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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Courtney Pochin

Hair expert warns of shower mistake many people make at night that can cause dandruff

When you're having a good hair day, it can make all the difference to your mood, giving you a boost in confidence.

This shift in mood could easily be shattered by conditions like dandruff, which can cause the skin on the scalp to become itchy and flaky, leaving you nervous about your appearance and feeling frustrated and uncomfortable.

If you're looking to avoid this an expert has warned that there's one mistake many people make after having a shower in the evening that can cause poor scalp health and lead to dandruff.

And it's all to do with going to bed and leaving your hair to dry naturally after you've washed it.

Susie Hammond is a Trichologist at the Phillip Kingsley Clinic in London (Philip Kinglsey Clinic)

Some people might think letting your hair air dry is the best option as it means you don't have to put heat on it from the hairdryer, but according to Susie Hammond, a trichologist from the Phillip Kingsley Clinic in London, this is an error when going to sleep.

The hair expert explained that the scalp has natural yeasts that live on it and for the most part don't cause any issues. However, when the hair is wet and the scalp gets hot, it can create a humid environment that causes them to overgrow and "trigger dandruff".

Speaking to The Mirror, Susie said: "I don't like people going to bed with wet hair, your head gets quite warm at night and that humid environment can encourage poor scalp condition, so dry your hair before you go to bed.

"It's a lipid-rich humid environment up here and we have yeasts that live naturally and healthily on our scalps, Malassezia furfur yeast, and they can overgrow and trigger dandruff."

So if you're washing your hair before bed, the expert advises using a heat protectant product before drying the hair and using a wooden brush with holes in the back of it that you can dry through in order to minimise the amount of heat being put directly onto the hair.

A poor scalp environment can be uncomfortable, causing itching and flaking (stock photo) (Getty Images)

As well as promoting a poor scalp environment, Susie claims that going to sleep with your hair wet can also cause irreparable damage.

This is because the hair is much more "elastic" when wet, so it's easier to "snap and break it".

Because of this, it's also unwise to brush the hair out when wet. Instead, the trichologist's top tip is to keep a wide-tooth comb handy when washing your hair.

"One of the useful habits that people can get into is keeping a wide-tooth comb in the shower and when you're in there, brush your conditioner through with the comb," she explains.

"It's one of the top tips that I give all my patients, they see a lot less damage and less tangling because they're getting that conditioner all the way through the hair.

"After the shower, you have to be cautious with brushing as when it's wet it's a lot more elastic so it's much easier to snap and break it. That's another reason why I don't like people going to bed with wet hair as it can cause breakage.

"But with the right tools, the right brushes in particular the wide-tooth comb in the shower, brushing the conditioner through then is much less harsh than coming out of the shower, towelling your hair dry, and then trying to tug a brush through.

"Always start from the ends and work up when brushing."

And when it comes to taking care of your scalp health in general, Susie advises her clients to wash their hair regularly to remove dead skin cells and keep too much dirt and grime from collecting on the head.

Controversially she claims you should shampoo every day or every other day at least.

The expert believes it's a "myth" that you can wash your hair too much and she compares the scalp to the skin on your face, explaining how you wash your face every day so you should wash the scalp every day too.

"Dead skin cells collect around the mouth of the hair follicles, we are producing sebum with every growing hair, we have environmental dirt and sweat and that can all collect on the scalp. So you want to make sure you're keeping it in good condition," she adds.

Do you have a haircare story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email courtney.pochin@mirror.co.uk

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