Can Wet/Damp Hair Cause Common Hair & Scalp Problems? – Wellness

Are your clients experiencing frizz, static, excessive tangling, breakage, build up, scalp irritation or even mildew? The culprit to one or all of those common problems might be sleeping on wet/damp hair, says Sophia Royal (@chynagirrl_hair), an educator for Pure Brazilian, as well as owner and hair artist at Salon Philosophie in Vacaville, California. How is that possible?

“It all comes down to chemistry,” explains Royal. “Our hair’s natural pH level is between 4.5 and 5.5, while water’s pH ranges from 7 to 9. Because water’s pH level is higher than the hair’s, hair is most fragile when wet—and the cuticle remains open.

“When hair is wet, the hydrogen bonds are broken temporarily. Leaving the hair damp for hours on end—especially sleeping on wet/damp hair—damages the cuticle layer and over-exposes the cortex. What’s more, when the cell membrane complex layer—which is what binds the medulla, cortex and cuticle together—swells, it can weaken the hair and cause hygral fatigue. Hygral fatigue is caused by repeated swelling of the hair. The constant and excessive swelling and de-swelling of the hair causes strands to become weak, dry and less elastic, leading to breakage, frizz, static and tangling.”

Surprisingly, air drying can cause more trauma to the inner layer of the hair than blow drying. That’s why air-drying hair can increase frizz, build up and even mildew. Hair that stays wet or damp for a long period—as in overnight—can attract bacteria and fungus, leading to a variety of problems. Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp!

“Educate your clients that drying their hair with a diffuser, blow dryer or sitting under a hooded dryer is always better than air drying,” concludes Royal. “It’s a simple solution to some of their biggest problems, including frizz, static, excessive tangling, breakage, build up, scalp irritation or even mildew.”

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