• On Good Things Utah this morning – Sleeping with wet hair happens to the best of us. Maybe you planned to wash your hair in the morning but hit the snooze button. Then your dog decided to drag his feet on the morning walk, so there went your shower time, and you decided to throw that hair in a bun, resigned to the fact that you’ll wash it in later, at night. We’ve all been there, and more than likely we’ve all at some point hit that pillow exhausted with our hair still humid—or, if you’re like me, sopping wet. Unfortunately, doing so may cause some unpleasant effects for the skin on your scalp, face, and other parts of your body. “Personally, I was told never to go to bed with wet hair because it could result in various bad endings such as fungal and bacterial infections, which could lead to an itchy scalp and dandruff,” says Marilisa Sears, artistic director for Marc Anthony hair care, who first alerted us to the phenomenon. After doing our due diligence, we can confirm dermatologists agree that this old wives’ tale isn’t just fiction: When the dead skin cells, makeup, and natural oils that populate your pillowcase mix with wet hair, the results can be…not so pleasant. If you’re brave enough to know what exactly that prebedtime hair wash might be causing to manifest in your bed and on your scalp, read on: We spoke to dermatologists and hair experts to understand more about how and why going to bed with wet hair is not recommended from a health perspective. But rest assured, there are preventive measures you can take if you just can’t avoid that nighttime shower.
    • What are the disadvantages of sleeping with wet hair?
      • Hair is at its most fragile when wet, so if you go to bed with it damp and proceed to toss and turn against a pillow, you run a higher risk of breakage. But aside from being rough on your delicate strands, hitting the pillow with damp hair puts you at risk of developing skin infections, primarily on your scalp. “Certain bacteria and fungi thrive in warm, moist environments and so will proliferate on scalp skin if it stays damp for hours,” explains Dr. Noëlle Sherber. “Most commonly, a type of yeast called Malassezia can accumulate on the scalp and cause flaking, which can be mistaken for dandruff.” The best way to know what’s causing a flaky scalp is to see a dermatologist as the differences in their clinical presentations can be subtle, adds Dr. Sherber. So, looks like you’re pulling out that hair dryer! We hope you tune into this Hot Topic and so much more this morning on a Monday edition of GTU.