I have observed something over the years.  I’ve seen guys I’ve known a long time go from a thick head of hair to balding or receding hairlines.  Many say that it’s their bad genes contributing to this factor, but I think there is another reason.  Hats.  A man’s head doesn’t seem to be too picky about the type of hat.  Baseball cap, cowboy hat, helmets, or hard-hats.  Pick your poison. 

There is theory that the hair trouble comes first, so to hide the trouble, men put on a hat.   This article from hairfinder.com is a prime example of that.  http://www.hairfinder.com/hairquestions/caps_hair_loss.htm  An excerpt from that article says, “I think one of the reasons many people have come to believe that hat-wearing is connected to hair loss is because many men who are losing their hair favor hats to hide that fact. They wear the hat because they’re losing their hair, not the other way around.”   

Others believe it is only partly a contributing factor.   This article from wikipedia.org appears to lean toward that idea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldness   Here is the belief in this article;

“”Tight hats cause baldness.”

• While this may be a myth, hats do cause hair breakage and, to a lesser degree, split ends. Since hats are not washed as frequently as other clothing, they can also lead to scalp uncleanliness and possible Pityrosporum ovale contamination in men with naturally oily scalps. Some scalp infections, if left untreated, can cause hair loss.”

The latter article has quite a list of reasons people think cause men to go bald.  A rather crazy list in fact.  Here is one of those reasons; 

“”Frequent ejaculation causes baldness”

• There are many misconceptions about what can help prevent hairloss, one of these being that frequent ejaculation may have an influence on MPB. Depending on frequency, it can raise or lower plasma testosterone.^[33]“

I don’t know that much about testosterone to be honest, so I won’t argue with that. 

Back to what I’ve observed over the years.  The men that I’m referring to, have worn hats for a long time.  Before they even had a glimmer or shine to their head.  Now one could say, that the bad genes are causing this issue for them.  Although, I just can’t quite buy into it for every case.  Have you ever noticed a man who is significantly bald and wears a hat, has hair all around the hat…just not under it?  It’s a perfect fit.  How about someone who has worn their baseball cap backwards for years and years?  Not bald, but badly receding.  Now someone who has worn a hard-hat for a lot of their working life…what do you notice there?  Thinning hair.  My husband once developed bald spots in his facial hair where the chin strap from his helmet (military helmet) rubbed.. over the course of a deployment.  It took a couple of years, but it eventually grew back.  Maybe you’ve noticed or have experienced yourself, that jeans rubbing consistently on your shins over an extended period of time causes you to have balding or areas of thinning hair on your shins. 

Another thought of mine is about how this hair loss issue affects men more often than women.  Women do wear hats, but it seems to be less often.  The women I’ve known have worn hats for various reasons.  Either they have to for work, it’s an accessory to an outfit, when playing a sport, or a hat is desired while they participate in other recreational activities.  However, it’s less likely that every time I see these women, they’re wearing a hat.   Unlike the men I’ve known for years.  Another point I have to make is, the guys I’ve known for a long time and barely ever wore hats…apprear to have all of their hair intact.  Those are just a few observations I’ve made on the topic of hair loss.

Just to make myself clear, I’m not a hat hater.  I like guys in hats.  It’s something I noticed and thought I would share.  I’m not an expert, but from what I’ve seen, the evidence is clear enough to me.   Here is website called baldnesshelpline.com which is dedicated to the subject.    

So, what do you think came first…the hat or the hair loss?