We’ve worked hard to create the answers as to whether a hat will make you go bald.
We’ve included everything from wearing a hardhat or beanie to answering whether any sort of hat will affect your baldness or hairline.
So, then you will be well prepared knowing what sort of hat is suitable for you.
Let’s get started with the questions below!
Will a hat make me go bald ?
Hats generally do not cause baldness. A hat that fits well and doesn’t cause you any discomfort will not contribute towards baldness.
The thing that links hats to potential baldness is the friction that they can cause between the material and your scalp.
A healthy scalp is the quickest way to keep your hair growing, so you don’t want a tight hat to cause trauma to it.
A traumatized scalp will discourage hair from growing, and less growth means a higher chance of baldness.
Having your hair pulled back tightly can contribute towards a receding hairline, which is a type of balding. This is most common if you constantly tie your hair back really tightly, but hats can also do the same thing.
If you feel the front of your hair being pulled back by your hat then it could end up leading to a receding hairline.
Take a more positive approach, hats also do the opposite helping prevent potential balding.
Wearing a hat on a hot day, keeps your scalp cool & stops UV light damaging your hair.
Heat and the sun can cause hair to crack, dry out, and thin, so a comfortable hat will help.
A breathable hat will also help to stop a hat from contributing to balding.
Hats that are designed to be breathable, such as being made with mesh sections, will prevent your head from becoming too hot and irritated.
A happy and healthy environment promotes hair growth and combats potential balding. Don’t fret too much about wearing hats though because the number one cause of baldness is hereditary hair loss.
Other causes include a poor diet, hormonal imbalances, age, and major stresses, such as childbirth or illness. All of these are more likely to cause baldness than a hat.
Do beanies make you go bald ?
Beanies fit more tightly than other types of hats, so they are more likely to cause the friction that leads to potential baldness.
Wearing a beanie does not mean that you will become bald though, so don’t panic!
To stop hair being pulled back, you can wear a beanie less often, or at least choose a looser fitting beanie.
Beanies are also made with warmer, thicker materials, so they will cause your scalp to get hotter quite a lot. Again, too much heat does impact your hair, so you should avoid wearing a beanie too often so that you head can breathe.
The main reason why some people believe beanies make you go bald is that a tight hat can cut off air and blood flow to the hair follicles.
However, a hat that tight would cause you severe discomfort and you would need to remove it to alleviate the pain.
Ultimately, wearing a beanie will not make you go bald, but it is healthier for your hair to be exposed to air, so try to avoid wearing one all the time.
Can Hard Hats Cause Baldness ?
If you work on a construction site then you’ll be incredibly familiar with hard hats.
Of course, a hat will not be the sole cause of balding, but certain hats can accelerate the process a little, or cause minimal balding. This is caused by friction constantly rubbing and pulling at your hair.
Unfortunately, you don’t have the option not to wear a hard hat because it is a safety necessity.
The stress that comes with a highly physical job like construction will not provide the best conditions for your hair growth, either.
Wearing a hard hat for majority of the week, every week, won’t give you much time to alleviate the strain.
Luckily, hard hats typically come with sweatbands that absorb perspiration, so your hair will be safe from the heat.
There is not a lot that you can do to prevent the friction trauma that hard hats cause to your hair because you can’t wear anything underneath them.
Wearing another head covering means that the hard hat can’t be properly fitted, and that would be very dangerous.
So, instead of focusing on the potential damage that hard hats can cause, focus on treating your hair right when the hard hat is off.
Wash your hair regularly, perhaps with caffeine shampoo, which is renowned for combating hair loss.
Try to remove the helmet during your shift when you can to let your hair breathe, and avoid other tight hats in your free time.
Do hats thin your hair ?
While a hat will not cause you to go bald, they can sometimes contribute towards hair thinning.
This is because the friction and heat under a hat can cause strands of hair to fall out. However, these will be replaced by new hair follicles, so you shouldn’t notice your hair thinning dramatically.
Hair naturally thins as we age, and if you have a poor diet or smoke a lot, you will notice thinner hair too.
If you are older, have a poor diet, or smoke lots, you are more at risk of obvious hair thinning from a hat.
Hats also flatten your hair against your head, which will prevent the follicles from getting air and give the strands a thinner look.
The more that you care for your hair, the better it will look.
So, if you do notice thinning, wash it regularly, improve your diet, and avoid wearing hats too often.
Hats cause tension to the scalp and your hair will not be motivated to grow like that.
Does wearing hats stop hair growth ?
The short answer to this is no. No matter the friction or sweatiness of your scalp, your hair will continue to grow.
Only something seriously traumatic, like friction all over your head, will stop hair growth, though this likely won’t be permanent and it is near impossible for a hat to do that.
If your hair grows slowly then it may feel like something is impeding hair growth, especially if you wear a hat constantly and have noticed it causing friction.
A hat won’t make you bald and if it does pull out strands, those will go back. Your focus needs to be on ensuring the best growing conditions for your hair.
A consistent haircare routine doesn’t need to be extravagant; you just need to wash it.
Try to avoid applying lots of heat to your hair, and make sure that you use a heat protector spray when you do.
Your hair needs lots of hydration, and you should absolutely avoid being rough when you brush or style it.
Taking care of your hair will put it in the best possible state when you wear a hat.
Again, a hat won’t make you go bald, but if you don’t look after your hair it is more likely to be impacted by friction, flatness, and dehydration.
Does sweating in a hat cause hair loss ?
Sweating in a hat will not cause you to lose hair, but it provides a less than ideal environment for hair to grow and flourish.
Wearing a hat during exercise, or when out on a hot day will build up an excess of moisture that might irritate your scalp. If you don’t wash your hair often then there will be even more moisture when wearing a hat.
While it is almost impossible for a hat to be so tight or so hot that it prevents blood flow to the follicles, a sweaty hat may decrease blood a bit.
That will not cause you to lose hair, but your hair may appear thinner, flatter, or like it takes longer to grow.
Can Hats Cause Traction Alopecia ?
Though hats are not responsible for causing baldness, they can cause friction alopecia.
In simple terms, this means bald spots, and they occur when your hair roots are moved closer to the scalp due to friction.
Wearing a hat that is too tight can cause some of the follicles to break, which will then cause patchy baldness.
You will not immediately suffer from traction alopecia if you wear an ill-fitting hat once or twice.
But if you do wear a hat that is too tight every single day then you are far more likely to notice bald spots develop.
Too much tension or friction on your scalp accelerates the balding process by creating more bald spots.
The easiest way to avoid this is to wear a hat that fits comfortably. You can cover your head and still allow your hair space to breathe under the hat.
It is especially advised that you avoid having a hat constantly rubbing against your scalp in particular.
Hard hats are probably the number one hat that cause traction alopecia because they cause a lot of friction against the scalp and you have no choice but to wear them for safety.
That is why caring for your hair is so important and will benefit you in the long run.
Again, a hat will not cause hair loss, but the friction is enough to cause patchy baldness, so you need to look after your hair and promote growth.
