Why do I get headaches when I wear my hair down?
December 4, 2013 7:24 AM Subscribe
I have barely shoulder length hair which I typically wear down at work or when I'm out. After several hours, I sometimes get a headache which is immediately alleviated by putting my hair up (I'd say I get a headache after leaving my hair down about 20% of the time). Why is this happening?
My preference when I'm hanging out is to wear it up, either pulling up the top half of my hair in a clip or putting all my hair in a ponytail. My hair is not particularly heavy, and just barely brushes my shoulders (so is not super long).
After I've worn my hair down for several hours, I often will get headaches which are only alleviated by putting hair up. My neck doesn't hurt - it is a tension headache. I often will feel an immediate sensation of relief when I put my hair into a ponytail. This is true even if I do it while I still am out/at work (so it isn't just an "end of the day" thing). Any idea why this is happening, and if there is something I could do about it?
My preference when I'm hanging out is to wear it up, either pulling up the top half of my hair in a clip or putting all my hair in a ponytail. My hair is not particularly heavy, and just barely brushes my shoulders (so is not super long).
After I've worn my hair down for several hours, I often will get headaches which are only alleviated by putting hair up. My neck doesn't hurt - it is a tension headache. I often will feel an immediate sensation of relief when I put my hair into a ponytail. This is true even if I do it while I still am out/at work (so it isn't just an "end of the day" thing). Any idea why this is happening, and if there is something I could do about it?
Not any sort of medical professional, but first guess is that putting the hair up constricts the blood flow to the head, preventing/relieving pressure/tension there.
posted by 3FLryan at 7:28 AM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by 3FLryan at 7:28 AM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I get the opposite thing - headaches when I wear my hair up for a long time, and which improve almost immediately after letting it down.
FWIW I think 3FLryan is on to something...I imagine both our situations have a lot to do with blood flow. Just out of curiosity, do you wear it up or down while you sleep? Have you noticed that one or the other causes you to have headaches in the morning?
posted by schroedingersgirl at 7:38 AM on December 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
FWIW I think 3FLryan is on to something...I imagine both our situations have a lot to do with blood flow. Just out of curiosity, do you wear it up or down while you sleep? Have you noticed that one or the other causes you to have headaches in the morning?
posted by schroedingersgirl at 7:38 AM on December 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: I usually lift my hair up over my pillow when I'm sleeping. I don't like my hair touching my neck and fact in general.
posted by arnicae at 7:47 AM on December 4, 2013
posted by arnicae at 7:47 AM on December 4, 2013
I think third rail has it, or something like it. I don't get headaches but I do feel instantly better when I put my hair up. I think it's because when it's down, I have to be constantly, if unconsciously, aware of the angle at which I'm holding my head. This has to do with being able to see through/around my bangs and also, less rationally, to avoid messing up my hair. Once it's up, it's not going to look polished anyway so I can stop caring.
And seeing your update, that sounds familar too. When it's touching my neck and face, it doesn't exactly annoy me but I'm aware of it. It's a lot of awareness for all those little muscles, I could see how it could give you a headache.
posted by DestinationUnknown at 7:50 AM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
And seeing your update, that sounds familar too. When it's touching my neck and face, it doesn't exactly annoy me but I'm aware of it. It's a lot of awareness for all those little muscles, I could see how it could give you a headache.
posted by DestinationUnknown at 7:50 AM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't have long hair, nor am I a medical expert, but 3FLryan's theory could have some truth to it -- it would be the same way that you get caffeine withdrawal headaches.
Caffeine causes blood vessels to constrict, so with regular caffeine intake over time, your blood vessels adapt by expanding to allow normal blood flow. When you go off caffeine, your blood vessels dilate too much -- the throbbing headaches are from excessive blood flow to the head. If you quit caffeine, the blood vessels eventually shrink back to their normal size, but of course it's a painful withdrawal process.
So if you always pull your hair into a tight pony tail, it's not so crazy to suppose that it might affect the circulation in your head in a similar, non-trivial way.
posted by wutangclan at 7:57 AM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Caffeine causes blood vessels to constrict, so with regular caffeine intake over time, your blood vessels adapt by expanding to allow normal blood flow. When you go off caffeine, your blood vessels dilate too much -- the throbbing headaches are from excessive blood flow to the head. If you quit caffeine, the blood vessels eventually shrink back to their normal size, but of course it's a painful withdrawal process.
So if you always pull your hair into a tight pony tail, it's not so crazy to suppose that it might affect the circulation in your head in a similar, non-trivial way.
posted by wutangclan at 7:57 AM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
What about temperature? I find keeping my hair down makes me feel warmer, and putting my hair up makes my ears/neck area feel cooler and hence the rest of me feel cooler. So, maybe your brain likes being cooler and it creates a headache when it's warmer and not being cooled properly.
posted by molasses at 8:22 AM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by molasses at 8:22 AM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
The weight of your hair is causing you to hold your head differently, if not the weight then the feel of it on your neck as you say you don't like that. Lifting your hair up alters the centre of gravity so you hold your head differently, or it's not touching the back of your neck so you aren't holding your head weird.
A friend of mine with stunning hip length hair had to cut it all off when it turned out to be the cause of all her migraines, the weight of it was effecting how she held her head, I think I cried more than her when it was cut off it was like black silk.
Hair is surprisingly heavy, you are used to the weight so you don't' notice it.
posted by wwax at 9:49 AM on December 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
A friend of mine with stunning hip length hair had to cut it all off when it turned out to be the cause of all her migraines, the weight of it was effecting how she held her head, I think I cried more than her when it was cut off it was like black silk.
Hair is surprisingly heavy, you are used to the weight so you don't' notice it.
posted by wwax at 9:49 AM on December 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
Do you have any sensitivities/allergies? You could be allergic to your hair product, especially if you use a heat protecting product or something else when you wear your hair down.
posted by radioamy at 12:16 PM on December 4, 2013
posted by radioamy at 12:16 PM on December 4, 2013
Every day when I get home from work, I put on a tracksuit and pull back my hair. Relief. I sleep with my front hair pulled back in a knot
My perception is that the hair gets in my eyes in irritating ways during daytime. I've had a boy-cut, and it was good, but it was very high maintenance (read: expensive), and maybe not as flattering as longer hair.
posted by mumimor at 2:01 PM on December 4, 2013
My perception is that the hair gets in my eyes in irritating ways during daytime. I've had a boy-cut, and it was good, but it was very high maintenance (read: expensive), and maybe not as flattering as longer hair.
posted by mumimor at 2:01 PM on December 4, 2013
I have exactly this same thing--to the point that I sometimes panic if I can't find anything to use to pull my hair back--and I've always assumed it's some combination of the various theories above. (My hair has been everywhere from waist-length to ear-length, and I've had the same problem at all those lengths.)
posted by newrambler at 2:25 PM on December 4, 2013
posted by newrambler at 2:25 PM on December 4, 2013
It's very distracting to have your hair down. It's always in your peripheral vision, touching your face, and at some level you're always aware of how you're moving so it's not falling into your face, so you can't just relax and move however you need to in order to do whatever you're doing. And more than you can just feel it, feel it moving or just being there, somehow. But when it's in a ponytail, it's like it's gone and you're totally free of it. It's kind of like the difference between swimming with jeans on and and swimming in a swimsuit. That's why I live basically all of my life in a ponytail, otherwise I'd never get anything done. I'm not prone to headaches but I can totally see how having it down would cause them if you were.
posted by HotToddy at 5:54 PM on December 4, 2013
posted by HotToddy at 5:54 PM on December 4, 2013
Could you be tensing up specifically because it bothers you when your hair touches your neck?
posted by Comet Bug at 8:57 PM on December 4, 2013
posted by Comet Bug at 8:57 PM on December 4, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by third rail at 7:27 AM on December 4, 2013 [2 favorites]