Damp hair, or partially dry hair, is fragile. The strands of your ‘neither-dry-nor-wet’ hair become a tangled, knotty, and matted mess. Sleeping with damp hair leaves your scalp vulnerable to infections and makes it smelly and itchy. It also increases the chance of hair breakage. Continue reading to know everything about damp hair and what you can do to protect your tresses and scalp from the damage it may cause. Do not confuse damp hair with wet hair. If you are wondering how they are different, scroll down.
How To Differentiate Between Damp And Wet Hair?
The moisture content of damp hair is different from that of wet hair. Wet hair is completely soaked and dripping with water. However, damp hair is 70%-80% dry. It does not drip water, but you can feel the moisture in your hair when you touch it. Leaving your hair damp for a long time or sleeping with damp hair can expose your scalp to infections.
What Happens To Your Scalp Health When You Have Damp Hair?
Damp hair makes your scalp susceptible to fungal infections as the moisture creates a favorable environment for the growth of microbes. Keeping damp hair pinned up or tied in braids, buns, ponytails, and dreadlocks can cause itching, irritation, and a dry and smelly scalp. When you sleep with damp hair, the moisture in your hair and the warmth in your scalp, along with the damp pillow, create the perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria. This may cause scalp conditions, such as mold, mildewi XA surface fungus that develops on the scalp and hair shafts when wet hair is not allowed to dry for an extended period. , dandruff, folliculitisi XA condition where the hair follicles from which the hair grows become inflamed or infected. , seborrheic dermatitis, and eczema. Here are a few things you should never do if you love your hair and scalp and want to keep them healthy.
Things You Should Never Do To Your Damp Hair
Exposure To Excessive Heat: Ever heard that popping sound or sizzle while curling or straightening your damp hair? That is the sound of water evaporating too quickly through the hair, causing structural damage. Hence, be careful while using hair straighteners and curling irons on damp hair. Exposing damp hair to high temperatures (175°C -215°C) even for five minutes can cause hair damage (1). Excessive blow-drying and using hot irons can change the hair texture and cause breakage, making your hair unmanageable and frizzy (2). To minimize heat damage, dry your hair completely in a cool setting and use a serum, heat protectant, or thermal styling gel on your damp hair.
Brushing Damp Hair: Do not use a hard brush on wet or damp hair as it stretches the hair and causes breakage. You may instead use a soft brush. To avoid damage, apply a detangling product once your hair is 90% dry and use a wide-toothed comb to remove knots and tangles.
Tying Up Damp Hair: Let the hair dry completely before tying it into a ponytail, a messy bun, or any other hairdo. Tying damp hair restricts the airflow, creating a moist environment for microbial growth.
Applying A Hair Mask: Hair masks must be applied to wet hair as they offer deep conditioning. The masks also repair hair damage and make hair feel softer.
There is yet another thing that you should avoid doing – sleeping with damp hair. What happens when you do it? Find out next.
What Happens When You Sleep With Damp Hair?
Sleeping with damp hair will make it matted, tousled, and tangled. This damages the hair, causing split ends and breakage. It may also cause sinusitisi XA condition in which the cavities around the nasal passages become swelled or inflamed due to an infection. , headache, and rhinitisi XAn inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose caused by a viral infection or an allergic reaction. through a mechanism called selective brain coolingi XThe lowering of brain temperature either locally, partially, or wholly below the arterial blood temperature. , especially if your hair is wet from a cold weather. You may even catch a cold when your body cools down, causing upper respiratory tract infection and other allergies (4). Moreover, as discussed above, sleeping with damp hair increases the risk of microbial infections and scalp acne. However, if you cannot avoid sleeping with damp hair, here are a few tips.
How Do You Sleep With Damp Hair?
If you plan to bleach or dye your hair, you have to be extra cautious as the hair is fragile when it is damp.
Can You Apply Bleach On Your Damp Hair?
Yes, you can apply bleach on damp hair, especially if you want to sport a balayage. When the hair is damp, the cuticles open up, making it easy to bleach. However, bleaching damages the hair, so you have to be careful when using bleaching agents. The same is applicable for hair dyes. Also keep in mind that damp hair may dilute the bleach (bleach developer already has some water content) and make it less effective.
Can You Dye Damp Hair?
You can dye damp hair as partially open cuticles help in better hair dye penetration. However, the excess moisture may result in uneven application and dilute the hair dye, affecting the color payoff. Hence, opt for semi and demi-permanent hair dyes if you want to dye your hair while it is damp. Can you curl damp hair? No. It is best not to curl damp hair using curling irons or any heat styling tools as damp hair is more susceptible to damage and may lead to scalp burns.
Sources
title: “Damp Hair How To Take Care Of It” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-11” author: “Steven Schaub”
Damp hair, or partially dry hair, is fragile. The strands of your ‘neither-dry-nor-wet’ hair become a tangled, knotty, and matted mess. Sleeping with damp hair leaves your scalp vulnerable to infections and makes it smelly and itchy. It also increases the chance of hair breakage. Continue reading to know everything about damp hair and what you can do to protect your tresses and scalp from the damage it may cause. Do not confuse damp hair with wet hair. If you are wondering how they are different, scroll down.
How To Differentiate Between Damp And Wet Hair?
The moisture content of damp hair is different from that of wet hair. Wet hair is completely soaked and dripping with water. However, damp hair is 70%-80% dry. It does not drip water, but you can feel the moisture in your hair when you touch it. Leaving your hair damp for a long time or sleeping with damp hair can expose your scalp to infections.
What Happens To Your Scalp Health When You Have Damp Hair?
Damp hair makes your scalp susceptible to fungal infections as the moisture creates a favorable environment for the growth of microbes. Keeping damp hair pinned up or tied in braids, buns, ponytails, and dreadlocks can cause itching, irritation, and a dry and smelly scalp. When you sleep with damp hair, the moisture in your hair and the warmth in your scalp, along with the damp pillow, create the perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria. This may cause scalp conditions, such as mold, mildewi XA surface fungus that develops on the scalp and hair shafts when wet hair is not allowed to dry for an extended period. , dandruff, folliculitisi XA condition where the hair follicles from which the hair grows become inflamed or infected. , seborrheic dermatitis, and eczema. Here are a few things you should never do if you love your hair and scalp and want to keep them healthy.
Things You Should Never Do To Your Damp Hair
Exposure To Excessive Heat: Ever heard that popping sound or sizzle while curling or straightening your damp hair? That is the sound of water evaporating too quickly through the hair, causing structural damage. Hence, be careful while using hair straighteners and curling irons on damp hair. Exposing damp hair to high temperatures (175°C -215°C) even for five minutes can cause hair damage (1). Excessive blow-drying and using hot irons can change the hair texture and cause breakage, making your hair unmanageable and frizzy (2). To minimize heat damage, dry your hair completely in a cool setting and use a serum, heat protectant, or thermal styling gel on your damp hair.
Brushing Damp Hair: Do not use a hard brush on wet or damp hair as it stretches the hair and causes breakage. You may instead use a soft brush. To avoid damage, apply a detangling product once your hair is 90% dry and use a wide-toothed comb to remove knots and tangles.
Tying Up Damp Hair: Let the hair dry completely before tying it into a ponytail, a messy bun, or any other hairdo. Tying damp hair restricts the airflow, creating a moist environment for microbial growth.
Applying A Hair Mask: Hair masks must be applied to wet hair as they offer deep conditioning. The masks also repair hair damage and make hair feel softer.
There is yet another thing that you should avoid doing – sleeping with damp hair. What happens when you do it? Find out next.
What Happens When You Sleep With Damp Hair?
Sleeping with damp hair will make it matted, tousled, and tangled. This damages the hair, causing split ends and breakage. It may also cause sinusitisi XA condition in which the cavities around the nasal passages become swelled or inflamed due to an infection. , headache, and rhinitisi XAn inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose caused by a viral infection or an allergic reaction. through a mechanism called selective brain coolingi XThe lowering of brain temperature either locally, partially, or wholly below the arterial blood temperature. , especially if your hair is wet from a cold weather. You may even catch a cold when your body cools down, causing upper respiratory tract infection and other allergies (4). Moreover, as discussed above, sleeping with damp hair increases the risk of microbial infections and scalp acne. However, if you cannot avoid sleeping with damp hair, here are a few tips.
How Do You Sleep With Damp Hair?
If you plan to bleach or dye your hair, you have to be extra cautious as the hair is fragile when it is damp.
Can You Apply Bleach On Your Damp Hair?
Yes, you can apply bleach on damp hair, especially if you want to sport a balayage. When the hair is damp, the cuticles open up, making it easy to bleach. However, bleaching damages the hair, so you have to be careful when using bleaching agents. The same is applicable for hair dyes. Also keep in mind that damp hair may dilute the bleach (bleach developer already has some water content) and make it less effective.
Can You Dye Damp Hair?
You can dye damp hair as partially open cuticles help in better hair dye penetration. However, the excess moisture may result in uneven application and dilute the hair dye, affecting the color payoff. Hence, opt for semi and demi-permanent hair dyes if you want to dye your hair while it is damp. Can you curl damp hair? No. It is best not to curl damp hair using curling irons or any heat styling tools as damp hair is more susceptible to damage and may lead to scalp burns.
