How To Wear Your Hair with a Hard Hat, #HVACGirlProblems

By Karen Lamy DeSousa
Advance Air & Heat
Confessions of an HVAC Chick blog

Safety equipment is incredibly important and a necessity, but it is not usually very attractive or fun to wear. There are exceptions to this. For example, steel-toed Converse sneakers exist. How awesome is THAT? But when it comes to safety, women face even more challenges than men. One of the most common questions I get asked is, “What do you do with your hair when you wear a hard hat?”

I have to admit two things. First, I spend most of my time in the office, so hard hats are a rarity for me. And second, I honestly have no idea! The last time I wore a hardhat, I had shoulder length hair almost always in a ponytail. I learned fast that the traditional high ponytail and hard hats DO NOT MIX. (Trust me, save yourself from the humiliating experience of trying to cram a wobbling hardhat over the ponytail, as your male counterparts laugh their buttocks off at you.) I’m also told that if you wear a hard hat for any length of time, hair that is completely down can get itchy and just be in your way. Not to mention that if it’s warm, long hair can get pretty sweaty under there. Ick.

So, first I did a Google search. When in doubt, I Google. And I found a really great article which not only has some good suggestions on how to wear your hair under a hard hat, but also some really important tips on what NOT to do. For example, don’t wear any type of metal barrette because it could conduct electricity more or less directly to your brain. Pretty solid reason not to do that. So, no metal barrettes, please.

I also reached out to the wonderful world of Social Media and got some excellent suggestions. I’m collecting them here for your review:

1. Cut Your Hair Short – OK, this may not be the solution for everyone. Bald is not beautiful on all of us, but it is an option, so here it is.
2. Wear a Do Rag of Bandana – Using a cloth covering over your hair, such as a cotton bandana or do-rag provides hair control, a soft absorbent layer and if you select your rag carefully, some sassy style. Just make sure the materials is of a natural, non-slipper sort. 100% cotton is best.
3. Keep Hair and Hard Hat Squeaky Clean – Whether your hair is long or short, keep it super clean and free of product. Oil from your scalp and hair product residue can damage and weaken the suspension system and headband of the hat. Take a minute to wipe out the inside of your hard hat with a clean damp cloth at the end of every day to remove any oils or residue that have gathered there after hours of wear.
4. Wear a Very Low Ponytail or Braid – If your hair is long enough, a low ponytail or braid at the base of the head or upper neck might work for you. Just make sure you get it out of the way of the band for safe and comfortable wearing. A soft elastic band like a scrunchy is the preferred method of many women wearing their hair up.
5. Wear hair in two braids – Separating the hair into smaller sections and pinning up on top of the head or on the sides can lessen the “lumpiness” of the under-hat up-do.
6. Push Bangs Up Into Hat – Rather than having bangs flat on your forehead underneath the band, many women opt to lift the bangs up before placing the hat on.
7. Make Sure Hair is Dry – Making sure your hair is dry before arriving to the jobsite and putting on your hat is good advice for safety and for your hair. You avoid frizz and reduce hair breakage.
8. Strategically Placed Ponytail or Bun – Some of the women who responded to my Social Media request found that they could thread their ponytail or bun through the slot between the straps of the hard hat. This seems like it would require some adjusting to get right so that the hard hat sits completely flush, but if you’ve got that kind of skill/time, go for it ladies!
9. After-Hard-Hat Hair Treatment – One woman recommended keeping a leave-in texturizer handy for once the hat comes off at day’s end. She lets her hair down and texturizes for wavy textured hair. A dry shampoo may also be helpful at the end of a long hard hat day. Though I think nothing beats a nice hot shower to get the hat-head out!

Thanks to all of the wonderful ladies who offered hard hat hair advice. All great tips and tricks. The one thing that almost everyone agreed on though is that however you decide to wear your hair under a hard hat, if your goal is to have a nice fluffy head of hair at the end of the day, you’re in the wrong business. Be safe out there ladies!