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You or someone you know may be suffering from a socially debilitating condition called “helmet hair.”
Symptoms of helmet hair
Not sure if you or another rider have helmet hair? Here are some of the most common symptoms.
- Rider never removes helmet for any reason. Only communicates using muffled yells or Bluetooth.
- Rider curiously absent in all helmetless group photos, or is always the one taking the photo.
- Rider somehow always first to reach the bathroom at rest stops, emerges with damp hair and shifty eyes.
- Rider with longer hair has permanent tan lines from spare hair ties kept on wrists.
- Rider always asking “How bad is it?” at stops, but never really gets an answer. (It’s bad.)
If you see some or all of these symptoms, read this guide, and consider making an appointment with a trusted barber or hairdresser to discuss your options. Thousands of motorcyclists lead healthy, productive lives despite their helmet hair diagnoses, and the right treatment option can get your relationship with motorcycling — and other motorcyclists — back on track.
The problem isn't necessarily the helmet
Whether you choose to ride with or without a helmet, some hairstyles will always look terrible after a motorcycle ride. Driving around in a car with the windows down would have the same effect, right? Sweat, oil, and wind (where applicable) affect your hair’s appearance just as much as the helmet itself. Hair type matters, too.
Helmet hair management option number one: Get a haircut, or even a buzz cut
Less hair means less helmet hair. Try a shorter haircut to manage helmet hair. Some riders just cut their hair as short as possible and call it a day. Added benefits of shorter or buzzed haircuts include good helmet ventilation, less time spent on hair care when road tripping, and more room inside the helmet for cold weather gear like balaclavas or skullcaps when riding. (Seriously, you may find that your helmet no longer fits correctly after a drastic haircut. Consider changing the liner until the fit is right. You might consider buying a new helmet in extreme cases, like cutting off dreadlocks.)
Unfortunately, riders with little to no hair will face some side effects. Sweat and oils that are usually absorbed by hair have a shorter path into the helmet’s liner, so make sure to choose a helmet with a quality interior that easily pops in and out for washing.
Helmet hair management option number two: Reinforce the existing hairstyle
Waxes, gels, sprays, and other products can make some hairstyles resistant to helmet hair. Use too much, though, and you'll just make a mess of your helmet's interior. Make sure the product is dry before putting your helmet on, and test light amounts before committing to a headful of new hair goo in your helmet.
Straightened or slicked-back haircuts with minimal volume tend to hold up well while riding. A thin neck tube or scarf can be used to hold the hair in place while putting on a helmet. Just like the old tablecloth pull trick, a quick tug from the back of the helmet removes the fabric while keeping the hair aligned inside. This maneuver takes a little practice, but there should be minimal mess once you arrive at your destination.
Helmet hair management option number three: Get long hair out of the wind
Hair that extends beyond the back edge of a helmet can be mercilessly twisted and tangled while blowing around in the breeze. Structured hairstyles like braids, low buns, and dreads can resist the wind’s tangling effect. Another option is a ponytail tucked into a neck tube or scarf. Helmet accessories like Hightail, which looks like a larger chin curtain mounted to the back of the helmet, can also keep hair tucked out of the way. Avoid stuffing your long hair into the helmet itself. This can cause headaches, and helmets are not made to accommodate a bun or similar pile of hair inside with your head.
Helmet hair management option number four: Bring a hat
For some folks, the simplest and most effective solution is just throwing on a hat after riding. Standard baseball caps are the most common, but they don’t fit into jackets all that well. Tuck one under your seat, in a backpack, or secure it to a belt loop. Hats with folding bills are cheap and easier to squash into a jacket pocket. Knit hats and bandanas are additional options that pack down well.
The balaclava might be the oldest trick in the book, but lots of newer riders don’t think to ride with one. Simply placing a boundary layer between your hair and your helmet cuts down on frizz-generating friction and movement. Plus, high-quality balaclavas made from silk or synthetic materials can add comfort to your ride with additional warmth or moisture wicking properties. Steer clear of cheap balaclavas made with irritating materials and uncomfortable seams.
Helmet hair non-treatment: Just own it
You’re wearing motorcycle gear from head to toe. You’re carrying a motorcycle helmet and your bike is parked nearby. Everyone will understand why your hair looks like it just lost a fight with a lawnmower.
Helmet hair tips from the pros
Of course you could always ask the pros for advice on managing helmet hair. And by "pros," in this case, we mean professional roadracers, not haircare professionals. Not only does the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha team have by far the most points of any team in the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike paddock, but the two riders, Jake Gagne and Cameron Petersen, also have more hair than any other team. And they take totally different approaches to helmet hair.
You might never even notice that Gagne has really long hair because he keeps it tightly pulled into a knot at the back of his neck. Meanwhile, you can't miss Petersen's shoulder-length hair flowing in the wind.
"I tie mine up with hair ties because if not it gets so mangled and tangled I spend the whole night ripping hair out," Gagne said. That's a battle Petersen has surrendered from the start.
"I will say, I don't think my approach is the best," Petersen admitted, when the helmet hair topic was raised. "I've got such thick hair I really struggle to tie it up. I do like the way it looks out the back of the helmet. That's the reason why I grew my hair out. But I will say that at the end of the weekend trying to get a brush through it is probably mission impossible."
Or, you could get tips from another kind of pro, the ones who ride motorcycles and then have to stand in front of a camera. RevZilla media lead Spurgeon Dunbar finds that changing helmet types helps his hair stay in place. "I've always preferred full face helmets to modular helmets, but I think modulars make a big difference when it comes to helmet hair. The trick is rolling your head back into the helmet with the chinbar open instead of pulling the helmet straight on like a regular full face. Use the same rolling motion when taking the helmet off. It might take a few tries before you get that hang of it, but my hair always looks a lot more presentable this way."
"Helmet hair, the bane of my existence," says fellow RevZilla media lead Jen Dunstan. "I think every female rider has a special kind of struggle with this, depending on hair type, cut and style. I foolishly once believed all I needed to do was cut it short and the problem would be solved, right? Instead I ended up with a short bob that was, shall we call it, 'shaped' by sweat and helmet padding into the most unflattering 'do." She tried various techniques before discovering the two favorite solutions she now uses to keep her hair in check.
"First, always bring a hat for après-ride hangouts. There is no amount of brushing or hair product that can solve for my sweaty gross 'skullet' hairdo after a long ride, so the only solution is to cover that hot mess with a hat. Secondly, for high speed riding at the track, I always put my hair into tight pigtails."
"I used to scoff at this, the most girliest of all girly hairdos, but one of my personal heroes, Joanna Bitter, let me in on the secret. The two tight braids hold together better than a single loose braid, and the two pigtails allow for maximum movement and minimal catches when craning your neck to see around the next corner. The ritual of putting my hair into pigtails at the track also puts me into the 'racer' mindset... It is also a moment for me to reflect on my friend Jo, who left us too soon and had a major impact on my time at the racetrack."
Give some of these techniques a try, and see if your helmet hair situation doesn't improve. A little planning can make all the difference.
