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 aren’t solely immediately a significant speaking level in my Whatsapp group, however Google seek for the time period ‘hair mould’ is on the rise, too.
One cause 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 mildew ain’t getting previous me’ has over 2.5 million views, whereas one other by @allthingskaley has 21.6 million views.
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After I pitched this story to the GLAMOUR crew, the room fell silent. 15 heads snapped in my course, 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 fingers 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 frightened that my scalp is a strolling petri dish, I requested hair skilled Andy Jones, Chāmpo’s head of product improvement?
“Whereas it’s unlikely for mould to develop on the scalp or hair itself, continuously sleeping with moist hair can create a moist surroundings 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, growing the chance of dandruff or irritation.”
OK, so ‘mould’ is a little bit of a stretch and it is actually not the identical gray fuzz or black sludge you would possibly discover on fruit that’s previous its sell-by date or a moist wall. But it surely is attainable 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 embody a sort of yeast referred to as Malassezia, which generally causes dandruff, in addition to seborrheic dermatitis. You might also end up contending with fungal folliculitis – an an infection of the hair follicles, which reveals up as small, crimson, acne-like bumps on the scalp.
Is sleeping with moist hair unhealthy?
Other than the potential of a fungal an infection, another excuse to not sleep with moist hair is that you just run the next danger 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.