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 might seem that issues over sleeping with moist hair aren’t solely all of a sudden 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 adjustments 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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Once I pitched this story to the GLAMOUR group, 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 dangerous for you.
And I am holding my palms 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 after 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 skilled Andy Jones, Chāmpo’s head of product growth?
“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 could 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 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. Nevertheless it is potential to get a fungal an infection as moist hair and the heat out of your pillow create the proper (humid) breeding floor for sure micro organism and fungi to thrive.
These embrace a sort of yeast referred to as Malassezia, which usually causes dandruff, in addition to seborrheic dermatitis. You might also end up contending with fungal folliculitis – an an infection of the hair follicles, which exhibits up as small, crimson, acne-like bumps on the scalp.
Is sleeping with moist hair dangerous?
Apart from the potential for a fungal an infection, one more reason to not sleep with moist hair is that you simply run the next 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.
