Who has never come home, taken a shower, and ended up going to bed with wet hair due to the fatigue and rush of everyday life? Be aware that the cost of this behavior can be high for your strands, and the damage can also affect the scalp, including dandruff, dermatitis, and fungal infections.
According to trichologist Cristal Bastos, the best recommendation is to let the strands dry naturally as it is the healthiest way, but this is not always possible, and in that case, using a hairdryer becomes necessary. “A good suggestion is to use a leave-in with thermal protection before starting the drying process and also keep the device at a minimum distance of 20 centimeters from the scalp and avoid using the maximum temperature of the dryer, as excessive heat is harmful. But, before all of this, it is interesting to remove the excess water with a towel, without rubbing, just 'pressing' to avoid friction that weakens the strands and contributes to their breakage in the long term,” she advises. The elasticity – which is a property that corresponds to the hair's ability to withstand tension without breaking – is reduced by about 30% when the hair is wet, and therefore, one should not tie up wet hair.
Another interesting tip is to use satin pillowcases, which create less friction with the strands. In addition to preventing breakage, it greatly improves frizz. “The strands get tangled due to friction with the pillow, and when they are wet, they can break more easily. The damage also reaches the moist scalp, as fungi thrive in this type of environment. Therefore, sleeping with wet hair promotes fungal infection and damages the strands from root to tip,” she explains.
The moisture on the scalp, especially when we sleep (the scalp remains moist for a long period), favors the proliferation of fungi and can trigger seborrheic dermatitis in people who are already predisposed to develop this problem, which can range from a milder case to more severe ones, leading to hair loss. “This is due to the fact that moisture on the scalp promotes changes in the skin's microbiome in the area and causes an imbalance between the types of fungi and bacteria. Hence, peeling, redness, and itching occur on the scalp,” she says.
Along with seborrheic dermatitis, hair loss can become even more pronounced, and the strands can become oilier over time.
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