Also known as hat head, hat hair is the messy aftermath of wearing your favorite baseball cap, beanie, cowboy hat, or whatever chapeau you happen to be sporting that day. Sure, you can even get it from wearing a helmet, but in that case it’s technically referred to as “helmet head.” In any case, wearing a hat can quickly take you from a marvelous hair day to messy mane—but it doesn’t have to. We’ve got some tricks up our sleeve, including some noteworthy hair care products and pro tips that help prevent and fix hat hair.
Why Does Hat Hair Happen?
Wearing a hat presses your hair flat against your head, which causes flatness and an unkempt appearance. It can also cause frizziness or even static from friction, and in some cases can make your hair look greasy or flat if sweat accumulates in the hat. Typically, the longer you wear the hat the more extreme the hat hair.
Good hair day by @artist_hair_concept_monopoli.
Do Hats Cause Hair Loss?
While hats can most certainly disrupt your otherwise lovely locks by making them appear unkempt, they do not cause hair loss. Hair thinning, loss, and balding are caused by other factors, such as genetics and age (male or female pattern baldness), certain skin conditions, and hormonal changes. If you’re concerned about hair loss, your dermatologist, doctor, or hairstylist can help you pinpoint the potential cause and create a treatment plan.
Good hair day by @indratanudarma.
How Can I Prevent Hat Hair?
The best way to prevent hat hair? Don’t wear hats! Dad jokes aside, there are a few ways you can prevent a lamentable case of hat head.
Spritz Some Dry Shampoo
Preemptively zap sweat and oil by spritzing the top of your head with some dry shampoo before putting your hat on. This can also help prevent a case of staticky hair, too.
Use a Volumizing Product
Flat hair is a tell-tale sign you’ve been wearing a hat all day. To prevent your hair from smooshing against your head, apply a volumizing product at the root. It’ll help your hair bounce back after you take your hat off.
Wear Your Hat Back Further
If your hat allows it, wear it back a little further on your head. This works best with sun hats, cowboy hats, wide-brimmed hats, and berets.
Style Your Hair First
Half-up styles, braids, and even low ponytails can help spare your mane from dreaded hat hair. If none of these styles seem to work with your hat of choice, simply tuck your hair behind your ears.
Wear a Scarf Under Your Hat
Wrap a small silk scarf over the crown of your head before putting your hat on. This can help prevent friction, sweat and oil buildup, and general messiness.
Good hair day by @letstalkcurlz.
How Can I Get Rid of Hat Hair?
If you’re frantically googling how to fix hat hair, we’ve got a few tried and true solutions for you:
- Apply dry shampoo to refresh your strands.
- Create more lift at the root with a comb or your fingers. Don’t brush your hair down, though, since that’ll just further flatten your strands.
- Spritz your hair lightly with water and blow dry to remove creases.
- Alternatively, use a flat iron or curling iron to nix creasing.
- Apply a lightweight finish spray or serum to combat frizziness.
- Style your hair in a ponytail, topknot, or half-up hairstyle to further hide hat hair.
The Best Products to Beat Hat Hair
Whether you need to fix a case of hat head or want to prevent hat hair from occurring in the first place, these products will help.
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Invisible Dry Shampoo
A lightweight, fragrance-free dry shampoo with an invisible finish.
Redken Invisible Dry Shampoo
Applying dry shampoo before putting your hat on can help soak up sweat and oil. Redken Invisible Dry Shampoo is easy to wear under your hat since it's lightweight, fragrance-free, and invisible.
Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Shampoo
A silicone-free volumizing shampoo for fine, limp hair.
Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Conditioner
A silicone-free volumizing conditioner for fine hair and limp hair.
Matrix Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner
This lightweight, silicone-free shampoo and conditioner from Matrix will help your hair reach new heights. It’s especially helpful if you have fine strands that tend to get weighed down.
Style + Protect On the Rise Root Lifting Mousse
A medium-control mousse that provides volume, shine, and color protection to flat, color-treated hair.
Pureology Style + Protect On the Rise Root Lifting Mousse
Double down on the volumizing action with a root lifting product, like Pureology Style + Protect On the Rise Root Lifting Mousse. It creates lift at the root while also shielding your hair from heat damage and environmental stressors.
Miss Mess Dry Texturizing Spray
A multi-benefit dry finishing spray with a light hold that adds volume and texture.
Matrix Miss Mess Dry Texturizing Spray
Lean into the messiness created by your hat! Matrix Miss Mess Dry Texturizing Spray is a multi-benefit dry finishing spray that helps create that "undone on purpose" look while adding volume and texture.
Frizz Dismiss Smooth Force for Frizzy Hair
A lightweight Smoothing Spray
Redken Frizz Dismiss Smooth Force for Frizzy Hair
This smoothing spray from Redken will help save your strands from the hat hair frizz monster. Apply it to damp or towel-dried hair for glossy, healthy tresses.
Shine Flash Hair Spray
An anti frizz hair spray for glass-like shine and finish.
Redken Shine Flash Hair Spray
A spritz of Redken Shine Flash Hair Spray is the quickest way to nix frizz and dullness after taking your hat off. It creates a gorgeous glass-like shine without looking or feeling greasy. Hat hair who?
Shop all of your Hair.com faves to make sure your hat hair remains a thing of the past.
Invisible Dry Shampoo
A lightweight, fragrance-free dry shampoo with an invisible finish.
Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Shampoo
A silicone-free volumizing shampoo for fine, limp hair.
Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Conditioner
A silicone-free volumizing conditioner for fine hair and limp hair.
Style + Protect On the Rise Root Lifting Mousse
A medium-control mousse that provides volume, shine, and color protection to flat, color-treated hair.
Miss Mess Dry Texturizing Spray
A multi-benefit dry finishing spray with a light hold that adds volume and texture.
Frizz Dismiss Smooth Force for Frizzy Hair
A lightweight Smoothing Spray
Shine Flash Hair Spray
An anti frizz hair spray for glass-like shine and finish.
