A dermatologist has sparked widespread discussion by addressing the concept of “scalp mould” and the potential issues that can arise from not blow drying your hair.
on TikTok, they claim that not only should we be blow drying our hair rather than air drying to avoid getting a winter cold, but we should also be doing it to avoid the lesser-known hair fungus.
Dr. Adel, a dermatologist with over 1.7 million TikTok followers (@aamnaadel), has been gaining attention after responding to a video where a user blow dried her hair with the caption, “Forever blow-drying my hair as soon as I get out of the shower so I don’t get mould.”
At the start of the clip, Dr Adel asks the question: “Okay so if you don’t dry your hair are you going to end up looking like a furry out of date piece of bread?”
To which the dermatologist states “lets set the record straight”, involving that everyone has a natural yeast and fungus that lives in their skin and scalp, known as melassezia.
Whilst melassezia is usually harmless, it can sometimes grow too much and cause issues like dandruff, itchiness, or other skin conditions.
The dermatologist explains that leaving your to air dry, and sleeping on damp hair is the “perfect environment” for this yeast, melassezia, to over grow and “essentially lead to something called soberrhoeic dermatitis”, better known as dandruff.
Additionally Dr Adel says that going to bed with wet hair increases the risk of developing tinea capitis, the fungal infection known as ring worm. Which can lead to hair loss if not treated.
Finishing the video Dr Adel says: “So yes, leaving your scalp damp can be teasing for fungus but is it going to lead to full on mould on your scalp? No.”
Dr Adel’s video gained a lot of attraction, with over 2.6M views and 857 comments from viewers captivated by her insights. Her explanation shed light on the root causes of their scalp issues, leaving many astonished.
One comment said “So that’s why i’ve got seborrheic dermatitis on my scalp?” whilst another wrote: “I ALWAYS let my hair air dry is this why my scalp is itchy?”
Some were spectacle on what to do with there hair after washing it, as someone commented: “Air dry your hair to avoid heat damage, dry it straight away to avoid fungus, there’s never a straight answer”
Whilst another said: “Oh wow I thought it is better to leave hair to dry without a hairdryer” to which Dr Adel replied: “Better to blow-dry at a low heat!”
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Although some users were not impressed with Dr Adel’s video writing: “Ive went to bed with wet hair for years… ive never had any issues…”
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