For many of us, our hair is our pride and joy, and we'll take precautions to protect it from the inevitable ravages of daily life, from heat damage to the impact of dry weather.
Good haircare isn't all about buying products, however, and there are things you can do to keep your tresses in tip-top shape without spending so much as a single penny.
Now haircare expert MaryAnn Harrison has revealed her top three anti-ageing hair tips that won't cost you anything at all, warning that one particularly bad bedtime habit could be causing all sorts of damage.
In a recent TikTok video, MaryAnn, who goes by the username @hairthinningexpert, advised viewers to dodge one all-too-common bedtime habit at all costs.
MaryAnn urged: "Do not go to bed with wet hair. Your hair rubbing back and forth on your pillowcase, on the sheets, and whatever is very damaging.
"It can make your hair break off, it causes friction and it is just not good. So make sure your hair is dry before you go to sleep."
The hair-thinning expert also encouraged her followers to invest in a showerhead filter, so as to protect against the impact of hard water, and to make sure to regularly massage their scalps so as to stimulate blood flow to their hair follicles.
This comes after hygiene expert Madame Sweat, who regularly advises on all things cleanliness under the TikTok username @madamesweat, gave three reasons why going to bed with wet hair was a seriously bad idea.
The cleaning guru explained: "One, you could get a fungal infection in your scalp, and if you have dandruff, it's going to make it even worse because fungus will grow from moisture."
"[...] "Two, if you haven't already cleaned your pillow, you better get working on it after you go to bed with wet hair. It's already a hotbed for fungus - you're going to cause even more by putting that moisture into the pillow, and letting it sit there and fester."
Giving her third and final reason, Madame Sweat cautioned followers that wet or damp hair is "in a weakened state" and so needs to "be treated very gently".
She added: "When you're tossing and turning on your pillow, you can actually cause breakage at the shaft which means you're going to end up with a lot more split ends. Don't go to bed with your hair wet."
Do you have a top haircare tip to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
