argue that the alternative is to use heat treatments to dry it, and we know that heat styling without using the correct protectants can cause its own issues over time.
However, you’re not going to create any major disasters by going to sleep with wet hair. Sometimes, you need to sleep more, and may not have the energy to style it as you usually would. That said, wet hair can create more friction on your pillow, and that in turn can increase the risk of breakage. If you tend to suffer from brittle hair anyway, it’s best to wash your hair long enough before bedtime so that it is dry by the time you do get to bed. Otherwise, dry it off as best you can to reduce that friction.
Does Going to Bed With Wet Hair Cause Fungus?
Okay, how did we go from hair breakages to fungus? This might sound alarming, but there is some truth to this. Fungus and bacteria require damp conditions to grow, so if you go to bed with wet hair, you’re inadvertently creating promising conditions for fungus to grow. You’d be unlucky to be afflicted by something like this after just one night sleeping on damp hair, but if you do it regularly, you might be at greater risk of developing a fungal scalp condition. Which is not a good scalp environment for healthy hair to grow. Fungal conditions also lead to developing dandruff and dermatitis.
Is It Okay to Sleep With Wet Hair on a Silk Pillowcase?
Ideally, you should have dry hair when you go to bed. However, if you do tend to settle down for the night with wet hair and you do it often, you might want to get a silk pillowcase to swap out for your regular cotton one.
You should find your hair dries more quickly if you sleep on a silk pillowcase. This occurs because silk doesn’t suck up the moisture in the same way cotton does. Silk is also known for generating a lot less friction compared to cotton, which means you are less likely to notice any broken hairs in the morning.
Will You Catch a Cold if You Go to Sleep With Wet Hair?
No. While many people think this is the case, it’s a myth. Colds and other illnesses occur because of germs, and you can’t be exposed to germs simply through having wet hair. If you’re feeling under the weather, you may feel less comfortable going to bed with wet hair, but it won’t make you feel any worse.
Some people may notice they feel some discomfort if they sleep on wet hair, but this can occur if you sleep on it the wrong way. Meaning sleeping with wet hair and creating a part where you normally do not have one, you may experience a feeling of “tender head or hurting” because you slept on it weirdly.
So – What’s the Verdict?
Overall, it’s fine to sleep on wet hair providing you don’t do it too often. If this becomes a nightly thing, or you do it several times a week, you will run a greater risk of developing fungus on the scalp or experiencing breakage. If your hair is still wet and you’re getting ready for bed, attempt to dry it as much as possible, even if you don’t want to style it or dry it fully.
All told, it’s best not to do it if you can help it, to reduce the odds of suffering hair loss or breakage or developing scalp irritation due to fungus, dandruff and dermatitis.
To learn more, contact the team at Unique Hair Concepts for a complimentary hair and scalp analysis.
