While it used to be true hats were most often worn to protect the head and hair from extreme temperatures (hot and cold) as well as Summer sun and wind exposure, hats are now worn all the time, as much for fashion, as for protection.

(Image from HBM Media – All Rights Reserved).

The right hat can be a fabulous accessory for a sizzling bikini or paired with a fabulous dress.  The wrong hat, like any other fashion item, can wreck a great outfit.  Even more concerning, many hats, although not all, can cause a bad case of hat head when removed.

Are there proven ways to prevent hat head?  Yes.  Consider the follow options to eliminating or minimizing a critical case of hat head from your favorite beach straw hat or any of your other hats.

Minimize Hat Head With Any Type Of Hat

1.  If you plan to wear a hat as either a fashion accessory or a functional cover-up at the beach, consider selecting a hairstyle that is most compatible with the hat you are planning to wear.  Match your hair type, texture, length, color and overall hair condition with the hat.  Decide whether your hair will look best flowing out from underneath the bottom of the hat, twisted into braids or a pony or whether you prefer to wear your hair pinned up underneath.

HairBoutique.com’s Edan Kencayd has very curly hair which she refers to as “jungle hair”.  Edan adores wearing all sorts of hat for their fashion statements.

Her least favorite hats are ball caps which she says are pretty much guaranteed to wreck her hairstyle.  Her most favorite hats are cowboy hats and berets because she can arrange her hair in such a way before putting on the hat so her curls are protected.

(Image from HBM Media – All Rights Reserved).

Edan lifts up her fringe along with the front section of hair around her face and pulls it all back into a triangular shape.  She secures all the hair with a large sleeper style clip or teeny tiny jaw clips.  After she pulls her hair back, she slides on the cowboy hat.  That way she’s not putting a crimp or a wrinkle in either the fringe or the hair along the sides of her face.

Edan also suggests spritzing a tiny bit of dry shampoo onto the triangular section of hair either before or after clipping.  This helps prevent hair from getting greasy from sweating underneath the hat.  Of course this trick is best utilized when you plan to leave your hat on for an extended period of time.

2.  Buy a hat that fits your head properly to minimize hat head. When you wear a hat which is too small for your head or crushes or flattens your hair you have a much higher risk of hat head.  Experts say that when you try on various hats you should always be able to comfortably fit your finger between your head and the band of the hat.

(Image from HBM Media – All Rights Reserved).

Edan warns that while many beach style hats are softer and loose fitting, hats designed for cruising on a boat may actually have a tight band causing severe flat head.  Some visor hats which can be worn when wind surfing can be positioned on the head so that the hair is pulled up and pinned out of the way to prevent hair wrinkles.

3.  Select hats less likely to cause hat head than other types of hats.  Many people find that soft tams and berets are less likely to smash hair then hats made with a tighter foundation or frame.  Ball style caps are notorious for causing flat hair and ridges.  Some straw hats are made to fit very loose but others are much tighter.  Keep this in mind when selecting hats for the beach.

Softer hats can look very fashionable and easily protect the scalp from cold, wind, rain and sun, but be more forgiving of most hair types and textures.  Scarves are always a great option that is less likely to cause any type of hat head.

Heavy hats which weigh the hair down are more likely to cause hat head. Lightweight cotton or similar style hats will be less likely to cause major hat head as well.  Obviously if you are at the beach a hat that is made of the lightest fabrics will be the most comfortable in the heat from the sun.

(Image from HBM Media – All Rights Reserved).

4.  Avoid wearing a hat when your hair is wet or damp.  When hair is wet or damp and is allowed to dry underneath a hat you may wind up with super flat tresses, odd ridges, cowlicks, hair wrinkles, volunteer waves or lots of hair fuzz and frizz.

If you take a dip in the ocean of the hotel pool, avoid popping your hat back on if your hair is still damp.

If you are naturally prone to having frizzy hair, take the appropriate precautions when you plan to wear a hat.  Make sure to use a defrisant leave-in conditioner or an appropriate anti-frizz styling spray on your hair prior to placing the hat on your head.  Let the spray dry before putting on your hat to avoid staining it with styling products.

Whenever there is a chance you will be removing your hat in the sun always protect your scalp with appropriate sun screens and apply a sun protectant product to your tresses.

5.  When you wear your hair down under the hat, after you remove the hat, bend over at the waist and gently shake your tresses out.  Use your fingers to pick through your strands and infuse air into it.  Bend back over and use your fingers to smooth hair back into place.

(Image from HBM Media – All Rights Reserved).

6.  Another option is to wear your hair long and flowing underneath your hat but if hat head sets in, after bending over and shaking your tresses, pull them pack into a pony or a twist to camouflage the telltale hat head signs.

7.  Keep a dry shampoo in your handbag, beachbag or car and spritz through the crown, fringe and flattened areas.  Lightly brush out the dry shampoo and fluff your hair.  This will help to remove the flatness.

8.  Some people swear by lightly spritzing hat head with water and using fingers to pick out the flat sections.  This may or may not work depending on the type and texture of your hair and whether or not you used styling products before putting on your hat.

More Information

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm and is filed under Braids, Hair, Hairstyles, Hairstyling Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.