Is Your Sports Helmet Aggravating Your Hair Loss?

In high-risk sports like football, dirt bike riding, and mountain skiing, helmets are an essential part of your safety gear. Without that extra layer of protection, players are vulnerable to impact injuries that can negatively impact the brain, neck, or spine. But could your safety gear be partially responsible for your hair loss? How can you reduce the damage caused by wearing helmets? What treatment options are available to help you regrow hair?

How Do Helmets Affect Hair Loss?

Hair loss can be caused by many things. In men, hormones and genetics are big contributors to baldness and shedding. Women often experience hair loss caused by hormones, inflammatory illnesses, and some medical therapies. Alopecia areata, another driver of hair loss in women, causes hair to fall out in clumps while grooming.

Traction alopecia is another cause of hair loss in men and women. Wearing hats, scarves, helmets, and tight hairstyles pull at the scalp. This constant pressure damages hair shafts and follicles. Over time, people who wear restrictive headgear on a regular basis may experience missing patches of hair. Choosing other styling options does help restore healthy blood flow. However, the prolonged restriction can starve follicles and compromise their ability to produce strong, healthy strands. In those cases, the assistance of a knowledgeable hair regrowth expert may be the only way to regain a natural hairline.

Reducing Damage from Helmets

You don't have to compromise your safety to protect your thinning hair. Use these tips to keep your helmet from damaging your delicate follicles.

  • Wrap a silk scarf or bandana around your hairline before putting on your helmet. The fabric reduces friction while providing enough cushion to allow normal blood flow.
  • Opt for loose and unrestricted hairstyles on a daily basis. Maintaining normal blood flow regularly mitigates some of the short-term stress associated with helmet wear.
  • Stop frequently to take off your helmet and allow your scalp to absorb fresh oxygen.
  • After wearing a helmet for an extended period of time, wash and condition your hair. This restores moisture which helps follicles retain healthy function.

Proper care techniques can neutralize the effects of helmet wearing on your hair loss. However, you should seek professional guidance immediately if you think your helmet is affecting your ability to grow hair.

Hair Loss Treatment Options

It is important to know the cause of your hair loss before choosing a treatment, as each factor requires a different approach. At Mane Image Hair, we offer a free hair and scalp analysis that provides a complete assessment of your scalp's health. We then use that information to formulate a plan that addresses all the factors that contribute to your hair loss.

We offer a number of tools to support our clients in their struggle against hair loss. Our selection of topical thickening and regrowth agents are specially chosen for their effectiveness.  Laser therapy devices are a convenient, non-surgical way to stimulate hair growth. Choose one of our at-home models or let our technicians treat you in our studio. Either way, you'll receive personalized guidance on lifestyle changes, product usage, and grooming techniques to protect your precious strands.

Whether you've just noticed the first signs of hair loss or have been hiding behind hats for years, Mane Image Hair can help you get your confidence back. Contact us to schedule your no-cost scalp evaluation and hear more about our personalized treatment options.