Does Hat Tightness Cause Hair Loss?

The short answer: Research doesn’t have much to say

Medically reviewed by Casey Gallagher, MD

The notion that wearing a hat causes hair loss is largely a myth. It is unlikely that wearing a hat causes hair loss that would not have occurred anyway.

The most common reason for hair loss is androgenic (or androgenetic) alopecia, which is a medical term for male-pattern hair loss and female-pattern hair loss. This type of hair loss is related to hormones and genetics.

Other types of hair loss include alopecia areata and telogen effluvium, which can occur for a number of reasons, but hat-wearing is unlikely to be one of them. While wearing a hat is usually not the cause of hair loss, some activities and behaviors could lead to hair shedding.

This article will discuss whether wearing a hat causes hair loss, if hat tightness plays a role, hats and hairstyles that may influence hair loss, and how to promote daily hair regrowth.

Wearing a Hat More Than Likely Doesn’t Cause Hair Loss

Hair grows in a cycle of the following three phases:

• Anagen: Hair actively grows and gets longer

• Catagen: Blood supply is cut off to the hair; follicle prepares to grow new hair

• Telogen: Follicle is dormant; hair is no longer firmly attached; hair falls out

It's normal to lose about 50 to 100 hairs per day. If you're regularly losing more than 100 hairs per day, that's considered shedding.

Wearing a hat is unlikely to cause hair to fall out that wasn't already on its way out. You may think the hat is causing hair to shed because putting on or taking off a hat can pull out hairs that were already loosely attached and going to fall out anyway.

One way hats can contribute to hair loss is by sharing hats that pass along a fungal infection on the scalp. Fungal infections can cause hair loss and can be contagious. These infections can be spread by sharing hats and other items such as combs and brushes.

Does Hat Tightness Play a Role?

A hat would need to be exceptionally tight to cut off blood supply and air flow to the hair follicles. Even if this could occur, it would unlikely be the sole cause of hair loss. At most, it may worsen hair loss that is already happening.

Tight helmets, such as those for snowboarding, have been associated with traction alopecia, which is hair loss caused by prolonged or repetitive tension or pulling of the scalp hair.

Hats and Hairstyles That (Probably) Won’t Cause Hair Loss

Go ahead and wear whatever hat you find comfortable and stylish. Unless you are already shedding hair, you are unlikely to notice a change in your hair loss. If you are shedding, close-fitting hats like beanies could be more likely to pull out hairs that are already loose than other types of hats, but they won't cause you to go bald on their own.

If you have areas of scalp is showing through your hair, wearing a hat can help protect the exposed skin from the sun.

Rather than hats, certain hairstyles can lead to hair loss from traction alopecia. Hairstyles and hair practices that can increase the risk of traction alopecia include:

• Tight ponytails

• Tight buns

• Repeated use of rollers to set hair

• Tightly pulled upswept hairdos

• Cornrows

• Weaves or hair extensions

• Tight braids

• Locs

• Any hairstyle that constantly pulls on the hair

Over time, the tugging on the hair strand that is connected to the hair follicle damages the scalp, which can cause broken, thin, or short hairs or bald patches. This can happen anywhere along the hairline but is common near the temples.

Loosening the hairstyle, wearing lower ponytails and buns, wearing thicker braids and locs, limiting the use of rollers, and not wearing a braided hairstyle for more than two to three months can help prevent traction alopecia.

Ways to Prevent Traction Alopecia

In addition to choosing looser hairstyles, other ways to help prevent traction alopecia include:

• Wear wigs with satin, nylon, or cotton wig caps.

• Limit the use of relaxers.

• Change your hairstyle often.

• If braids, cornrows, hair extensions, or weaves hurt, make them looser.

• Limit the use of heat, and use low heat settings on hair appliances when you use them.

• Avoid rubber bands and elastic ponytail holders (use ones that are covered).

• At bedtime, use a satin bonnet or satin pillowcase.

How to Protect Your Hair

Some hair loss is permanent or more difficult to reverse, like androgenic alopecia. Hair loss from traction alopecia and other causes of hair loss like telogen effluvium is often reversible, especially if caught early.

Ways to help protect your hair include:

• Massage shampoo only into your scalp, then let it flow through the rest of your hair without rubbing it in.

• Use conditioner after you shampoo (every time).

• Wrap your hair in a towel to absorb excess water, then let your hair air dry instead of rubbing your hair with a towel.

• Don't brush your hair while it's wet.

• If you have straight hair, let your hair dry a bit, then comb it gently with a wide-toothed comb.

• If you have tight curls or textured hair, comb it gently with a wide-toothed comb while it is damp.

• Avoid styling products that give a long-lasting hold.

• Limit and/or space out chemical hair treatments like coloring, perming, or relaxing.

• Protect hair in the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat or using a leave-in conditioner that contains zinc oxide.

• Brush or, better yet, comb with a wide-toothed comb, your hair only to style it, and be gentle with tangles.

• Minimize the time and frequency you use heat appliances on your hair, and choose the lowest heat setting. Never use heat above 347 degrees F (175 degrees C), and don't use heat appliances on wet hair.

Summary

Hats, even tight ones, are unlikely to cause hair loss on their own, but they might pull out hair that was already on its way to falling out.

Tight hairstyles may cause hair loss due to traction alopecia. This includes tight ponytails and buns, tight braids, cornrows, and locs.

Ways to protect hair and scalp from damage include wearing looser hairstyles, conditioning hair, limiting heat (temperature, duration, and frequency), limiting and/or spacing out chemical treatments, using a wide-toothed comb on damp hair, and protecting hair from the sun.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.