Is wearing a hat everyday at work bad for my hair?

Question

I want to transplant my hair the next year, and I wonder if wearing a hat frequently will damage my donor area or the rest of my hair over time?

Emrah Cinik, MD · Answer

Wearing a hat or a head covering does not cause the scalp to be stuffy and cause male pattern hair loss.

Rahil B. Roopani, MD · Answer

Hello,
Wearing a hat normally will not increase your chances of balding/hair loss. This is generally considered a myth. However, if you wear your hat or ballcap very tight, there can be some damage to the underlying scalp/follicles. I would not worry too much about this. That being said, if you're losing your hair or have noticed shedding/hair loss/etc and if you have a strong family history of hair loss, it may be more likely that you have a higher propensity to lose your hair as well. This will not be due to wearing a cap daily but rather due to genetics as well as other factors such as androgen sensitivity. If hair loss is a concern, it's always a good idea to see a hair loss specialist to discuss further to educate yourself and empower you to make the right choices for your hair.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Wearing a hat will not cause hair loss.  Just be sure that the hat fits well and is not so tight that it pulls on the hair.  When looking into hair transplant options I encourage you to consider SmartGraft.  This is an FUE approach with minimal discomfort and no linear scar.  Final results are seen in just nine months!

Jayanthy Ravindran, MS, DNB, MRCS · Answer

It's true that wearing a hat will cause your hair to become flattened at the pressure points on your head. But this doesn't mean that wearing hats is bad for your hair in general.

However, when you're considering a hair transplant, you should use extreme caution when wearing hats. The reason is because the follicles in hats are generally of poor quality and many times transplanted hair loss can happen. This can occur because poor quality follicles have less blood supply, which is an important requirement for healthy hair growth.

It's true that the donor site is protected when you wear a hat, but this doesn't mean that there aren't any risks involved. Since an average person wears a hat around 4 hours per day, this will expose their follicles to harmful UV rays and other damaging elements such as pollution and dust particles. Also, make sure not to wear a tight-fitting hat because it can cause sores on your scalp and damage to the donor area.

Epameinondas Bonaros, MD · Answer

Contrary to popular belief, wearing a hat doesn't cause hair loss. It is simply a myth, and you do not need to worry about it.

Is wearing a hat everyday at work bad for my hair?

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Is wearing a hat everyday at work bad for my hair?

Answers (9)

Answer: Hair Transplant

Answer: Hair Transplant

Answer: Do hats cause hair loss?

Answer: Do hats cause hair loss?

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Everything you need to know about Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.