Yikes: this is how dirty your hair ties really are

hair ties

Have you ever thought about the state of your hair ties?

People with long hair often carry a hair tie with them, either in their bag, in their hair or around their wrist – which is a bad idea by the way. Many people use the same hair tie every day. What most people don’t think about, though, is that you should actually wash your hair ties regularly, just like you do with your clothes and underwear. That’s because hair ties absorb all kinds of bacteria throughout the day.

From now on, wash your hair ties as well!

Source of bacteria

That certain types of fabric absorb sweat and bacteria won’t come as surprise to you. But did you ever realise that hair ties and headbands also absorb a lot of sweat and bacteria? A hair tie absorbs a lot of bodily fluids, especially when you’re exercising. That’s what New York-based dermatologist Dr Rachael Nazarian shares with Well + Good.

Influence on skin

Although your hair ties absorbing bacteria over and over again isn’t exactly a nice thought, you don’t have to start worrying right away. As long as the hair tie doesn’t come into contact with your skin, you don’t really have a problem, Nazarian explains. A hair band, however, does always come into contact with your skin, which can cause a lot of bacteria to be transferred to your skin. It could also lead to hair follicles on your head absorbing dirt. In turn, this dirt can end up on your pillow when you sleep.

So, what’s the solution? Go to the next page to find out!

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