Photo: Evgenia GUSEVA
We all remember our mothers’ requests to wear a hat when the cold weather arrives. And if in childhood and adolescence we more often ignore these requests, with age we ourselves observe with some bewilderment young people without hats in winter.
In fact, with hats not everything is so clear.
“It is scientifically proven that the lowest temperature at which you can walk without a hat is -5 C, but only in dry and windless weather,” Veronica Lisitskaya, a therapist at the BestDoctor group of companies, tells KP.RU. – If it snows, rains or blows wind, it is advisable to wear a hat even with temperatures above zero. Try to focus on your feelings and put on a hat as soon as you feel uncomfortable.
Therapist Lisitskaya also answered the most frequently asked questions about hats:
1. If you walk without a hat, you will get meningitis.
– The statement that if you walk without a hat you will get meningitis is a myth. Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, most commonly caused by bacteria and viruses. Cold alone does not spread these harmful microorganisms. However, hypothermia causes a general decrease in immunity and increases the risk of developing acute inflammatory processes. If a person already has chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis or any other such chronic disease, walking in the cold without a hat can lead to meningitis, but it will be associated with secondary inflammation that already exists in the nasal cavity, hypothermia simply becomes a provocateur
2. The cold will make your hair fall out.
There is no clear answer to the fact that walking without a hat can “thin” your hair.
“The opinion of trichologists on how the cold affects hair is divided,” says Veronika Lisitskaya. – Some believe that the vessels of the scalp are not capable of collapsing (i.e. changing their lumen, stretching or narrowing – editor’s note), so there can be persistent disturbances in blood flow in the scalp. Others claim that under the influence of low temperatures, the vessels of the scalp narrow and their walls contract to a minimum diameter almost instantly. And to return to their original state they need time. That is, the follicles do not receive enough nutrition not only during their stay in the cold, but also after returning to a warm room.
So the cold may not damage your hair, but it certainly does not promote its growth.
There is no clear answer to the fact that walking without a hat can “thin” your hair.
Photo: Shutterstock
3. I went without a hat and found myself with otitis media.
“The ears are vulnerable to frost due to their anatomical location, a rather weak blood supply, thin skin and an almost complete absence of subcutaneous fat,” explains the therapist. – The ENT organs are close to each other, so it is possible that ear inflammation is transmitted further. As a result, not only acute otitis media can occur, but also sore throat, inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis, frontal sinusitis).
4. Cold can cause facial paralysis.
“In fact, excessive cooling of the head can cause neuralgia of the facial and trigeminal nerves. Facial paralysis also occurs more frequently as a result of local hypothermia. Bacteria and viruses enter the tissue near the nerve and cause swelling. It can compress the nerve and cause paralysis,” confirms Veronika Lisitskaya.
To avoid problems, doctors recommend giving preference to hats made of natural materials and with a ventilation effect. You should sit comfortably, comfortably, without squeezing your temples, neck and ears. When transporting or indoors, the headdress should be removed so as not to cause increased sweating of the scalp.
