If you’re someone who regularly wears a hat, you may have had a nagging question: Is this causing my hair to fall out? If you have, you’re not alone. That’s a constant worry for many, whether they wear a headscarf or a baseball cap. Hair loss is extremely common, impacting more than 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States. So, does a hat cause baldness? According to dermatologists, a head covering alone doesn’t cause baldness. Most of the time, the source of hair loss comes from within our bodies, and hair loss is a signal of that condition. Our hair grows in a 3-phase cycle, and naturally in that cycle we lose from 50-100 hair follicles a day. A number of health factors can disrupt that process, causing hair growth to stall or be limited. Those include the hereditary disorder alopecia, thyroid imbalance, childbirth, surgery, and vitamin or mineral deficiency. There’s also hair loss that’s a side effect of medical treatment like chemotherapy. Genetics also play a role, specifically in the age of onset and pattern of hair loss, and both maternal and paternal genetics are involved. When it comes to women, some fashions can exacerbate loss. Extremely tight ponytails or other styles, heavy tracks of hair extensions, weaves and cosmetic heat treatments that pull on your hair can also attribute to hair loss. Your ability to reverse hair loss is largely determined by what's at the root cause of losing your hair. Sometimes hair loss stops on its own, especially if it's stress related or due to a hormonal imbalance. Pregnancy-related hair loss also subsides, typically within a few months after giving birth. Finding the cause of the hair loss is the first step so treatment can be targeted, so it’s important to do your research. The first step to take is to talk to a dermatologist to determine the cause of hair loss and the best avenue of treatment. Hair loss doesn't have to be a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with being bald. In fact, there’s never been a time in history where being bald has been more accepted.
