Why Do I Have Itchy Scalp When I Wear a Beanie or Hat?

My scalp is itchy!  But, why does it itch so much when I wear a beanie, hat or helmet?  I can’t even put on a visor without experiencing itchiness. I scratch and I scratch… it’s horrible! What could it be irritating my scalp so much?

Even those who don’t have dandruff, itch like crazy. The problem could be a buildup of chemicals or simply because your hair is dirty.  But the real issue is it only happens when you put a hat on.

What is this? I check my scalp for signs of dry scalp, but there’s nothing visible. Maybe it’s because I need to wash my hair? African American hair doesn’t need washing as often as Caucasian hair, but your head will almost always become a lot itchier if you sweat a lot.

Why Do I Have Itchy Scalp When I Wear a Beanie or Hat?

Do you wear hats or caps every day? It could be you’ve done something different lately like change your shampoo. The worst case scenarios are fleas, head lice, and bed bugs. It doesn’t matter who you are, and anyone can get them. A head lice shampoo can make the scalp itch, too.

Let’s explore a little further…

#1. Bacteria & Fungus Due to Sweating

Itchy scalp can occur due to the warm material causing sweating. Left on the scalp, the sweat becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. This is what causes the itchiness. It’s a huge problem, especially when associated with eczema, dry skin, dandruff, and rashes. The type of material used to make the beanie could be a further source of skin irritation.

When sweating occurs, the pores open and this releases oil, water, fat, and salt. Itchiness happens when people sweat because they are flushing out the toxic substances stored underneath the skin. The pores of the skin can become blocked.

The problem can be made worse if you use a lot of chemical-based shampoos and styling products. These are known to dry out the scalp.

Here are a few quick preventative tips:

• Don’t wear your beanie or hat for too long. Giving your hair and scalp a chance to breathe and wiping away any sweat will help.
• At the end of a long day, wash your hair with a natural shampoo, such as Christina Moss Naturals Shampoo. This will clean the scalp without doing any additional damage.
• Make sure that you wash your hat regularly. Don’t just let it dry out as it’ll still be full of fungus and bacteria. Your dried out hat will be no cleaner than unwashed hair.
• If you have other painful scalp conditions, get them treated!

#2. Allergic Reactions & Treatments

Have you eaten something out of the ordinary lately? It could be that you’re allergic to certain foods or ingredients. Chemicals like hair dyes, treatments for eczema or dermatitis can cause an allergic reaction. Allergies after dying your hair are particularly common.

If you can identify what is different, ruling it out can be achieved with minimal effort. To treat it, use a remedy containing salicylic acid will help with dandruff flakes, psoriasis or seborrhea.  You can purchase salicylic acid in a lotion, liquid, cream, soap, gel, shampoo or ointment.

Use the treatment as prescribed, read the label or otherwise noted by your physician. Avoid increasing the dosage on your own or using longer than directed. On a negative note, salicylic acid can cause a negative reaction and in some cases, a serious one.

Before you apply salicylic acid to your scalp, do a little test first. Put the medication on a small area of your skin three days in a row. If nothing happens, awesome. You are free to use on your scalp.  In the event, you do have problems, see if you can get your money back and try something else.

#3. Skin Conditions That Affect the Scalp

An itchy scalp may not be anything to worry about, but then again, you may want to seek treatment. See your doctor if you should –

• Experience soreness where you itch
• Itch to the point, you’re up at night
• Not get any relief from shampooing or OTC treatments

There should be a few natural remedies you can also try to eliminate itchy scalp or skin conditions. Conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and dandruff are treatable. Psoriasis, an autoimmune disease, causes red scaly patches to appear on the scalp or the skin.

Don’t worry as it’s not contagious. At the same time, you have a probability of contracting psoriasis if you have a family history of the disease.

How do you treat psoriasis? Try using a topical cortisone or shampoo with salicylic acid or coal tar. This should help to control or eliminate psoriasis of the scalp. If it doesn’t work, make an appointment with your local dermatologist to prescribe a stronger cure.

Dermatitis and dandruff are two of the main causes of an itch, a profusion of yeast. Yeast thrives in places like the scalp, but surprisingly, it can live in other parts of the body as well where there’s hair growth.

A shampoo with zinc or selenium will help keep dandruff and dermatitis under control along with antifungal shampoos. If this doesn’t work, try a prescription strength cortisone cream or ointment.

#4. Bugs Can Cause an Itchy Scalp

Head lice, bed bugs, and fleas can cause the scalp to itch all day, but especially when you wear a beanie or hat. And no, it’s not a matter of cleanliness. It could be you’ve come into contact with someone who has them. Read this post for general info and the best treatments for head lice.

Likewise, with bedbugs, you need to clean your linen, hats and other items you’ve come in contact with. However, if you have bedbugs, you will need to go through a time-consuming procedure to get rid of those pesky irritations.

Why Does My Head Itch When I Wear a Hard Hat?

Many of us work in positions where we must wear a hard hat or helmet. If you work outdoors in the heat, you will likely sweat during the day, too. If this is you, how often do you wash your hair or even clean your hard hat? How tight does your hard hat or helmet fit on your head?

The summer is the best and worst times to ride a motorcycle, simply because of the heat. Having a sudden urge to itch while driving a motorcycle can be hazardous to your health. Since the helmet is tightly closed around your head, it makes sense you would perspire, especially on a long haul.

Itching can be frustrating as you know what, but there’s something you can do about it. What to do about it? Well, I wouldn’t use a dandruff shampoo to treat it if I didn’t have dandruff to start with. It can do more harm than good.

If it’s your helmet driving you up the wall, what condition is it in? Is it torn or greasy? What kind of material is it made of? Does the hat or helmet allow for circulation? These things can be contributing factors. Once you determine what’s causing the itch, you can make it go away.

Caring for Your Hard Hat or Helmet

If you must put on a hard hat every day, this means you should clean it properly at least bi-weekly or weekly if you sweat a lot. Here are some suggestions as to how to clean or care for your hard hat or helmet.

• Use a mild cleansing agent to clean it, one that kills bacteria and germs.
• Clean it on a regular basis.
• Likely, if your helmet or hard hat smells, you need to clean it and your hair, too.
• If your helmet or hard hat doesn’t consist of a liner, find a padding to go in it to help absorb odors and moisture.
• Also, wearing a do-rag, scarf/bandanna, or skull cap underneath will protect your hair from the lining.

Have I Damaged My Scalp and Hair?

Unfortunately, certain types of medications can make your skin or scalp itch and take your hair out. Different kinds of water have different chemicals. Therefore, it can change your hair’s balance. Has the texture of your hair changed in any way lately?

Have you started a new hair care regime or vitamin B supplements? Using new gels, shampoos, holding sprays, blow dryers or other chemicals on your hair? Are you shedding hair or thinning as well?  Are you having problems with your thyroid lately?

These changes may seem harmless, and for most people, they are okay to do, but for others, not so much. Some shampoos and conditioners contain parabens, preservatives, sulfates and dyes which can harm the hair and cause serious scalp irritations.

The results are raw, itchy scalps, especially when wearing hard hats or helmets. You do everything to relieve yourself, and only you make it worse than before. You have a pharmacy load of new shampoos and treatments, but nothing works. Washing your hair every day can dry it out.

Dry scalp is itchy, too, so what’s the answer? Does anything work?

What Are the Solutions for Dry, Itchy Scalp?

Colored your hair lately and now you have itchy scalp? Thank goodness for dry shampoos, tea tree oil and organic shampoos, and conditioners.  These products are good for dyed hair, black hair, blonde hair, oily hair and itchy scalp.

One reason for itchy scalp when you wear a hard hat is not rinsing enough. Some of us think once or twice is enough and normally this would be true. On the other hand, there are times when we need more water.

Rinsing well is one sure way all of the soap or chemicals have washed away. A good way to do this is in the shower, of course. It’s also the most comfortable way if not the most convenient.

However, you should always start with a natural shampoo or any product which doesn’t contain petroleum.

Jojoba oil is almost like the natural oil or sebum in your scalp. If not jojoba, try grapeseed oil. The best place to find authentic products as well as a variety, of course, is Amazon. If you don’t shop online, try your local pharmacies like Walmart, Rite-aid, CVS, and Walgreen’s.

Petroleum obstructs skin cells, preventing them from renewing and causes itchy scalp. When you put on a hard hat or beanie, this intensifies the need to scratch. When this happens, you can try applying essential oils to your scalp.

Apply a little to your fingertips to clean hair and massage into your scalp. This works well for braided hair to help prevent scratching and itching. If you don’t have any Jojoba oil, dip a cotton ball into some antiseptic and dab on your scalp.

Can you feel the relief already? You can do this in between washings or in addition to your regular cleaning.