Hats are made from all different fabrics including wool, felt, cotton, leather and many more. These fabrics touch your head when wearing a hat, and this can cause itchiness over the scalp.
Here Are 5 Ways Hats Are Itchy:
Hats are due to the fabrics in which they are made, can be itchy at times. The main reasons are due to:
Woolen Fabrics
Synthetic Materials
Sensitive Skin
Hat being too tight
Sweat in band causing itchiness
We will be speaking about the ways hats can itch your head in detail (below), and ways you can stop the itchiness, so your hat is comfy. Thanks for reading.
Ways Hats Are Itchy:
Wool Material
Wool is made from animal products like sheep or goats. This means that wool may contain pesky allergens like dander (dead skin cells), formaldehyde, and other chemicals used in animal product processing. When these allergens are placed near the skin, they can cause a reaction in sensitive individuals.
Wool is different from other materials like cotton or polyester because it doesn’t have smooth fibers that glide over your skin easily. Wool may irritate the skin because it contains lanolin, a type of fatty oil extracted from wool. Lanolin may react with the skin, causing itchiness and rashes in some people. Also, wool has many tiny scales that can irritate the skin. Scales are part of what gives wool its characteristic fuzzy look and feel! Instead, it has these tiny scales, which may be rough on sensitive or irritated skin.
Wool is a natural product, and as such, it may contain oil from the sheep’s fleece. This oil can be absorbed by the skin when wearing a wool hat. When this occurs, your skin may become oily, especially if it’s already on a breakout or sensitive skin condition.
Wool may react to moisture in your environment, even if it’s inside of your hat. This is because moisture may lead to mold or mildew growth in wool.
Wool may cause itchiness because of the way it interacts with the skin. When you wear a hat made with wool, it will interact with your skin in a way that makes it more likely to cause itching.
Synthetic Material
Synthetic materials include artificial fibers like nylon, acrylic, polyester, and Lycra, which are present in many apparel items, including winter hats.
Synthetic fabrics do not absorb sweat as natural fabrics do, and therefore they can cause skin irritation with prolonged exposure. Synthetic fibers trap moisture against the skin surface, which may lead to further discomfort despite the ideal environmental conditions. Also, synthetic fibers are less air permeable than natural fabrics like wool or cotton.
In addition to always causing discomfort, synthetic fabrics also tend to smell bad when they absorb moisture or body odors for a long period. The trapped moisture and odors remain next to the skin surface, which may also increase itchiness and discomfort. That is because arid climates cannot cause sweat and body odor evaporation from synthetic fabrics.
Sensitive Skin
People with sensitive skin often have trouble with different types of clothing. When they try to wear a hat, their sensitive skin can become itchy.
One of the main reasons for this is the hat’s fabric that doesn’t quite match up with their hair type or texture. Another reason for this issue is that these hats block UV light from reaching your scalp, which might cause an allergic reaction that makes your scalp extra dry and incredibly vulnerable.
Sweat In Hat Band Causing Itchiness
The sweat in the hat band causes an itchy feeling because when you wear something tight around your head, like a hat or headband, the skin becomes dry and broken due to the pressure of being squished against itself. That means that tiny pieces of dry skin get caught under your band or on top of your hat, making contact with sensitive skin on your scalp.
That is known as a ‘micro-cutaneous injury,’ and the long-term result is an itchy scalp. Although these symptoms are not always seen instantly and can be mistaken for a rash, new signs of irritation are often noticed around two weeks after you have worn the item (not if).
Hat Is Too Tight On Head
When wearing a hat too tight on a person’s head, their skin can develop red bumps, yellow patches, and even peeling skin. That can come in the form of eczema or dermatitis.
The cause of this is how the pressure from the tightness will cause tiny tears in the hair follicles and make it almost impossible for new hairs to grow underneath. The heat generated by your body also speeds up this inflammation process which causes more discomfort and itching while wearing a hat.
How To Fix An Itchy Hat
Use Barrier Cream On Your Skin Before Putting On The Hat
You can apply barrier cream on the areas of your skin where it’s about to make contact with your hat. Follow these steps:
Take a generous amount of the cream or lotion and apply it to a clean surface. You can use your hands or a cotton ball or pad. If using both hands to apply the cream, spread each hand evenly with the product, so you don’t leave any area untreated.
Rub the cream well into your skin. Be sure to cover every part of your skin that’s about to make contact with the hat.
You should let the barrier cream or lotion dry for about half an hour before putting it on. You need this time to allow it to form a protective layer between your skin and the hat, preventing an itchy sensation from kicking in when you put on your hat. If you’re wearing a particularly thick hat that doesn’t allow air circulation, you may also wish to give it some time just in case.
Sew A Cotton Band Inside The Hat
First, remove the old cotton band and ensure not to leave any loose threads on the inside of the hat.
Then, wash and dry it. Sterilize your needle (if you’re using one), or grab your strongest magnet.
Next, lay the hat on a flat surface and carefully stick the magnet inside the hat band where the old cotton was attached. Do this by sticking the magnet to the sock on your other hand and then slowly (don’t want to rip anything off!) press against where you want it attached. You can always adjust its placement by slowly peeling away from it until you like how it looks.
Finally, start sewing or gluing! For sewing, pick up a needle and thread that matches a similar color as your hat. Sew up the seams of the band to keep it in place. For gluing, pick up the glue and a paintbrush.
Start from the inside of your hat and slowly layer glue onto the hat band (make sure to get enough glue on – don’t be stingy!). Wait for it to dry fully before placing any pressure on your hat (such as putting it on your head).
