There has been a lot of discussion over the years about what is most hygienic when it comes to washing your hair. Should you wash your hair every day or only a few times a week? On top of that there's the ever-going debate on when you should take your shower and wash your hair. Some favor the morning wash routine while others enjoy washing their hair before bed.
Well, unfortunately, if you subscribe to the shower at night mentality, we have some not-so-fun news for you will make you freak out at first and probably change your hair washing routine forever.
According to Cosmopolitan UK, the answer doesn't really land to when you wash your hair per se. The problem is that when you wash your hair and then go to bed with a damp head, you're doing some serious damage to your locks.
The site reports that because we all move around when we sleep, our hair gets tangled, which is why we have to brush it each morning. But that knotting combined with wet hair causes breakage and can undermine the strength of your tresses.
"The main issue with going to bed with wet hair is that the cuticle (outer layer) of the hair is more raised when wet — which is why often some women find their hair is impossibly knotty when wet but not so when dry," Sally-Ann Travers, Consultant Trichologist at The Cotswold Trichology Centre & Theradome told Cosmopolitan UK, solidifying our great hair fears.
Travers does say that if you must wash your hair at night it's a good idea to dry it before you go to sleep or you can put your hair in a loose braid to help contain your tresses and reduce knotting and breakage. Plus, bonus points because you'll wake up with adorable loose waves that will be ready to wear to the office.
However, braids are not enough to keep you and your hair totally safe. If breakage is not terrifying enough, the real consequence of going to sleep with wet hair is fungus. Yes, FUNGUS.
How exactly does fungus become an issue? Let a professional explain.
"Fungus likes moist warm conditions to grow and consistently sleeping with wet hair could contribute to an overgrowth in fungus or scalp 'yeast', potentially leading to scalp problems or dandruff," Travers told Cosmo UK. "Spores could also develop in your pillow due to the same damp warm conditions, which could contribute to breathing issues, rhinitis and allergies."
If that doesn't swear you off going to bed without drying your hair first, I'm not sure there's much more that can be done to convince you.