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Sleeping with wet hair can lead to unexpected problems.
Skin and hair experts agree that going to bed before drying your hair can cause scalp problems and even cause bacteria hidden in the sheets.
Briana Delvecchio, a hairstylist at Ashley Lauren Beauty Lounge in New York, shared in an interview with Fox News Digital that she always advises clients not to sleep with wet hair for several reasons.
Expert warning
When the hair is wet, the hydrogen bonds in the chain temporarily break, making it more elastic, fragile and prone to rupture, she warned.
“Combining it with friction on the pillowcase, it's a recipe for split ends, tangles and long-term damage,” Delvecchio said.
Experts warn that sleeping with wet hair can cause rupture and shedding over time. (iStock)
She added that the scalp was “stripped too” because the wet scalp trapped on the pillow overnight creates a warm, wet environment, which is ideal for fungal growth and bacterial accumulation.
“This can trigger scalp irritation or dandruff, and even make your roots feel oily in the morning,” the hairstylist warns.
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Sleeping with wet hair can also affect facial skin. “This moisture transfers it to your pillowcase, which can carry bacteria and oils that help breakouts or bursts in sensitive skin,” Delvecchio notes.
Dr. Noah Gratch, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, told Fox News Digital in another interview that he also advised you not to sleep with wet hair.
A hairstylist warned that sleeping with wet hair is the secret to scalp irritation, dandruff and greasy hair. (iStock)
“While this is not dangerous, there are dermatology and hair health issues in this habit,” he said.
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Dermatologists warn that friction against the pillow can exacerbate the destruction of fragile wet hair, causing it to break and fall off over time.
He agrees that a wet environment can also cause scalp and skin problems.
Experts warn that the warm and humid environment on the pillow can cause bacteria, fungi and dust mites. (iStock)
“The constant wet scalp creates a warm, humid environment that can promote overgrowth in Malascea, which naturally lives on the scalp, but can spread in this case,” Glachi said.
“This can lead to scalp diseases such as fatty dermatitis (chronic inflammatory skin disease) or dandruff.”
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Sleeping with wet hair also increases the risk of follicle inflammation — a skin condition that causes irritation, inflammation and lumps — or fungal infections that “persons who have broken the skin barrier or oily scalp”, Gratch said.
Hairdressers recommend drying their hair before going to bed and using a leave-in conditioner to prevent rupture. (iStock)
Dermatologists reiterate that moisture trapped on pillowcases can contain bacteria, fungi and dust mites.
“Long-term skin contact with this moisture can lead to an acne outbreak, especially fungal acne, or exacerbate existing skin conditions (such as eczema),” he warned.
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To avoid these complications, Delvecchio recommends drying hair in towels and protecting the chain before bed using an exempted conditioner, except blow-drying on low calories or braiding the hair loosely after the hair is mostly dry.
She added: “A simple routine exchange can be of great help in keeping hair, scalp and skin healthy.”
