Myth: Wearing Hats Can Cause Hair Loss

[gosu_smurf]

Unless the hat is worn so tight as to cut off circulation to the hair follicles, wearing a hat does not cause hair to fall out. Instead, hats can contribute positively by blocking the sun and preventing sunburn.

Wearing hat for too long especially in hot and humid climate, however, can contribute to the excretion and accumulation of sebum and oil on your hair. Sebum is a waxy substance that is secreted by the sebaceous glands in your skin onto hair follicles. Overtime, sebum can react with cholesterol to create a hardened sebum plug that cuts off oxygen circulation to the hair follicles and cause it to fall out. Sebum plug can also accumulate dirt and become a breeding ground for bacteria and contributing to hair loss.

Source: retane.com

 

[MellowGuy]

Interesting myth buster. I have actually believed that hats did cause hair to fall out for many years and so I stopped wearing my cool hats.

However, I do believe that it can cause some hair and circulation damage based on your first statement about wearing them so tight. I think many people do wear them a bit too tight (myself included) and so it has caused "some" lasting damage.

For this reason alone is why I would recommend not to wear hats. Especially if you have long hair. People don't notice how tight they wear it at times.

 

[msnangersme]

Seems like a sebum plug is a root of many hair loss evils. Shampoo and proper hair wash once or twice daily is important! I think some people don't really scrub their hair when using the shampoo. The hair isn't thoroughly washed that way...

 

[LLuDawg]

Loose hats are all the fashion now haha. I wear hats and actually my hair grows really fast. Good to hear that it won't cause hair loss or something. Snapback hats are stylish and good because you can adjust them =).