Short answer: yes, mold can grow in your hair. Your bathroom is the perfect setup… warm, wet, and enclosed. Mold spores transfer from shower surfaces to your hair and skin every time you bathe. If your home has a mold problem, your body is part of that environment. Here’s how to assess your risk and what to do about it.
Mold Grows Anywhere…Even in Your Hair and Skin
When people think of where mold grows they often consider places like windows, roof leaks, wallpaper, or carpet, but what they don’t consider is it can also grow on your skin or hair. Mold needs three things to grow, a food source, a water source, and a warm temperature. The body is an optimal place for mold to grow because of high body temperatures, slightly porous skin, and moisture. According to the CDC, mold can grow on virtually any substance where moisture is present (CDC — Basic Facts About Mold). Have you ever thought that you could have mold in your hair?
Water + Humidity + Confined Space = Mold Heaven
Because mold is sneaky, you may find yourself in a situation where you have been exposed to mold and be unaware. One of the most apparent places mold grows in your home is the bathroom because of the high humidity and confined space. Have your shower bottles ever grown mildew from sitting in the shower? If so, you are inadvertently transferring the mold spores to your hair and body. Even if you have squeaky clean products, the moisture from showers often hangs around in the bathroom after you’ve left, circulating mold spores into the air you breathe. So yes, you can have mold in your hair. Read more about it here: Understand Mold from our sister company, ImmunoLytics.
Even in your clean shower, moisture can hang around in the bathroom, circulating mold spores into the air you breathe.
How Concerned Should You Be?
The best way to know if you have a mold issue is to test rooms and areas for mold. Mold testing kits are an economical option. If your environment has mold, you may also have mold on your skin and hair. The following conditions can help you gauge the likelihood of a mold issue on your skin or hair :
Likely factors:
- Recent exposure to a known moldy environment
- Excessive moisture and humidity in your home’s air
Possible, if you often do any of the following:
- Incomplete drying of your body
- Incomplete rinsing or drying your hair
- Inadequate shampoo frequency
- Going to bed for the night with wet hair
Deal with Mold on Your Hair and Skin… Naturally
Supporting you after mold exposure is what CitriSafe is all about, and we’ve put together a step-by-step protocol to help you get mold under control on your hair and skin using gentle, plant-based ingredients. Follow the link below for a detailed look at how and when to use this routine. May your skin and hair be squeaky clean and mold-free.
Follow the link below for a detailed look at how and when to use this routine, or grab a mold testing kit to check your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can mold really grow in your hair?
Yes. Mold needs warmth, moisture, and an organic surface. Your scalp provides all three, especially after showering in a bathroom with poor ventilation or visible mildew.
How do you know if you have mold in your hair?
You probably won’t see it. The better question is whether your home has mold. If your bathroom grows mildew on shower bottles or grout, your hair is being exposed every time you shower.
Can mold in hair cause health problems?
We’ve seen hair loss, brittleness, and scalp irritation in people with ongoing mold exposure. The most important thing is to stop the exposure at the source. Test your home and fix the problem.
How do you get mold out of your hair?
Wash regularly with an antifungal shampoo, and make sure you’re drying your hair completely after every shower. But washing alone won’t fix it if your bathroom is still growing mold. Address the environment first.
Will Mold change the texter of your hair? I know I have mold in the house, I am a Cosmetologist I haven’t ever seen do what mine has done. I had good hair. Now it’s hard and tangled when I comb it, it just comes out. Hope you can help.
Although the reactions to various molds are different for each person, we have seen many hair related effects from mold exposure. These include hair falling out (probably the most common), hair becoming more brittle, Psoriasis on the scalp, etc. Use of our shampoo is helpful, but the most important thing you can do is to stop breathing the mold.