Does bike riding cause hair loss? Answer + Infographic

I see variations of the question “Does bike riding cause hair loss?” a lot. While the short answer is a very clear “no”, cycling can contribute to losing hair prematurely in some instances.

Let’s look at them in detail.

Does bike riding cause hair loss?

Bike riding does not cause hair loss. But sweat can cause scalp infections and the growth of fungi and microbes. Those can weaken the follicles and roots and cause hair to fall out. Lack of B vitamins can also contribute to hair loss as well as a tight helmet.

Infographic: A summary of the three main reasons why a cyclists may face hair loss.

How sweat can cause hair loss

The sun and vigorous exercising make your head sweat.

Sweat can cause hair loss in different ways:

When the sweat dries, it can trap dead skin cells and dirt. Your head can then become a perfect breeding ground for microbes. The microbes can cause itchy injections on your scalp and hair follicles. When you then scratch your head, your hair falls out.
The more you sweat, the more oil the sebaceous glands secret which promotes the growth of a fungus called Malassezia furfur. This fungus creates dandruff, which weakens the hair root and causes hair to fall out.
Sweat also contains a lot of salt, which promotes further fungal growth.
Sweat build-up can also clog the hair follicle, stunting hair growth.

This graphic shows sweat pooling on the scalp. Old sweat can cause infections on the skin and weaken the hair follicle, making the hair fall out.

So be sure to wash your hair after every ride.

Use shampoo and conditioner and dry your hair thoroughly. That removes sweat, dead skin cells, dirt, and any microbes from your hair.

Moisturized and clean hair on a healthy scalp do not fall out from bike riding.

Nutrition

There are many different supplements on the market that are supposed to stop or reverse hair loss.

But unfortunately, most don’t work.

According to the National Library of Medicine, only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.

All of these micronutrients are in the family of B-vitamins.

Riboflavin is also known as vitamin B2, Biotin is B7, folate (folic acid) is vitamin B9, and cobalamin is known as vitamin B12.

As long as you don’t have a deficiency in these vitamins, bike riding does not cause hair loss.

Helmet

A helmet does not cause hair loss in itself.

First and foremost, many cheaper helmets are poorly ventilated and make your head sweat. It accelerates all the problems associated with sweat (above).

It also collects old sweat and dirt in its liners. So even if you do not sweat during a workout, your head still gets in contact with old sweat grime (and possibly fungi and microbes).

Traction alopecia – mechanically pulling hair out

A photo of a bicycle helmet with 2 circles highlighting pads where Traction Alopecia can cause hair loss. — The circles show where *traction alopecia* can occur. The pads rub against the hair and can pull it out over time. This condition is rare in cyclists.

A tight helmet can also cause traction alopecia. That condition occurs when the helmet rubs onto the hair and mechanically pulls out hair as Dr. Koparkar of Papillon Hair World explains in this Youtube video.

It happens mostly with people who wear their helmet too tight and wear it for at least 60 minutes every day like bike messengers or athletes.

However, this is a rare condition among cyclists and shows mostly on the temples where the helmet has consistent contact with the head.

Clean the helmet and set it up correctly

A photo of a bicycle helmet with the liners removed for washing. That can greatly reduce hair loss from wearing a bike helmet. — The best way to prevent hair loss from wearing a helmet is to wash the helmet liners regularly. This prevents dried sweat and grime to cause infections of the scalp that in turn causes hair to fall out. It also takes care of any microbes or fungi that could grow in the liners.

To avoid any hair loss from a bike helmet, keep it clean and well-fitting.

Remove the soft liners every few weeks and wash them thoroughly.

Rinse the entire helmet and let everything dry completely before using it again.

Then, size the helmet correctly: Wearing your helmet, make sure that 2 fingers still fit in between your forehead and your helmet.

That makes it snug but not too tight.

These simple steps should keep your hair and scalp healthy.

Helmet hair

Most bike commuters notice another phenomenon: Helmet hair.

Helmet hair occurs when the hair takes on the shape of the helmet (very common after styling the hair before the morning commute).

I wrote this article about how to avoid helmet hair if you are interested in learning more.

Be sure to check it out next.