Let me start by saying, I should have known better. I’ve been a beauty editor for 15-plus years, and I know one of the so-called “beauty sins” is sleeping with wet hair. But I assumed it was more to protect my hair health, not my internal health. As a busy mom, I fell into a bad habit of late-night showers when I was too tired to blow-dry afterward. I never went to bed with sopping-wet hair, but it was certainly damp. I have quite a bit of hair and it likes to retain water, so a blow-dry isn’t a quick five-minute thing. However, I learned my lesson the hard way. Here’s my story.
How I Discovered an Infection From Sleeping With Wet Hair
During a routine dental cleaning, I told the hygienist I was having a little discomfort in my lower jaw area, but I have TMJ, so I wasn’t too concerned. However, this particular hygienist is a little more holistic, and decided to feel around my lymph nodes “just to check.” She also checked the back of my neck, and along my hairline on the right side she found “a swollen one.” She could not make any medical diagnoses, but she told me I should have it looked at ASAP. I know swollen lymph nodes mean infection, and I didn’t feel sick, so I took myself to the doctor that afternoon.
One important thing to note is that my scalp had been itching for about a week prior. I chalked it up to having tested several new shampoos, styling products and scalp treatments for our annual Beauty Awards. I assumed I had just disrupted my scalp microbiome and it would go away. However, one look at my scalp and the doctor said I had an infection. She asked some questions, including, “Have you slept with wet hair recently?” I was shocked. Of course I had.
What the Doctor Said
The doctor’s hypothesis was that I had scratched the itch enough to break the skin ever so slightly, and then sleeping with wet hair let bacteria into the wound. There is, however, also a chance that I could have scratched the wound with bacteria on my finger. But, she expressed having seen the scalp infection scenario from wet-hair sleepers a few times. She also taught me that the lymph node along the hairline on the back right side of the neck is linked to the scalp. I had no idea. Clearly, because I had a scalp infection, it was inflamed. I was prescribed antibiotics and an antifungal shampoo called ketoconazole (2 percent). I also picked up a hydrocortisone treatment from the drugstore to help with the itching.
What I Learned From This Mistake
Even when I’m exhausted, I have to blow-dry my hair enough that my scalp is dry. When moisture lingers overnight, it’s bad news for your hair, and potentially bad news for your health, too. When hair is wet, it’s at its most vulnerable. So, if you sleep on wet hair (or even damp hair), the friction against your pillow can cause damage to your stands. Think breakage and split ends. And of course now you know how it can impact your health. I also learned that I could benefit from more scalp care in my daily hair-care routine. There are hundreds of scalp serums on the market these days, and for all types of concerns. These are a few of the ones I’ve relied on for relief since my infection.
