The causes of hair loss are numerous, varying from genetic to stress induced, but a recent article from GQ claims that regularly wearing hats is “the worst problem” for hair loss.
The article claims “guys that are wearing a hat all the time are creating their own male pattern baldness”, by “not allowing the sweat glands to breathe, clogging the hair follicles and preventing hair growth”. But before you get ready to throw out your entire hat collection in order to maintain a full head of hair, lets break down whether there is any truth to this myth.
Can hats cause baldness?
In short…no. Dr. Alan Bauman, a board-certified hair restoration physician, believes this claim is 100% false. In fact he referred to it as a “1970s flashback”, in that it is a perfect example of the myths associated with hair follicles and balding that were perpetuated by people uneducated about the subject.
Why hats can’t cause baldness
If hats were to cause damage to your hair follicles then it would have to be in the form of traction alopecia. For this type of damage to occur, which is usually associated with braiding, weaves and overly tight hairstyles, you would have to wear your hat so tightly on your scalp that it wouldn’t even be possible to wear it. Luckily for us LiveScience says hats don’t provide enough pressure for this to happen.
Furthermore, hats are in no way linked to male pattern balding and the US News & World Report states they don’t cause any harm to your head. The only precaution they say you should take is ensuring you clean your hats to prevent the possibility of a scalp infection.
What are the real causes of hair loss?
Instead of worrying about the potential damage of wearing hats, some of the real influencers on balding include tight hairstyles, vitamin & mineral deficiency, medication side effects, excessive stress and genetic factors.
So feel free to wear hats! They’re a great way to actually protect your hair from excessive sun damage when you’re out and about.
