Avoid sleeping with wet hair as it may spell trouble for your hair quality and scalp health. Many people are in the habit of taking night showers after a rigorous workout session at the gym or a long day at work. To feel fresh and get rid of the sticky, sweaty feeling, a full shower may seem like a good idea. However, if you are unable to dry your hair completely afterwards, you may end up going to bed with wet hair.ALSO READ: Face looking dull or tired? Bengaluru dermatologist shares tips to keep skin radiant: ‘Eat low-salt diet like…’Don't sleep with wet hair. (Picture credit: Freepik)While a complete shower can feel rejuvenating and may even help you sleep better, is sleeping with wet hair healthy? How safe is this practice, and what are its possible ramifications for your scalp health?Dr Sowmya Nachukuri, specialist in dermatology, KIMS Hospitals (Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences), Electronic City, Bengaluru, shared with HT Lifestyle why she believed this habit needs to be avoided and not made a routine.Why should you not sleep with wet hair?Aside from the discomfort of wet hair, there is an actual clinical reason why you should not be sleeping with wet hair. Your scalp is the first to bear the toll of this habit.Dr Nachukuri warned that you may be at risk of fungal infection. “When sleeping with wet hair, your scalp continues to remain wet for a long duration. Since your scalp becomes warm and wet, it acts as an excellent medium for the growth of fungus and microbes. They naturally reside on the scalp, but with time, they can cause skin problems such as dryness and itching of the scalp.” The scalp also feels oilier when you continue this habit. The dermatologist observed this in her clinic, where some patients report this.You are at hair thinning risk. (Picture credit: Freepik )Other than scalp-related damage, your hair's strength also goes down. Repeatedly sleeping with wet hair, the dermatologist reminded that you may cause your hair to become weaker because the wetness swells the hair shaft. Add to this, your involuntary movements during sleep, which aggravate the problem. “The tossing and turning that happens while sleeping will cause the hair to experience friction from the pillow; this can cause breakage, splits, and frizziness," the dermatologist noted, emphasising common after-effects of sleeping with wet hair.Does sleeping with wet hair cause hair loss?With such an extensive list of consequences, including frizz, split ends and possible fungal infections of the scalp, it is natural to wonder whether the habit can also cause hair loss. Addressing this concern, the dermatologist responded, "Sleeping with wet hair alone is not expected to cause hair loss; the fact that there is always going to be some breakage causes the hair to become thinner.”Although it may not directly cause hair loss, repeated breakage can affect hair quality and make the hair appear thinner over time.But no need to panic if you mistakenly fell asleep with wet hair, as the doctor assured that occasionally it won't cause any harm immediately, especially if you have a healthy scalp, but it should not become a practice, a regular part of a routine; then you may see the above-mentioned problems. Dr Nachukuri insisted it is better to dry the hair a bit or dry it with a hair dryer set on a cooler modeMore about the doctorDr Sowmya Nachukuri holds an MD in Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy from Akash Institute of Medical Sciences, Bengaluru, affiliated with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. Her areas of expertise include clinical dermatology, paediatric dermatology, dermatosurgery, cosmetology, aesthetic dermatology, tailored treatment protocols and the diagnosis and management of skin disorders.Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read MoreHairCatch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.See Less