Helmets are necessary, but if you're worried about hair health, read on to know how to prevent hair loss from helmet.

A helmet is very important when you’re out on a motorcycle. But have you noticed your hair loss getting more severe after you’ve been wearing one?

Yes, it’s true. When you wear a helmet, the friction between its surface and the repeated tugging and pulling at your hair can lead to traction alopecia.

It’s a condition where you lose a lot of hair due to physical force on it. But that’s not it.

There’s also the sweat and dirt that gets accumulated on your scalp when you are wearing a helmet for a long time.

This can clog hair follicles, leading to dandruff, itchiness, and even hair loss.

So now you know why wearing a helmet causes hair loss. But how to prevent hair loss from helmets?

Don’t worry you don’t have to break your head, it’s simple. Just follow the tips I’ve listed below and your hair should be fine!

How To Prevent Hair Loss From Helmet

If you want to learn how to prevent hair loss from helmets, just follow these tips.

Cleanse Hair And Scalp Regularly

This one should be a no-brainer. But the best way to prevent hair loss from helmets is to keep your hair and scalp clean.

When you wear a helmet for several minutes, especially if it’s hot outside, the sweat gets accumulated on your scalp and clogs up your hair follicles.

This prevents the follicles from receiving enough nutrients and stunts their growth.

The dirt and product build-up can provide fodder for bacterial and fungal growth in the hot, airtight confines of your helmet. And this again, lead to hair loss.

So you must remember to use a clarifying shampoo and wash your hair on a regular basis if you’re wearing a helmet often.

If you have curly hair or do not want to wash your hair every other day, you can even try using a good dry shampoo instead.

Clean Your Helmet Inside Out

Usually, helmets come with an inner cloth lining that is absorbent. This is done to protect your head and provide a cushioning effect in case of an impact.

However, this cloth layer can absorb all the sweat and grease from your scalp, leading to bacterial and fungal infections.

So every fortnight, use soap and warm water to clean the inside of your helmet and air dry it thoroughly.

It isn’t enough to just wipe off the dust and grime from the outer layer of your helmet.

When you’re not using your helmet, store it in an airy, sunlit area. The UV rays from the sunlight function as a natural disinfectant.

Use A Biker’s Mask or Bandana

The most common reason for hair loss among helmet-wearers is traction alopecia which is caused by the friction between hair and the helmet.

By wearing a biker’s mask, bandana, scarf, or caps of any sort you can prevent this tugging and pulling of your strands, preventing them from breakage.

I would like to point out that the best fabrics to use are either silk or satin.

Wearing cotton or synthetic bandanas or caps might dry hair and cause it to be more tangled.

Silk or satin, on the other hand, do not absorb moisture and have short fibers that do not pull at your hair.

This extra layer of protection also prevents sweat from getting absorbed by your helmet. So you don’t have to worry about cleaning your helmet too often.

Moisturize And Condition Your Hair

Even if you’re wearing a scarf or bandana, there is a chance that your hair might get dried out as the natural oils are absorbed by the cloth.

So it’s a good idea to give it an extra dose of nourishment by using coconut oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil as a light moisturizer.

You can also use a hydrating hair serum or leave-in conditioner that suits your hair texture.

If your strands are well-moisturized this also reduces the friction between the helmet and the hair.

Get A Good Quality Helmet

Now a good, high-quality helmet is a worthwhile investment even if you have to spend a few extra bucks.

Some of the reasons are obvious - it keeps your head safe, it’s crash-tested, etc.

But if your helmet is made of breathable materials and fits properly, it reduces sweat and bacteria accumulation on your scalp and reduces traction alopecia.

Ensure Your Helmet Fits Properly

Of course, it’s not just in the interest of your hair to get a well-fitting helmet. It’s a matter of safety too!

A loose helmet can slip off your head easily and frequently adjusting it while riding is just distracting.

However, a tight helmet is just as bad. It pulls the front section of your hair back with greater force and leads to traction alopecia.

Keep Hair Short Or Braid Your Long Hair

If you have short hair, then it’s easier to tuck it into a bandana or hair cap. But if you want to keep your long hair, there is a simple way to prevent hair loss from helmets.

Just braid your hair! The braids keep your hair from getting tangled and frizzy when they are underneath a bike mask and a helmet.

Wearing long hair in a braid or low ponytail has another advantage. It keeps your locks out of your face when you’re riding your motorcycle, especially when it’s windy outside.

Don’t Wear A Helmet On Wet Hair

There are two reasons why you should never wear a helmet on wet hair.

Firstly, wet hair is very fragile and prone to breakage. This is why hair experts advise you to never brush your hair when it’s damp.

So the friction between helmet and hair can have more severe consequences if the hair is wet.

It’s more prone to breakage and hair loss.

The second reason why you should avoid donning your helmet on wet hair is that damp hair is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.

This as I’ve discussed before can severely impact the health of your hair follicles and lead to hair loss.

Does Wearing A Motorcycle Helmet Cause Hair Loss

Yes, wearing a helmet does cause some hair loss. But whether this hair fall is severe or not depends on a lot of other factors like your diet, hair products, hairstyles, etc.

Wearing a helmet contributes to hair fall in three different ways.

Traction Alopecia: Firstly, the friction between the interior of the helmet and your scalp can cause hair loss due to traction alopecia.

This occurs when your hair strands get pulled and tugged at repeatedly by an external force.

Wearing an ill-fitting helmet that will graze your crown several times during your commute can exacerbate this condition.

Scalp Inflammation: Another way helmets can lead to hair loss is by causing scalp issues.

When you’re wearing a helmet, the sweat and oil from your scalp are accumulated in your scalp as the helmet doesn’t allow for much air circulation.

This sweat and oil can get trapped in your hair follicles causing bacterial infections, inflammation, folliculitis, and other conditions.

These scalp conditions do not let hair follicles receive enough nutrients through the bloodstream causing them to become weaker and eventually fall off.

Dryness: The lining inside the helmet doesn’t just absorb all the sweat and oil from your scalp. But it also takes away important moisture from your tresses.

This can leave your hair dry and unruly, leading it to become tangled. And this tangled, dehydrated hair is prone to breakage and hair loss.

How do I keep my hair from getting flat after wearing a helmet?

While these tips on how to prevent hair loss from helmet can help reduce your hair fall, helmets can cause another hair trouble, it makes your tresses lie flat!

If you want to recover the lost volume in your hair after wearing a helmet you can follow these tips:

Use a beach volumizing spray: If you want those perfect beach waves, then use a texturizing spray right after you remove your helmet.

It also has the added advantage of turning frizzy hair into deliberately messy waves.

Using a hairspray with a very light hold can also do the trick.

Wrap your hair with a silk cloth: Unlike cotton or synthetic scarves, silk or satin ones are not very absorbent.

So you want to find your hair as frizzy when you wear them as protection between your hair and helmet.

Style your hair in braids: This is a good tip if you want to prevent tangles that ultimately destroy the volume in your tresses.

Keep your hair out of the way by twisting them into low dutch or fishtail braids. If your hair’s too short for braiding, tie it into a low ponytail instead.

Conclusion

Helmets are life-saving. So don’t let a little hair loss get in the way of your safety.

And with these tips given above your hair should be protected from traction alopecia and other issues that come with wearing a helmet.

If you have elaborate hairstyles that you’re afraid will get messed up underneath a helmet, then some of these tips might come in handy as well.