When it comes to your winter wardrobe, there's not much cuter than a beanie hat to finish off your outfit, especially if it's of the fluffy variety. But, before you begin sporting your favorite headwear every day, you'll probably want to learn the ways beanies are ruining your hair.
The humble beanie hat may look harmless (and insanely adorable), but don't let it fool you. It can wreak havoc on your hair, whether realize it or not. Perhaps that's a little melodramatic, but you should never underestimate the power of a bad hair day, even more so when it's caused by a beanie hat. I've yet to meet a soul who enjoys rocking hat hair.
A good hair day can make you feel gorgeous, powerful, and nigh-on invincible if your barnet is looking exceptionally on fleek. However, if you've ever suffered through a bad hair day, you'll understand how it can make usually confident folks feel self-conscious, flustered, and generally not quite themselves. Wearing a hat can temporarily solve the issue, while keeping you toasty, but your hat may not have your hair's long term interests at heart.
So, I spoke to some professional hairstylists to discover the ways in which beanies can ruin your hair, because self-inflicted hat hair is beauty masochism.
1. They Flatten Your Hair
Tony Kane, hairstylist at Haven Spa, tells Bustle over email, "Beanies are ruining the hair by flattening it. Any style that you wanted to achieve with volume has been deflated because of the beanie." Your luscious locks won't be doing anything for you if they're slicked down to your scalp in hat hair mode, post beanie removal.
2. They Cause Your Hair To Appear More Oily
Stylist Max Gierl of Mizu New York explains over email that beanies can cause hair to look more oily. To combat this, he says, "Using a dry shampoo even on clean hair can help as hair starts to get greasy under your beanie. Dry shampoos I love include R+Co Death Valley and Oribe's new Gold Lust Dry Shampoo."
3. They Don’t Allow Your Scalp To Breathe
"Beanies are temporary fixes to a bad hair day. Beanies used occasionally are great, but used excessively can lead to hair problems," Triana Francois, hairstylist at Haven Spa, tells Bustle over email.
Francois explains, "The scalp is like the soil in a garden, it needs oxygen and sunlight to create a healthy environment to promote hair growth. Using hair accessories such as a beanie prohibits the scalp's ability to breath."
"The beanie also takes away moisture from your scalp," says Kane, "while your scalp is not able to breathe, the moisture is not being produced due to the fabric that dries out the hair and breaks off hairlines. Other options for beanies would be earmuffs or silk head wraps to keep moisture in and have long lasting styles."
4. They Can Totally Ruin Your Hairstyle
"Beanies can ruin your hairstyle because they can smash it down," says Gierl, "part your hair the opposite way you normally would, that way when the hat comes off you can flip it the 'right' way and you'll still have volume."
5. They Can Cause Your Hair To Break
"Our hair is comparable to fabric," explains Kane, "constant friction of our hair and another fabric can lead to breakage. Especially cotton, a fabric commonly used in hair accessories. Try replacing your beanie with a fabric such as silk. Silk does not cause hair friction." It might be time to embrace a vintage vibe and begin wearing a silk scarf instead.
Next time you think about popping on your beanie, think again. Consider all of your headwear options, including less hair-damaging ones, before you head out the door. After all, wearing your beanie less regularly and mixing up your accessories, will likely lead to you adoring your beanie even more!
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