HOUSTON – With sunny weather returning and baseball season getting underway, many people are reaching for their favorite caps, especially here in Houston.
But a common question continues to pop up: Can wearing a hat actually make you go bald?
A recent report by USA Today looked into that concern, examining research on whether hats contribute to hair loss.
Two separate studies analyzed environmental factors tied to hair loss in both men and women, including how often people wear hats.
In men, researchers found that those who wore hats daily actually experienced less hair loss at the temples compared to men who did not wear hats.
In women, the study found that not wearing a hat was associated with increased hair loss.
To get more clarity, KPRC 2 spoke with a cosmetic and medical dermatologist about the issue.
“If you have something tight on your scalp that is constantly rubbing and putting friction on your scalp, that can absolutely cause hair loss in that area,” the dermatologist explained.
Doctors say hair loss is typically tied to other factors, including stress, weight loss, medications, autoimmune conditions, or nutritional deficiencies.
The bottom line: wearing a hat alone is unlikely to cause hair loss, but consistently wearing tight-fitting hats that create friction could lead to thinning in certain areas over time.