How to Avoid Hat Hair

Co-authored by Barbie Ritzman

Last Updated: December 27, 2023 References

Hat hair can be a difficult, frustrating problem, especially on those cold, winter days where you can't avoid wearing a hat. Some easy ways to avoid hat hair include moisturizing your hair with leave-in conditioner, parting your hair in a new direction, and spritzing a little bit of hair spray into your roots. It can also help to choose a more hat-friendly hairstyle, like braids, twists, or low ponytails.

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Hat hair is when your hair becomes matted, flat, or generally messy after a long day of wearing a hat. Avoid it by ensuring your hair is properly moisturized before wearing a loose hat that doesn't constrict your hair.

Part 1

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Preparing in Advance

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Adding moisture to your hair before you wear a hat is important because it will help combat the static that is usually created with a hat. Squirt a small dollop of leave-in conditioner in your hands and then apply it to your hair, using your fingers to run it through your hair.^{[1]
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Apply a volumizing mousse. Because your hat is likely going to flatten your hair, you'll want to build volume with products in your hair. Apply a nickel size amount of volumizing mousse to your hair, building volume at your roots and scrunching your hair to keep it from lying flat.
- This doesn't always work, especially if your hat is a material that will weigh your hair down. Too much product on your hair will make your hair feel sticky after you have taken your hat off. Use volumizing products sparsely, only using a little bit to add some moisture to your hair.
- For even more volume, blow dry your hair after you apply the mousse, starting at the roots and brushing your hair up as you go.
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The biggest mistake you can make when it comes to hat hair is wearing a hat when your hair is still wet. This will cause your hair to flatten out and take the shape of the hat. To avoid hat hair, allow your hair to dry completely before you put on your hat. You can blow dry your hair with a diffuser to create even more volume in your hair.
This may feel strange, but if you part your hair differently than you normally do, you can then flip your hair back to its original part after you take your hat off. This will help create volume in your hair, because you've mainly flattened out your hair in one part. When you flip your part over to its original part, it should have more volume.^{[2]
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After your hair has dried, spritz hairspray into your roots. This will help the static in your hair as well as maintaining the volume you created in your hair. Start by lifting sections of hair around the roots and spray a small amount of hairspray underneath those sections. Then, to create more volume, push the hair at your roots upwards with your fingertips, so that it is lifted from your scalp. ^{[3]
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Apply dry shampoo or texturizing spray. Dry shampoo is a great product for hat hair because it can help lift hair from your roots, especially if your hair is feeling greasy. A texturizing spray also works great to add volume to flat hair.^{[4]
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- Spray dry shampoo on the hair that frames your face and then on your roots. Run your fingers through your hair to smooth out the shampoo and to create volume. Dry shampoo often leaves a powdery, white substance, so make sure that you have smoothed it into your hair as much as possible.
- To apply the texturizing spray, flip your hair over and spray evenly throughout your hair for a few seconds. Then, brush the product gently through your hair and shake your hair out a few times as the product dries. Flip your hair back over and smooth it out with your fingers if it looks a little messy.
- If you have very short hair that doesn't require much styling, to help with hat hair, you can apply a small amount of gel to your hands and run it through your hair. You can also use dry shampoo or texturizing spray -- you just won't need to use as much.
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Choose a hat-friendly hairstyle. Some hairstyles will almost always be affected by a hat, no matter how hard you try. But, you can go for a hairstyle that looks cute even when you take your hat off. Some styles that work well with hats are braids, twists, low buns, low ponytails, and even wavy hair. A hat may seem limiting, but you really have many options for styling your hair.
- Wavy hair is a bit harder to maintain with a hat. If you have long hair, style your hair as usual, creating tighter waves at the bottom part of your hair. When you take your hat off, the top of your hair may be flat, but the bottom should still be very wavy. Wavy hair often looks good like this, with the bigger, more voluminous waves at the bottom.^{[5]
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- If you know you'll be wearing a hat a lot, you may want to have your hairstylist add layers to your hair. Layers will give your hair more volume so it doesn't look as flat after you take your hat off.
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Choose a hair friendly hat. A hat that is 100 percent cotton or wool will be much better suited for your hair as it won't create so much static. A hat made from synthetic material will create more static and so it should be avoided. Choosing a hat like a beret or floppy style hat is the best way to avoid hat hair as these hats won't cling to your head. Beanies and trapper hats are usually the worst for your hair as these usually force hair flat against your head.^{[6]
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- If you are wearing a hat for warmth, you can get away with a hat that is cozy against your head and still have decent hair at the end of the day. You may just have to do more work to restyle or revamp your hair when you take your hat off.
- A baseball cap is also okay for your hair as it usually rests on your head, but not too tightly. Because it does have a firmer rim, a baseball cap is probably not the best for when you want to wear your hair down. A braid, ponytail, or low bun can look very stylish and attractive with baseball caps. If you choose to wear your hair down, just know that you may have a hat crease in your hair if you wear it for a long period of time.
Even with very short hair you may still be worried about getting hat hair, but you can follow these same tips to help avoid or lessen hat head. Before you put your hat on, spray some frizz controlling spray on your hair, and rub the inside of your hat with a dryer sheet. This will help remove static in your hat that can create hat hair. Then, fix your hair as follows.^{[7]
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Fixing Hat Hair on the Go

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Take your hat off whenever you can. To prevent a permanent crease from being made in your hair or from totally flattening it out, remove your hat whenever you have the opportunity. This will not only help you maintain the volume and moisture in your hair, but you can also use it as an opportunity to restyle your hair.
- If you go inside somewhere, visit a bathroom and take your hat off in front of a mirror. Then, try not to run a brush through your hair if you are in an especially dry environment as this can create more static. Instead, use your fingers to brush through any tangles or messy looking parts of your hair. ^{[8]
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- To add extra volume to your hair, after you have brushed it out with your fingers, flip your hair over and gently massage the roots. Then, flip it back over quickly. This will help add volume to your hair and keep it from looking matted down.
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Use hair styling sheets. These are similar to drying sheets, and can be used to remove static from your hair. Take a sheet and gently swipe it over the areas of your hair that are especially staticky. Each styling sheet has smoothing product, so as you wipe it on your hair it should remove some of the static.
- The styling sheets can be found at a drug or cosmetics store. They come in a box with individually packaged sheets, so you can grab one package and bring it with you to fix flyways.
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Restyle hair if necessary. In dire situations, take a bathroom break to restyle your hair. All you need is a travel size container of your preferred styling product. Wet your hands and run them through your hair to make your hair somewhat damp. Then, apply mousse, gel, or any other styling product you use to your hair. Shake your hair out if you want to create extra volume. To finish your style off, apply anti-frizz serum or hairspray to tame fly-away strands.
- This may be difficult for long hair, especially if you need a blow-dryer to style it. In that case, consider finding a hairstyle that looks good without heating products. Make sure you allow your hair to dry before you put your hat back on.
- Keep in mind that some styling products will only work if heat is applied to your hair.
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Change your hairstyle if it's not working. If your hair remains limp and flat no matter what you do, take off the hat and put up your hair in a more hat friendly hairstyle. These can still look cute, and in a way are more practical because you won't have to bother with your hair continually throughout the day. Store a hair tie in your purse so you can do this on the go.
- Try putting your hair up in a loose ponytail or bun. Then when you take your hat off, you can let your hair down and the style won't be ruined.
- Since hat hair tends to affect only the top of your hair, you can tie up just the top and leave the rest hanging down.
- Once you return home you can try to restyle your hair, or lessen some of the frizziness that has happened during the day.

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Question

Do hats make you lose your hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Hats can abuse the scalp and impact circulation, both of which can contribute to hair loss.

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Question

Do stocking caps damage hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Stocking caps can trap sweat and heat, disrupting circulation. They're fine to wear as long as they aren't too tight and aren't worn for long periods on a regular basis.

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Question

Are hats bad for your hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Hats can disrupt circulation to the hair follicles and cause friction on the scalp that can lead to damage and hair loss. Occasional use is fine, but constant wear can be a problem.

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