Is Sleeping with Wet Hair Really a Bad Idea?

[Article déjà publié le 23 mai 2024]

Is it better to wash in the morning or in the evening? The ideal time to shower is a divisive subject. On the one hand, there are those who prefer to wash in the morning to wake up easier, feel fresher, etc.

On the other hand, there are those who shower in the evening to relax and go to bed clean. Not to mention those who wash several times a day of course.

In any case, people who shower in the evening are more likely to go to bed with wet hair, unless they use a hairdryer of course.

Common ideas about wet hair before bed

You may have already heard about it from those around you, but there are many preconceived ideas about wet hair.

Many claim that sleeping with wet or even slightly damp hair can have an impact on health. It should therefore be avoided, either by drying them completely or by washing them in the morning.

Science allows us to bring another perspective to these endless debates. Certain preconceived ideas can thus be validated or refuted.

Can you catch a cold like this?

Can you really catch a cold from sleeping with wet hair? The answer is negative. Colds are caused by viruses, not by feeling cold.

Although the cold from wet hair can be unpleasant, it's difficult to catch a cold from sleeping with it.

Why it is not advisable to sleep like this

Another legend states that sleeping with wet hair can cause dandruff. In reality, this is not a legend, but indeed a real scenario.

Wet hair is an ideal environment for fungus that causes dandruff. As emergency physician Dr. Chirag Shah explains, sleeping with wet hair could put you at increased risk of fungal infection.

Finally, we also often hear that going to bed with damp hair risks damaging it. This is not completely wrong. We already know that the hair dryer used every day can cause damage. However, it's not necessarily better to go to bed with damp hair.

“In general, wet hair is more fragile and prone to breakage than dry hair. Water weakens the protein structure of hair, making it more elastic and easier to stretch and break,” says dermatologist Timothy Schmidt of the University of Utah Health, in comments reported by our colleagues at IFL Science .

Some tips to avoid damaging your wet hair

More specifically, stretching hair fibers between 30 and 70% of their normal length can damage them. Since they are more easily stretched when wet, it is best to avoid rubbing them too hard with a towel or rubbing them excessively on the pillow at night.

Dermatologist Timothy Schmidt therefore offers some solutions. The first is to let them dry as much as possible naturally in the open air or with a gentle heat source.

The second solution is to use a silk or satin pillowcase to minimize friction on damp hair. Your hair will be more radiant when you wake up in the morning.

Source: IFLScience