Dandruff vs. Hat

December 13, 2006 12:59 PM

Is frequently wearing hats a bad idea if you have dandruff? Some days it's cold enough to warrant a hat, but mostly I just like hats and not having to do my hair. Would styling it with hair product be any better or worse?
posted by luftmensch to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

Depends on why you have dandruff. Some hair products made mine worse (gel, other stuff that got crufty), some that were sticky (pomade) made the dandruff stick to my hair and made it look much, much worse, and some that were just oil or silicone and stayed 'wet' actually made things better. Your mileage may vary.

My dandruff was 'cured' by T-Sal shampoo. I occasionally notice another flake or two and will use another shampoo that's designed for daily use, and it clears it up right away.
posted by SpecialK at 1:06 PM on December 13, 2006

Hmm. I guess it depends on the origin of the dandruff. If it's wintertime dandruff that's caused by cold dry air, then perhaps wearing a hat would help. If it's a chronic condition with some other cause, then I don't know.

Ok -- I do know. Apparently dandruff is caused by a fungus called "Pityrosporum ovale."

This information is from Nizoral's . (They make shampoo.)
__________
Myth: "You can get dandruff by wearing a hat."

Fact:
Much like sharing a hairbrush or pillow won't cause or pass on dandruff, wearing a hat won't cause dandruff either. The only time wearing a hat can affect the cause of dandruff is when the hat doesn't allow your scalp perspiration to properly evaporate. When this happens, perspiration can become alkaline and allow fungus to easily grow.
___________

So, it seems like wearing a hat could exacerbate the dandruff. Interesting.

As far as gels & hair products, if they're alkaline then they would evidently make a more hospitable environment for the dandruff causing fungus. Maybe look for low pH styling products, or ones specified as good for those who have dandruff.
posted by sentient at 2:20 PM on December 13, 2006

(Oops. Meant 'Nizoral's website'.)
posted by sentient at 2:21 PM on December 13, 2006

Product will make it worse almost every time. Being a dandruff victim myself ("cured" with T-Gel and a very short haircut) I've found that hats can vary. If its a wooly hat that makes your head itch, that can make it worse. Baseball hats or hats of other breathable material, in my experience, don't seem to cause a problem. It may depend on how dry your skin is naturally
posted by nameless.k at 3:14 PM on December 13, 2006

I never recalled it affecting my scalp. But really you should try to nip the problem in the bud and get a good dandruff shampoo. I rotate between Head and Shoulders, TSal and Nizoral (TGel is good too, but the smell makes me nauseus). Also your doctor can RX some special shampoos or treatments if none of those work.
posted by radioamy at 7:24 PM on December 13, 2006