Easy Ways To Avoid And Eliminate Hat Hair

Hat hair making you want to hide this winter? With our easy tips you can avoid and get rid of hat hair in no time.

By Wendy Rose Gould & Powered By L’Oreal Professional Products Division

Update Date: 18 Feb 2022

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.

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.

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.

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.

Invisible Dry Shampoo

A lightweight, fragrance-free dry shampoo with an invisible finish.

One size only for Invisible Dry Shampoo

5 fl oz

Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Shampoo

A silicone-free volumizing shampoo for fine, limp hair.

Select a Size for Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Shampoo

10.1 fl oz, 33.8 fl oz

Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Conditioner

A silicone-free volumizing conditioner for fine hair and limp hair.

Select a Size for Total Results High Amplify Volumizing Conditioner

10.1 fl oz, 33.8 fl oz

Style + Protect On the Rise Root Lifting Mousse

A medium-control mousse that provides volume, shine, and color protection to flat, color-treated hair.

One size only for Style + Protect On the Rise Root Lifting Mousse

10.4 fl oz

Miss Mess Dry Texturizing Spray

A multi-benefit dry finishing spray with a light hold that adds volume and texture.

One size only for Miss Mess Dry Texturizing Spray

5 fl oz

Frizz Dismiss Smooth Force for Frizzy Hair

A lightweight Smoothing Spray

One size only for Frizz Dismiss Smooth Force for Frizzy Hair

6.7 fl oz

Shine Flash Hair Spray

An anti frizz hair spray for glass-like shine and finish.

One size only for Shine Flash Hair Spray

4.4 fl oz

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?