X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product Guide
Sign in
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • Events
  • Aptamil
    • Immunity
    • Intelligence
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • VIP

Here's Why You Shouldn't Go To Bed With Wet Hair - And It's Not Because You Can Get 'Head Wind'

3 min read
Here's Why You Shouldn't Go To Bed With Wet Hair - And It's Not Because You Can Get 'Head Wind'

Bald patches and fungal infection in more serious cases.

I’ve been nagged at countless times by my mum that going to bed with wet hair is going to cause me to fall sick or get a headache (or what the older generation call “head wind”, in dialect). Whether or not you know about sleeping with wet hair effects, there could be some truth to what your mum says. 

But thankfully, that’s just an old wives’ tale passed down from generation to generation, which you should listen to with a pinch of salt. 

Going to sleep with wet hair isn’t going to cause you to catch a virus. No thanks to Covid-19, we now know that viruses are spread through respiratory droplets and physical contact. 

However, you might feel cold if you’re sleeping in an air-conditioned room with wet hair, and if your immunity is low, you may then catch a cold from it.

That aside, here are other more concerning reasons why you should dry your hair before you go to bed, no matter how tired you are. 

Sleeping With Wet Hair Effects

More Breakages

sleeping with wet hair effects

Photo: 123rf

Your hair is most vulnerable when it’s wet as it tends to break easily. All the tossing and turning in bed can stretch and damage the hair shaft, causing wet strands of hair to break and drop prematurely. 

That said, you shouldn’t be combing your tresses straight out of the shower too. Instead leave your hair to dry before brushing through it. 

Bad Hair Day

The water from your hair that’s absorbed by the pillow also strips your hair from its natural oils, and when your hair is dehydrated, it loses its shine. 

There are days when I’m just too exhausted to dry my hair at night, and I’ll wake up with frizzy hair the next morning that’s hard to manage, making my overall appearance unkempt.

My hair will also have more tangles, and it usually takes a longer time to get ready in the morning while trying to tame and restore my mane.  

Scalp Problems

Heres Why You Shouldnt Go To Bed With Wet Hair - And Its Not Because You Can Get Head Wind

Photo: iStock

Like all other areas of our body, bacteria is present on our scalp as well. So, leaving your scalp moist, combined with the heat from our body, will create the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive on.

A constantly damp pillow is also a hotbed for both bacteria and fungus to grow, and merely changing your pillowcase isn’t going to remedy it as the bacteria and fungus would have gone deeper beyond the surface. You may even end up with acne problems in the long run, from sleeping on a bacteria-ridden surface. Yikes.

If you have an oily scalp, it’s likely that jumping into bed with wet hair will cause your scalp to smell bad too, for which I was embarrassingly called out by a scalp specialist when she ran her fingers through my hair. 

She advised to at least dry the scalp quickly with a hairdryer set on low heat if you don’t have the time to dry your hair out completely before sleeping.

Hair Loss & Fungal Infection

These scalp problems can eventually lead to hair loss, and in more serious cases, a fungal infection.

One such infection is ringworm of the scalp, causing your scalp to be itchy and visibly red, with bald patches.

According to Mayo Clinic, when your scalp is severely inflamed from ringworm, the condition can cause scarring on the scalp and even permanent hair loss. 

This post was first published on AsiaOne and was republished on theAsianparent with permission. 

Heres Why You Shouldnt Go To Bed With Wet Hair - And Its Not Because You Can Get Head Wind

Also read:

Parent’s Guide To Fever And Heat-related Illnesses In Children During Hot Weather

How to Spot the Difference Between a Cold or a Flu

Read about the best  hair loss prevention shampoos here.

Partner Stories
Tired of Your Child Coming Down With Cough, Flu and Fever? Here are Some Ways to Strengthen your Family’s Health and General Immunity
Tired of Your Child Coming Down With Cough, Flu and Fever? Here are Some Ways to Strengthen your Family’s Health and General Immunity
5 Things to Prepare Your Child for Back to School
5 Things to Prepare Your Child for Back to School
Childhood Myopia 101: Causes and Treatment Options to #TakeActionToday
Childhood Myopia 101: Causes and Treatment Options to #TakeActionToday
What to Expect the First 24 Hours After Giving Birth
What to Expect the First 24 Hours After Giving Birth

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

asiaone

  • Home
  • /
  • Health
  • /
  • Here's Why You Shouldn't Go To Bed With Wet Hair - And It's Not Because You Can Get 'Head Wind'
Share:
  • Is There A Link Between Wet Hair And Colds In Kids?

    Is There A Link Between Wet Hair And Colds In Kids?

  • 8 common hair woes detangled

    8 common hair woes detangled

  • STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

    STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Is There A Link Between Wet Hair And Colds In Kids?

    Is There A Link Between Wet Hair And Colds In Kids?

  • 8 common hair woes detangled

    8 common hair woes detangled

  • STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

    STUDY: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters - What Does It Mean For You?

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it