Hair Mould: Ought to We Ever Sleep With Moist Hair?

Hair mould. Even the phrase is icky, not to mention the picture it conjures up of some type of sticky, subterranean swamp on our scalps. However it could seem that issues over sleeping with moist hair usually are not solely abruptly a significant speaking level in my Whatsapp group, however Google seek for the time period ‘hair mould’ is on the rise, too.

One motive for that is the ‘skinification’ of scalp care. We have come to recognise that the scalp is simply an extension of the pores and skin on our foreheads. A knock-on impact is that we’re additionally hyper conscious of any modifications to its floor – spots, flaking, sensitivity – and the arsenal of soothing toners, masks and scalp serums on the market that might present solace.

However that is not all. The thought of blow-drying moist strands to keep away from ‘hair mould’ rising in your scalp is gaining fame on TikTok. A video from influencer @danicolexx, captioned ‘hair mould ain’t getting previous me’ has over 2.5 million views, whereas one other by @allthingskaley has 21.6 million views.

After I pitched this story to the GLAMOUR group, the room fell silent. 15 heads snapped in my route, with eyes pleading for reassurance that sleeping of their favorite hair masks, or air-drying their hair in a single day wasn’t actually unhealthy for you.

And I am holding my arms up right here – I did not know the reply.

Is hair mould simply TikTok fear-mongering?

In all my years as a magnificence editor I’ve by no means heard the phrases “hair mould” bandied round by trichologists or hairstylists – and, on days once I go to the gymnasium after work, I am a moist hair sleeper as I bathe simply earlier than mattress. So ought to I be anxious that my scalp is a strolling petri dish, I requested hair professional Andy Jones, Chāmpo’s head of product improvement?

“Whereas it’s unlikely for mould to develop on the scalp or hair itself, ceaselessly sleeping with moist hair can create a moist setting in your pillowcase, which can harbour micro organism over over time,” Andy says. “This will sometimes result in scalp irritation or fungal infections. Moreover, a moist scalp can disrupt its pure microbiome, rising the danger of dandruff or irritation.”

OK, so ‘mould’ is a little bit of a stretch and it is definitely not the identical gray fuzz or black sludge you may discover on fruit that’s previous its sell-by date or a moist wall. Nevertheless it is doable to get a fungal an infection as moist hair and the heat out of your pillow create the right (humid) breeding floor for sure micro organism and fungi to thrive.

These embrace a kind of yeast known as Malassezia, which generally causes dandruff, in addition to seborrheic dermatitis. You may additionally end up contending with fungal folliculitis – an an infection of the hair follicles, which reveals up as small, pink, acne-like bumps on the scalp.

Is sleeping with moist hair unhealthy?

Except for the opportunity of a fungal an infection, one more reason to not sleep with moist hair is that you simply run a better threat of breakage. Put merely, when moist, the cuticle (the outer layer of hair) opens and swells and makes hair strands stretchier and weaker, explains hairstylist Adam Reed.