Helmet hair and helmet head – these are two fairly substantial reasons that people talk about when they say why they chose not to wear a helmet when they ride their bikes and scooters or do other other active outdoor sports.
The idea of taking off your helmet and having a lopsided, strangely shaped, or slightly sweaty hairdo underneath is not exactly appealing. And the idea can seem especially unattractive if you are bike commuting and need to look professional upon arrival to work.
Here at Nutcase HQ, though, we’re not entirely convinced that helmet hair and helmet head are insurmountable problems.
In order to thoroughly consider the issues, we’re going to talk to people about helmet hair and helmet head as well as ask for help from hair professionals who have pondered what works.
For this inaugural post, we’ll just lay out one possible solution to helmet hair, and we’ll call it the inner wrap.
The inner wrap employs a soft wrap – in silk, preferably, or a fleecy cotton – that keeps hair in place underneath the helmet. Sometimes it can be helpful to have a slightly-larger helmet size, as the model Karinate shown here has, in order to have space for the wrap.
(Alternatively you might get a helmet in a head-hugging size, but use thinner Nutcase liner pads when wearing the wrap or a cap, and switch to thicker liners for other days/styles.)
The bulk of Karinate’s hair as shown here is in an off-center bun or twist at the nape of the neck. When she takes off the helmet, she keeps the hair in this smooth style.
For this second photo from a post at Refinery 29 featuring Emily Mullé, the hair is pulled back to the nape of the neck and then rolled into very soft rolls and pinned. The soft wrap is optional, (especially on warm weather days) and on this one, the hair is let loose when the helmet is taken off.
While the inner wrap solution is great if you have enough hair to pull back to a low bun, it won’t work as well for shorter hair or for wavy or medium-curly hair. And it probably won’t work for most of the males!
Don’t worry, we will address all the hair styles we can think of.
Come back soon for more tips on how to beat back helmet hair and head and ride stylishly and safely in a Nutcase helmet. And please, send us your own solutions, and don’t forget the photos.