Do Headphones Cause Hair Loss?

So I’ve recently noticed a few stray hairs on my shoulders, sure I was moving my headphones around a bit so they would sit comfortably with my glasses, but other than that, nada. That got me thinking (and a bit worried) – could my headphones be causing hair loss??

So I went into research more and after reading countless scientific studies and scanning hundreds of forums (ok maybe not that many, but a lot!), it turns out it’s a big fat NO (thank god – because I wear my headphones literally every single day).

And turns out it’s a little bit of a popular myth on the interwebs that headphones (or hats, or anything else you have on your head constantly) can cause hair loss, making me realize that I have to set the facts straight in a dedicated post.

Gents (and ladies), if you are experiencing hair loss, there is absolutely no scientific research that backs the notion that your headphones are the actual cause – unless they’re really, really tight – like ‘you’ve got a clamp around your head’ tight (which wouldn’t be a good idea, needless to say).

Do Headphones Cause Hair Loss?

Rest assured, wearing headphones will not cause hair loss, no matter how often you wear them as long as they are comfortable. You literally need to cut off the blood circulation to the hair follicle long enough for it to die, before it will fall out due to headphones.

If you want some soundproof (no research will convince me), in the subreddit – Gaming, there is a whole archived discussion decimating this myth. Gamers know best, right.

But, what is then causing the loose strands of hair on my shoulders, and why is this myth about headphones so popular? Let’s take a look.

Why do people think headphones cause hair loss?

I for one don’t want to even think about genetics, I’ve seen my dad, and I hope my mom’s genes are good (yup, it’s true – the primary baldness gene is on the X chromosome, which you can only get from your mom – I talk about that in more detail later on).

But the reality (and some of us will need to face it one day) is that according to a study, men get balder as they age – up to 16% of men between the ages of 18 – 29, and 53% of men between the ages of 40 – 49 will experience moderate to extensive hair loss. Let’s just take a moment of silence here.

That’s some scary statistics; it scares me personally, to be honest. My hair is a huge part of my identity, my self-image. Losing my hair makes me feel a bit old (especially when I can’t control it). I seriously don’t want to be a part of that statistic.

Maybe that’s why I grabbed the chance to blame my headphones. It’s a classic case of “it against me” – I need to find something to blame. If my headphones are the cause of my hair loss, I can fix it, right?

Ok, so what if I’m genetically predisposed to being bald one day, and I don’t want to make things any worse?

So while your headphones won’t cause hair loss, there is the chance that it could help those little suckers out (and I want them to stay there as long as possible, of course).

Most healthy hair follicles can withstand a bit of pushing and pulling, but the ones already on their way out won’t offer much resistance. So taking a few precautions with your headphones will go a long way.

Get seriously comfy headphones

It’s important that you find really comfortable headphones. Moving them around a lot, because they don’t fit well, pinch your glasses, or are too tight, means you’re creating more opportunities for hairs to get tangled and pulled out.

Avoid tension at all costs; your headphones need to fit your head perfectly, especially if you wear them for hours on end.

The tension can have a number of negative side effects, of which one is splitting headaches – this is a good sign to indicate you need to do something. I have a few tips to help you avoid headaches due to wearing headphones.

I also wear glasses, so for me, there was a whole nother level to consider (luckily, I did find my perfect fit eventually). If you wear glasses, I also wrote an article that gives some pointers on finding something that won’t hurt you.

If your headphones are getting old, the padding can get a bit thin and the material damaged, this can lead to extra tension and pulling on your hair.

Just as a rule, I replace my earpads every 1 – 2 years. I have the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x and their ear pads are super easy to replace, they even have their own line of replacement pads.

While comfy headphones won’t stop your natural hair loss, it can help by not adding to the problem – I’m all for that.

Opt for lighter headphones

If you have long or thick hair, any additional pressure on the top of your head can pull on your hair. If you combine this with poor fitting headphones, you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

It also adds to headphone hair, which sucks, to say the least, and is a completely unnecessary extra thing to deal with when you’re already worried about hair loss.

Lighter headphones (and the good ones are seriously as light as a feather) won’t add any traction or pressure; you won’t fiddle with them, you won’t even know they’re there!

It’s also a great idea to get adjustable headphones, as you can try to increase the arch, lifting the headphones off your head.

Or, just tilt your headphones back slightly, so they’re resting on the back of your head. This will take the pressure off the top and solve your headphone hair problem.

While heavy headphones are very unlikely to add to your hair loss, the headaches they can cause will make you want to pull your hair out. And that brings me to my next point…

Have you ever heard of traction alopecia?

Nope? Yeah, me neither. But the more common autoimmune disorder, Alopecia areata, results in patches of missing hair. While this is a terrible disorder, it isn’t something you can control or plan for. Once you have it, it causes unpredictable hair loss on your head, beard, and actually anywhere.

However, traction alopecia is quite different. Traction alopecia is something you can control and that we ourselves actually cause.

Have you ever tied your hair back so tight that it feels like it’s going to pull out of your scalp? This is the type of traction to the hair follicles that can result in traction alopecia. Your hair is literally being pulled out of your head.

The areas that are the worst affected by traction alopecia are the edges of your hair, and more often than not your forehead and temples.

 With headphones, things can get worse. If you’re prone to tying up your hair really tight, and you use headphones that are uncomfortably tight or too heavy, you can make it worse – even setting off the condition.

This is often the case if you use your headphones for hours on end, and you often fiddle or have to redo your hair the whole time due to headphone hair.

What can you do about headphone-caused traction alopecia

Prevention is better than cure. If you suspect you might be more likely to develop traction alopecia, take steps to minimize your risk.

The first step is to choose the most comfortable headphones for your head. I wear glasses, so I had to make sure that my headphones worked well with my glasses – trust me, that can get uncomfortable.

If you want to get the perfect headphones, check out my recent post where I discuss what you should be looking out for (glasses or no glasses – the basics stay the same).

The next step you can take is medication; most dermatologists agree that the earlier you start treatment, the faster you can recover.

If you leave this condition, it can result in permanent hair loss in the worst affected areas, according to a recent study.

You will be bald if you continue to abuse your hair, so do something before you cause permanent damage to the hair follicles.

Even with intervention, it could still take a few months to grow back properly, but by changing your habits and not adding fuel to the fire, you can get things back to normal.

If you want to hide the damage and allow the hair to grow back in peace (while still being able to listen to your music), consider buying headband headphones. They look exactly like a normal headband, but they have speakers in… win-win.

Change your hairstyle

So I just spoke about the negative effects of excessive pulling on your hair, but excessive pushing can also promote hair loss. When your hair is left to its own devices, messy, “bedhead” – you’re just asking for trouble.

The headphones will exert a natural pushing effect on hair that is curling underneath the band, which could promote hairs that are already weak to break or fall out.

To counter this (and traction alopecia) if you have long hair, tie your hair into a neat loose ponytail, if you have short hair, consider combing it to the side (Trump style) so it moves with the band.

This will keep your hair safe from snagging and probably minimize headphone hair a bit (even though I’m not sure that Trump’s hair is worth the benefits).

Proper headphone hygiene goes a long way

This isn’t something I actually ever considered until I got ear pain from dirty in-ear earphones once. Your headphones need to be cleaned just like anything else you regularly use. You clean your laptop keyboard, phone, and iPad, why not clean your headphones.

Bacteria and viruses can accumulate on your headphones (and I shudder to think of publicly shared headphones), and they can get into your ears and even into your hair and onto your scalp.

Depending on the bacteria or virus, it can cause nasty infections. A simple wipe with an antiseptic liquid or a bit of soap on a dry cloth will solve the problem.

Make sure you wipe all around as we’re constantly touching and moving our headphones, also on the inner folds of the earpads, and the band.

You can literally do this daily, but remember, you’re working with electronics – so nothing wet, unless it’s alcohol that will dry quickly.

What are the most probable reasons why you’re losing your hair?

While I’d really like to blame something for my hair loss, not all of it is out of my control. There are a few things that could be the cause of your hair loss, some of which you’d only have to make a few lifestyle changes to save your hair.

Stress causes hair loss

Stress is a terrible thing; if you suffer from it and can’t seem to get it under control – I first want to tell you you are not alone. Stress is the disease of our century; we’re overstimulated and overworked. It isn’t impossible, though to control your stress levels and to live a peaceful life; it just takes some practice.

Meditation and other mindfulness activities (exercising, yoga, socializing, etc.) can all really bring down your stress levels. Even just acknowledging it and talking yourself through the validity of your stress, can bring some peace.

Ok, but what about hair loss and stress – there is definitely a link. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) physiologic or emotional stress can bring on sudden hair loss.

This is due to a condition called Telogen effluvium, which is nonscarring, noninflammatory alopecia.

The good news is that once you get your stress levels under control, the damage is reversible, and your hair should regrow.

The biggest concern with stress-related hair loss is that losing your hair can add to your stress, making it very difficult to control. Now that you know about it, you’re in a much better position to take some decisive action and stop it in its tracks.

Hair loss is genetic

We touched on this earlier, probably the most likely reason for any man’s hair loss is genetic. This is widely supported by science, but a fact that hasn’t been as commonly accepted is that it doesn’t help looking at your dad to know what lies ahead for you.

Hair loss is something you inherit from your maternal side. To get down to the X and Y’s – the hair loss gene is attached to the X chromosome, which you get from your mom (well thanks for nothing, gran! Poor dad)

So yeah, even if your dad is as bald as a cannonball, it doesn’t mean you will be too (I see you doing a small victory dance). Your fate is still to be determined.

If you do have the gene, it means that your hair follicles are sensitive male hormones, which cause the follicles to shrink over time. This results in finer and sorter hair over time (so, you’re not bald, everyone else is just blind).

This process happens over time, and there isn’t much you can do about it. Every growth cycle will bring forth a smaller, shorter hair shaft.

Your medication could be the root of the problem

Pardon the pun, but it’s true – your medication can be the root of your hair loss. This can be quite disconcerting. Just imagine drinking meds to resolve some other health issue, and then realizing that it might be the cause of your hair loss. What to do?!

So first off, medication isn’t the only culprit. Any chemical you consume or use topically can potentially cause hair loss. A recent study showed that hair treatments resulted in 47% of people experiencing hair loss.

Other drugs such as the birth control pill, mood stabilizers, even antibiotics, and acne treatments can cause hair loss.

It’s always a good idea to check the potential side effects or to discuss the matter with your doctor before starting a medication. Especially if you think you might have a bigger likelihood of going bald one day.

While this isn’t always a surefire way of knowing what the effect of a drug will be on you, it can prevent you from taking a treatment that has hair loss as a known side effect.

If you start taking a new medicine or you’re using a new hair treatment, just listen to your body (be a hair whisperer).

If you notice any changes, or your scalp starts to tingle, stop using it immediately and first speak to your doctor or dermatologist. It ain’t worth the risk.

You might have a hormonal sensitivity

As we’ve seen from the previous sections, your hormones play a huge role in your hair loss. The “mom gene” can make you sensitive to male hormones and birth control pills (a hormone bomb) can cause women to experience hair loss.

This is all because hormones play an important role in regulating your hair growth cycle. If your hormones are balanced, you have healthy, strong growth.

If you have an imbalance, it can lead to numerous health issues. Hormones don’t just regulate hair growth but, when out of whack; they can also lead to weight gain, acne, and emotional stress (vicious cycle, I know).

While the female gene will make you sensitive to male hormones, the female hormone estrogen helps women keep their hair for longer (there’s a conspiracy here, I’m telling you).

It seems that sensitivity is the main issue for men, a 2017 study showed that hormonal concentrations might not be the issue, but rather increased androgen sensitivity.

You have a poor diet

Your diet can have a huge effect on your overall quality of life AND hair loss. It can lead to deficiencies that basically starve your hair. If you’re like most of us and just eat whatever, you might want to reconsider your habits for the sake of your hair.

▪   Iron deficiency

Iron is responsible for the production of hair cell proteins. Needless to say, they’re pretty important when it comes to hair loss.

An iron deficiency, in fact, is one of the most likely causes of hair loss in women and plays an equally important role in men with iron deficiency, it’s just less common.

This makes sense that it affects women more, seeing as most women tend to be on the deficient side – thanks to a monthly loss of iron during their periods (come on, we can say period).

So, there is actually some hardcore scientific debate and research behind this, lemme break it down for you.

According to a study published in the Journal of Korean Medical Science, hair needs excellent blood supply to keep up with its growth.

Therefore, deficiency in micronutrients or pood blood supply can have a pretty bad effect on hair loss, while this phenomenon has been the subject of much debate since the 1960s.

Other studies have found that lower iron concentrations were found in women under 40 with hair loss, in comparison to women without hair loss. This was reversed with oral iron therapy – so, take your supplements!

One thing I do know is that iron concentrations don’t just magically increase once you pop a pill in your mouth.

It can take months for levels to normalize. So keep drinking them; this is a long-term vision you’re working towards.

▪   Vitamin and mineral deficiency

Iron might be one of the top minerals when it comes to keeping your hair strong and healthy,  but that doesn’t mean the rest don’t also play a crucial role.

While iron supplements are needed to get your levels up, a multivitamin is a good idea to make sure you get all the others.

A 2019 study showed that you can actually improve hair growth and fight hair loss with vitamin and mineral supplementation, especially if you have a poor diet.

Most vitamins and minerals help to keep your cells functioning normally, and if you have any deficiency, it could lead to hair loss.

You won’t even know that this is what’s causing it – which is the scary part, and also why you should just drink a multivitamin daily.

The vitamins and minerals that absolutely have to be listed on the bottle are:

• Vitamin D

Low levels of Vitamin D supplementation will improve symptoms of hair loss. In small doses, it exerts an anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effect.

It also plays a vital role in maintaining adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus in your serum.

• Vitamin C

Vitamin C is crucial if you have hair loss associated with iron deficiency and plays an essential role in the intestinal absorption of iron.

Others that could help in small quantities:

• Zinc

Zinc is an essential trace element that your body can’t generate on its own.

• Riboflavin

A deficiency can cause hair loss.

• Folic acid

Folic acid is the synthetic version of folate. A deficiency in folate can cause hair, skin, and nail changes.

• Vitamin B12

Another vitamin that has been associated with hair loss. Vitamin B12 can also help with stress, so overall, a win-win that you should drink.

What should you avoid? The same 2019 study highlighted that too much vitamin A can actually contribute to hair loss. So, don’t overdo it.

While hair loss can be stressful, it isn’t being caused by your headphones. Stressing about it will make it worse, and the best you can do is to figure out exactly what is causing your hair loss and if you can, take some steps to reduce it. There is hope, and you can take back control.