Whether you ran out of time this morning after showering or coming out of your swimming session, you may leave the house with your hair still damp. Nothing serious, except that the temperatures are cooling and viruses are making a comeback. But will going out with wet hair inevitably make you sick?
Wet hair: no, they do not directly cause colds
Rest assured, you can leave your hairdryer in the cupboard without systematically worrying about getting sick. “No, going out with wet hair cannot directly give us a cold”says Dr Gérald Kierzek. The common cold, also called nasopharyngitis, is a viral infection caused by different viruses, including rhinoviruses and certain coronaviruses.
To develop a cold, you must therefore be exposed to a virus.
This is transmitted in particular by contaminated hands, respiratory secretions or soiled objects that one touches before putting one’s fingers to the face. Wet hair is not, in itself, a source of infection.
“Without viruses, there are no colds”insists the doctor. The common expression “getting cold” can therefore be misleading: even if temperatures drop, the cold does not create the viruses responsible for the infection.
Can the cold still weaken our defenses?
If wet hair is not responsible for colds, should we ignore the effects of cold on our body? Not quite. Some scientific data suggests that cold air breathed through the nose could locally weaken certain antiviral defenses.
However, be careful not to draw hasty conclusions. These observations are based in particular on experiments carried out in the laboratory on cells. They concern exposure of the respiratory tract to cold air, not going out with damp hair.
But the cold could therefore play an indirect role in certain conditions, even if it is not enough to cause a cold. And if you feel cold when going out with wet hair, that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to get sick. It’s all about comfort.
Fatigue, stress, promiscuity: factors that promote infections
To limit the risk of colds, it is better to focus on the factors that actually promote exposure to viruses and the body’s vulnerability.
Living in a community, at work, at school or with family, increases the opportunities for being in contact with infected people. Fatigue, stress and overwork can also weaken the body’s defenses. Certain chronic illnesses, as well as factors such as smoking, pollution or too dry indoor air, can also affect respiratory health.
Allergies and gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause cold-like symptoms or irritate the airways. However, they must be distinguished from a viral infection: having a runny nose does not always mean that you have a cold.
Good actions to avoid colds this fall
Rather than worrying about a few damp strands, our expert advises adopting actions that limit the transmission of viruses on a daily basis:
- Wash your hands regularlywith soap and water, for about 30 seconds, especially after blowing your nose or before eating;
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with hands that have not been washed;
- Use disposable tissues
and cough or sneeze into the crook of the elbow to limit the spread of respiratory secretions; - Ventilate your home regularlyeven when temperatures drop, in order to renew the indoor air;
- Maintain a comfortable temperature in your homearound 18 to 20°C, and avoid too dry indoor air.
So, if you go out with wet hair, you don’t have to dry it completely to prevent a cold. On the other hand, drying or covering them can help you stay warm and avoid discomfort linked to humidity and low temperatures.