Do Motorcycle Helmets Mess Up Your Hair?

There are a majority of riders who experience hair fall because of motorcycle helmets. But do motorcycle helmets mess up your hair? 

People who wear motorcycle helmets for a very long time may experience a situation called Traction Alopecia, in which your hair starts to fall because of friction. And after some years, riders who’re wearing helmets in the same pattern experience a condition called claustrophobia. However, you can prevent yourself from these conditions by properly moisturizing your hair.

Let’s look at what does it means and what you can do about it. 

While writing this post, I will try not to leave any stone unturned so you can protect your precious hair.  

Do Motorcycle Helmets Mess Up Your Hair? 

It’s an undeniable fact that some riders face hair fall issues because of their helmet. 

But is it solely because of motorcycle helmets? 

Although according to some experts, your hair fall is highly influenced by your genetics. It means if your father and grandfather experienced hair fall issues then there is a high chance of transmission of the same to their offspring. 

This concludes that you’re likely to face the same issues too. 

But experts observed the strange correlation between hair falls and motorcycle helmets. 

And after going through many observations, it can be said that motorcycle helmets mess up your hair. 

Why Motorcycle Helmets Mess Up Your Hair? 

So far, you understand that a helmet can mess up your hair. But have you ever wondered why?

According to some experts, friction between your scalp and helmet could be a significant reason for hair fall. The friction between your helmet and scalp weakens your hair roots and causes hair fall. While some experts believe that excessive heat because of the helmet causes the hair to fall.  

Let’s see what it means in detail.

Reasons for Hair Fall	Details
Hair Fall because of friction	Friction between your helmet and scalp makes your hair thin and may cause falls.
Hair Fall because of dryness	Your hair will be more prone to breakage because of friction when your hair is dry.
Hair Fall because of overheat	Overheating when wearing a helmet causes sweating, which causes hair thinning.
Hair Fall because of wet hair	Wet hair causes dandruff problems, thus causing hair fall.
Hair Fall because of tight helmet	Tight helmets slow down blood circulation and so nourishment which causes hair fall.

Hair Fall because of Friction:  

Think in this way, your scalp is like a beautiful garden with grasses like your hair. 

Now a stranger runs over your garden with heavy boots and breaks your grass. 

And you’ll slowly see that your garden stops responding to your nourishment and care because of the daily friction and breakage they experienced. 

Believe me, this is what your hair experiences after you wear a motorcycle helmet. 

Hair Fall because of Dryness:  

I think many of us are experiencing hair fall because of dryness. 

You won’t believe it, but hair dryness causes major hair breakage because of low nourishment. 

Even your hair will be more prone to breakage because of friction when your hair is dry. 

Hair Fall because of Overheat:  

It’s an obvious fact that helmets create a 3D barrier around your head to protect you from any injuries. 

But this advantage comes with a cost like hair fall. 

Because of his 3D barrier, the helmet causes overheating problems. And this causes sweating. 

Sweat contains some ions, salt, and heavy metals like mercury. A lot of sweating causes heavy metals and salt accumulation which starts to degrade your hair health. 

Again, people with dry scalp experience the salt and heavy metals accumulation most. 

Hair Fall because of Wet Hair:  

Many riders still think wearing a helmet with wet hair is cool. 

Franky writing, you’re destroying your hair health yourself. 

Not only do wet hair cause cold because of constant coldness, but it will also cause dandruff problems which could be disastrous for your hair health. 

Always remember, wet and dry hair can be disastrous for your health. So it’s better to not wet your hair before wearing the helmet. 

Hair Fall because of Helmet Size:  

Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with your hairstyling but with a helmet. 

A small size helmet not only presses your head and causes headache but also blocks the proper circulation of blood to scalp. 

Improper blood circulation not only messes up your hair but can also make you faint, which can be extremely dangerous to you. 

No worries, I’ll explain how you can measure your head size and buy the best-fitted helmet in the upcoming section. 

How to Protect Motorcycle Helmets from Messing Up Your Hair? 

So far, you understand what are some reasons behind the hair fall when wearing a motorcycle helmet. Now the question arises, how can you prevent hair fall because of motorcycle helmets? 

According to some experts, you can prevent your hair from a motorcycle helmet by moisturizing your hair and conditioning your hair before wearing the helmet. You can create a layer between your hair and helmet with a scarf; it will help to avoid friction between helmet and hair. 

Let’s look at what it means in the details. 

Way to prevent hair fall.	Details
Shampoo your hair	Doing Shampoo will moisturize your hair and will decrease the risk of hair fall tremendously.
Wear a well-fitted helmet only	A well-fitted helmet allows blood circulation and decreases the risk of friction.
Create a barrier	Making a barrier between the helmet and scalp may reduce friction and reduce hair fall.

Shampoo Your Hair:  

It can sound pretty impressive, but you can prevent hair fall by just shampooing your hair. 

Doing shampoo will moisturize your hair and will decrease the risk of hair fall tremendously. 

It would be even better if you apply conditioner before wearing the helmet.

Wear Well Fitted Helmet Only:  

As mentioned above, wearing a tight helmet can slow down your blood circulation and nutrients supply into your scalp.

Finding the perfect well-fitted helmet can be the most effortless work than you think. 

In the next section, I’ll share some ways through which you can find the best-fitted helmet for yourself.

Create a Barrier:  

As mentioned above, friction could be the main reason behind hair fall. 

And fortunately, you can minimize the friction between the helmet and your head by creating a barrier with a cloth or scarf. 

You just need to wear a scarf or a cloth under your helmet. 

Steps to Measure Head Size for Helmet? 

As mentioned above, measuring the head size for buying a well-fitted helmet is necessary to prevent hair fall. 

So here are some steps of measuring your head size. 

Step no:	Step name	Details
1	Prepare to take measurements.	The very step of measuring your head size is to prepare yourself for the head Measurement.
2	Measure your head size.	Ask your friend to measure your head size through the measuring tape just above your eyebrows. Don’t stop taking head size even if your head isn’t oval.
3	Match the reading	In this step, you need to match the readings you got with the measurement table.

Step 1: Prepare to Take Measurement: 

The very step of measuring your head size is to prepare yourself for the head Measurement. 

Before going further in the step, you should have a measuring tape and ruler (if you don’t have a measuring tape). 

Also, ask your friend to measure your head size since no one can measure their own head size effectively.

Step 2: Measure Your Head Size: 

It’s the meat-containing step, thus the most crucial one, and you can’t afford to make any mistakes here. 

Ask your friend to measure your head size through the measuring tape just above your eyebrows. Don’t stop taking head size even if your head isn’t oval. 

Note down the reading, both in Cm and inches. 

If you are measuring head size through the string, you need to follow the same procedure and mark where the string completes one rotation around the head. 

And after measuring head size, you need to place a string against the ruler. 

Note down the reading, both in Cm and inches. 

Step 3: Match the Reading: 

This is the second most crucial step when measuring your head size. In this step, you need to match the readings you got with the measurement table.

I’m not including the helmet measurement table here because every helmet has its own table. 

While your head size is universal through which you can buy the best helmet which suits you well. 

Also, read my previous post where I’ve discussed some gears which you can include in your motorbike gear list. Click here to read.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict: 

Do motorcycle helmets mess up your hair? People who wear motorcycle helmets for a very long time may experience a situation called Traction Alopecia, in which your hair starts to fall because of friction. 

And after some years, riders who’re wearing helmets in the same pattern experience a condition called claustrophobia. 

However, you can prevent yourself from these conditions by properly moisturizing your hair.

The main problem which many people are facing nowadays is hair dryness which ultimately causes hairs to fall when wearing a motorcycle helmet.