View Full Version : Hats causing baldness?
Qadupae
March 6th, 2010, 01:40 AM
So I am sure many of you have heard of the idea that wearing hats too much can cause baldness. My question is whether or not this is a myth and by what severity. There are two major thoughts that I see among people that discuss this as to why it might be true. The first is that some hats are too tight and cause a loss of oxygen flow to the scalp, thus killing off the hair follicles. The second idea is that sweat and junk builds up under the hat and clogs up pores, causing the hair loss.
So are these ideas myth or is there some validity to them? My concern is because my fiance believes my wearing snoods all the time will cause hair loss. He works in a nursing home and sees baldness and hears about how these people used to and some still do wear hats all the time. Am I right to be concerned or is this just a cause and effect that really aren't related, that those hat wearers just had a higher chance of hereditary baldness and it was pure chance? My snoods are pretty loose and I wash pretty regularly, so I would imagine the sweat idea wouldn't be a worry for me?
Please put my paranoid mind at ease :rolleyes:
countryhopper
March 6th, 2010, 05:07 AM
If hats really did caused baldness, I'd imagine it was because they were super tight and rubbed the hair off (think about how tight socks tend to rub leg hair off in areas. I've seen this happen to several men).
But I think that the issue for older people could include both genetics, health problems, side effects to medications, and general old age and the body not renewing new cells (and hair) like it used to.
But I'm not a doctor, of course. That's just my opinion :D
Erin-86
March 6th, 2010, 06:16 AM
I think it's a myth...maybe it is the other way around...man who get bald may tend to wear a hat more often than man who don't get bald :D hence the mythe...
Women rarely wear hats (or get bald by nature due to aging:D), so I can't compare regarding them :)
I wear a headscarf whenever I am in public, and I do not experience any hairloss, and I don't think it causes build up from sweat or anything else, and the same aplies for the oxygen-issue :)
phistash
March 6th, 2010, 06:53 AM
Good question. I've long been a fan of wearing headscarves (but not everyday), and never had a problem until last year when I tried to go WO. My hair refused to transition, but I wanted to go the full two months, so I ended up having to wear scarves every day. In order to keep a scarf on my head, I usually have to tie it tightly. Well, after two months of this, I ended up with a bald spot on my right temple. :rolleyes: It's still there a year later, although now there is a lot of baby fine new growth in the spot. Still, though, the new growth is hard to see, so for all intents and purposes I have a bald spot. I cover it with the rest of my hair, but yeah, I didn't have it before I wore a headscarf every day.
Erin-86
March 6th, 2010, 07:03 AM
In order to keep a scarf on my head, I usually have to tie it tightly.
That's why I wear a cotton headband underneath my scarve and use sewingpins to prevent it from slipping off :) works really well and it is never to tight.
Igor
March 6th, 2010, 07:24 AM
It’s a stupid old myth stemming from the observation that around the time young men would join the army and wear those army hats, a lot of them would be experiencing their first spots of balding
:rolleyes:
adiapalic
March 6th, 2010, 10:50 AM
^^ What Countryhopper said--I always thought it was traction alopecia, if hats are too tight.
ravenreed
March 6th, 2010, 11:07 AM
What does one do if the headbands don't stay on? :confused: Some of us lack the bumpy bit in the back of the head to catch headbands, scarves, etc.
That's why I wear a cotton headband underneath my scarve and use sewingpins to prevent it from slipping off :) works really well and it is never to tight.
bridgetsgirl
March 6th, 2010, 12:07 PM
If this were true, I'd be bald by now-I've spent the past 6 years wearing a hat nearly every day as part of my work uniform!
Erin-86
March 6th, 2010, 02:15 PM
What does one do if the headbands don't stay on? :confused: Some of us lack the bumpy bit in the back of the head to catch headbands, scarves, etc.
ehm..good question.
I don't know really, perhaps try another fabric or use those hairclips
http://www.u-handbag.com/images/hairclip.gif
I used to use them when I had a headband wich was made of slippery fabric.
don't know if these clips are really hairfriendly...:o
wtchmel
March 6th, 2010, 02:37 PM
personally, i believe it to be true, my father did as well. he never wore hats, his family did, yet he was the only one who didn't go completly bald. eventully he was a bit balding, but not to the extreme of his brothers. I also feel that it could be from baseball hats, the constant rubbing and what not. kind of like a path in the grass, the more it's walked on, the less grass there is.
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