Taking a shower right before bed can be a wonderful way to relax. There is nothing like washing away the grime of the day and letting your stiff muscles loosen under the hot stream. Tuck even points out some extra nighttime showering benefits. The steam from a hot shower acts as a natural decongestant, which allows you to breathe easier while you slumber. You can even infuse some sleep-inducing essential oils, such as lavender or sandalwood, into your body wash to help you get into the mood for bed.
It’s obvious we are fans of a relaxing shower before crawling into bed. However, there is one mistake many of us lovers of a good PM scrub-a-dub are making — inviting our wet strands into bed with us. Besides sleeping with an irritatingly wet pillow, you might not be aware of how this habit can negatively affect both your hair and your health.
Sleeping with wet hair can lead to scalp issues
According to Healthline, falling asleep with sopping strands can increase your risk of developing a fungal infection on your scalp. Dr. Chirag Shah, a board-certified emergency physician, says that fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to dandruff or dermatitis. To avoid the irritating symptoms associated with scalp fungus, Shah recommends sleeping with dry hair as often as possible.
Unless you sleep similar to the comatose styles of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, you’re likely going to increase the risk of damaging your wet tresses. “Hair is at its weakest when it’s wet,” dermatologist Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil told Healthline. “The main risk (other than cosmetic ones) is breakage of hair when tossing and turning while sleeping.”
If you do insist on keeping your nightly anti-hairdryer routine in place, at least make sure your strands are damp and not dripping wet. You can also consider switching to a silk pillowcase. “A silk pillowcase is ideal for resting your head, as the usual cotton options are extremely rough on your hair and can cause knotting and further breakage…” Divya Sabanayagam, founder of DryFix, told Vogue India.
A nighttime shower may be just what is needed to wash away the stress of the day. To avoid excess distress on your health and your hair, consider drifting off into dreamland with a dry mane.
