Have you ever heard the term traction alopecia?
No?
Well, it’s a medical term for hair loss in which the cause is extensive pulling of the hair for a prolonged period of time.
This generally happens in females who usually wear their hair in pony tails, tied with a tight rubber band. This can also happen in male you have long hair.
But the question is…
How is this related to a headphone?
Well, it’s pretty much related and let me explain you how…
When you wear such a headphone that fits extremely tight to your head, the rubber cushioning can heat up that certain area of the head and cause sweating, which is one of the causes of hair loss. And sometimes it so happens that the headphone pulls your hair tight right from the forehead area just acting like a rubber band and thus cause traction alopecia.
Wait, you cannot just leave the article here without finding the solution for it, right?
So, let’s read on to find out…
Does headphone cause hair loss?
You can say only 5% of the population can face the issue of hair loss by a headphone, but that’s actually possible!
While it sounds almost impossible that a headphone can cause hair loss and it is supposed not to, but there might be some possibility for it.
If you wear your headphones for only a few hours a day and that too not at a stretch of time, the headphones should not do any harm for your hair.
But if you are someone like a singer, a musician, or the one who has to wear noise cancelling headphones to keep away from distractions at the work site, you definitely face hair loss issues.
Constant wearing of the headphones puts pressure on the hair follicles making them weak, it heats up the head and cause sweat and also pulls your hair from the roots if they are too tight, all of which are the causes of hair loss.
Do headphones ruin your hair?
No headphones are going to ruin your hair until you are speaking of the hair style!
Wearing headphones all the time can change the style of hair by keeping some portion of the hair pressed at all times.
They can cause sweating, make your scalp oily and hence cause dandruff which is not good for your hair and that is how headphones can ruin your hair.
Does using earphones cause hair loss?
No! never!
Wearing earphones is in no way associated with hair loss. If the earphone is not touching any part of your hair, how come it can impact it?
Using earphones can certainly harm your ears and hearing, but not your hair in any way!
Why do headphones cause hair loss?
Headphones can cause hair loss for one of the following reasons:
1.) The headphones might be too tight that put strain on the hair follicles and make them weak to finally fall out
2.) The cushioning part of the headphones must have fit too tight for your head to cut out the airflow in that area, thus causing sweat and then resulting in hair loss
3.) The design of the headphone might be such that while pulling the headphone out of the head, portions of hair get entangled and get pulled out along with the headphone
4.) The excessive use of headphones of course can be the cause of your hair loss because wearing something on your head like forever is not a very healthy habit, right?
How to prevent hair loss from headphones?
If you use are an intensive user of headphones, you must definitely know the ways to prevent them before losing all your hair:
1. Wear caps under headphones:
This is one of the easiest ways to avoid any hair issue with headphones. When you wear a cap under your headphones, the headphones can no longer touch your hair and therefore you can save your hair from getting pulled by the headphones and thus prevent traction alopecia.
2. Buy headphones with an adjustable band:
If your headphones do not have an adjustable band, they are just outdated and its time to replace them with an adjustable band one.
Nowadays nearly all headphones have adjustable bands which allow you to adjust the headphones according to the size and shape of your head.
This also helps to create a gap of the headphone’s band with your head so that the headphone can in no way affect your hair.
3. Use earphones/earbuds instead:
The best way is to of course switch to earbuds which are a far better option than the headphones. Earbuds are so easy to use, lightweight and you don’t have to wear a burden on your head for just hearing to your favorite music!
4. Try to put the band of the headphone at the back of your head:
This is also a way to avoid hair loss from headphones that you wear them with the bands at the back of your head. In this way, the headphones won’t put any pressure on the head.
5. Limit the use of headphones:
This is perhaps the first thing that you should be doing if you love your hair and above all your ears! Headphones can definitely have serious health issues from damaging your ears, from ear pain to head aches to losing body balance to losing your hearing ability!
Types of headphones you should avoid:
The types of headphones that you should avoid are:
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- The headphones that fit too tight to your head
- The headphones with wider bands
- The headphones without adjustable bands
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See also: Do Hard Hats make you Bald?
And it’s a wrap!
That’s all with headphones and why and how they cause hair loss!
Too much of anything is bad and therefore limiting the use of headphones and switching to earbuds is in my opinion a far better option for your hair!
With that thought let’s wind up for today with a hope to see you soon in my next column!
