Club Obi Wan

Hello All,
-I did a search and didn't see anything on this topic, so I apologize if it has been covered before -
I have started wearing my Akubra Fed to work each day and as soon as I take it off I notice that my hair is in terrible disarray. Is there anything you have found to minimize or cure a bad case of hat-head?
Thanks,
Tim

Yo....http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic ... light=comb. I always carry a comb or brush with me. Just my two cents.

Peace,
Cliffhanger

Thanks Cliffhanger,
I missed that string in my search. I guess the old water and a comb method is the best I can do, and, after reading, I should be happy that I have hair to complain about!

Hemmingway... I just get a buzz cut so the hair is short enough not to be bothered.

Ren,
That's a great idea, but not a good look for me. I need my hair, like Sampson.

I've noticed that you have 2 options here:

Short or Long

Short being a near buzz so that the hair can't be matted down or long and shaggy (2-3 inches) [i.e. The WindBlown Look]

I let my hair grow out an inch longer than normal and I can usually just run my hand thru my hair after taking the hat off and I have that everyday windblown look.

Just my $0.02

Cheers
Indiana Jackson

What about gels or brill cream and things like that? Are there any particular ones compatable with wearing hats. I have heard somethign about beeswax - isn't it supposed to be super strong or something?

Ken

perhaps someone with knowledge of the 'good ol days' can chime in? Most of those guys at the Fedora Lounge have great knowledge on things of those yesteryears.... in the 1930`s films I have seen plenty of charactors have their hair greased and still wear a fedora..what were they using?

Ummm.....sounds like ugly spots on the satin liner.

I have found that if your hat fits a little looser, it tends to not produce hat hair as much.

Pomades don't seem to avoid hat hair. In fact, with something in your hair, if it bunches up, it may stay that way.

Currently, I put gel in my hair and with a hat with a slightly looser fit, it has become less of an issue since I wrote this thread.

Ummm...somehow, I sense a recurring theme in my selection of hobbies.

Driving race cars: Helmet hair
Hockey: Helmet hair
Football: Helmet hair
Baseball: Helmet hair
Occupation, police work: Riot helmet hair
Indiana Jones: Hat hair

Spending my lifetime in pursuit of these activities: PRICELESS!

Get a haircut, hippie!

Snakewhip_Sable wrote:Get a haircut, hippie!

Hey Hemingway, I know how ya feel. I tend to keep my hair short and combed back. I still get a little hat head but nothing that when I run my hands through my hair doesn't take care of.
It's been a while since we last met and I don't remeber your hair style, but way back when, when I owned lesser brands of Fedoras I styled my hair after good o'l Indy and combed it to the side. I no longer had a problem.

Just my input, Croft

Ah yes! I have pretty good experience here, I think.

I used to have very short hair, probably a little less than an inch long. I would still get Fed-Head because the center dent touched my head and pushed it down in the middle - giving me a center-dent part! I decided to grow my hair out as long as Harrison's and work with it that way - what I do now is comb it like I used to when I was really really young, parted and with a wave, and I use mousse in my hair instead of gel or wax. I find that as long as you can get your hair to have just a little bit of volume, as opposed to a lot of it, you can avoid getting Fed-Head, at least on top. You might get a little bit where the sweatband was, where your hair shows it was pushed against your head there, but it won't be too bad.

Best of luck!

In Christ,
Shane

We balding people have no idea what you guys are talking about.

Just had a haircut yesterday, my current hair is about ½ inches long. My Fed Hair is nothing compared to my cycling helmet hair, it gives my hair nice camel humps. I don't see what's the point in gel and wax, it looks terrible, feels terrible and doesn't work with hats.

Grow your hair to the middle of your back, slick it back into a tight ponytail. Works for me Or, grow a REALLY tall flat top, with a center dent.

I'm surprised at all of you. I would think you would value your hat-hair, and endeavor to achieve the perfect "Tank Chase" hat hair as part of your Indy Gear obsess.... uh... hobby.

Bah, LC is overrated. And Indy's hat isn't supposed to come off, that's one thing that ruined LC and ET.

I recall my grandpas and dad wearing hats but I do not recal them having the hathead. I think much of that had to do with the fact of the sort of hair styles that they wore. Most guys had a good bit left on the top of their heads, but the sides and back were rather short and got longer as it approached the top of the head. I guess what I am trying to say is their sides and back were a taper cut. But, you also must remember that back in those days, most men got haircuts twice a month, just to keep that well groomed look. Haircuts were 50 cents in those days, and flat tops(like I wore) were 75 cents. So, I think some of the problem could be solved with a 1940's era haircut, with frequent visits to the barber. That is how they pulled it off. Regards, Fedora

Oh, I forgot something, They used a hair dressing and combed the hair back, on the top. Dad used Vitalis and at least one grandpa used Wildroot Creme Oil. Don't recall ever seeing any of the Dapper Dan dressing though.

I am with Fedora on this. I wear a taper and get my ears lowered twice a month. . . never do have "hat hair/head."

Now, if I could find a fifty cent haircut ($7 the cheapest around here) I would probably up it to three times a month!

Best Regards,

Hoosier

Fedora wrote:I think much of that had to do with the fact of the sort of hair styles that they wore. Most guys had a good bit left on the top of their heads, but the sides and back were rather short and got longer as it approached the top of the head. I guess what I am trying to say is their sides and back were a taper cut.

Exactly. I have my hair cut in a 40's-50's style, really short on the sides and back and more of the stuff on the top. While not the most fanatic fedora-wearer, I never suffered from hat hair when keeping my hair trimmed as described.
Then again, when my hair goes rockabilly on me, all headwear stays on the shelf - pomps and hats don't mix.

I've experimented with a lot of hairstyles... in highschool I went with a brylcreemed 50's rockabilly look that really does not lend itself to hat wearing simply because I didnt wanna get brylcreem in my fedora

Note: If you use brylcreem, and you put something on your head. It will be greesy feeling when it comes off... if its thin enough you may be able to see through it...

when I was a Freshman/sophomore and wore a wider variety of fedoras I found the best hairstyle was a somewhat short conservative parted kind of look. I ended up with a nice part that was actually enhanced by fedora whearing (think 1930-50's, but use a little bit of modern pomade rather than a slick brylcreemy hair sculpting chemical)

that's my suggestion

I'm with Fedora and the 30's/40's haircut guys on this. I usually go to a 'barbershop' and they know what a medium short taper is when you tell them. They will shave around your ears in between regular cuts too.regards,hanson.

They will shave around your ears in between regular cuts too.regards,hanson.

Not too many barbers do that anymore. Mine still does. In fact, he is the only one left that does that around here as part of the hair cut. Uses a straight razor too. Now that is directly from the old days, and the old ways. Fedora

Yep, they are few and far between nowadays. You can usually find them around military bases. Most of the ones at Ft. Campbell still do them the old way with modern vacuums attached. I found one in Lebanon, TN 3 days ago that does it all for $12.00 and they are 2 young guys. Hope they don't go out of business. regards hanson.

Another option, as someone else said above, is a slightly longer style. It was common in the old days, as well. You'd keep the sides prertty tight, but leave the top surprising long and about half way down the back of the head. (surprisingly by what most percieve as the standard of the day). The idea was, longer hair held together better, and looked "cleaner" and more sleek when slicked back. The best example is Rick's hair in 'The Mummy'. Yes, I know the whole movie is not entirely period accurate, but that hair style is. He just never bothered to style it the way that cut is meant to be styled.

With advancing years i tend to have reverted to longer hair(whilst i can), and this seems if anything to be kept neater by the fact that i have been wearing my hat, i am an everyday hat wearer.cheers chauvel.

I don't know about not having hair yet. I've heard that those folically challenged start off in the minority but end up in the majority. Until then I have to put up with the curse of the curls. This stuff has a mind of it's own and it really likes to retain that hat shape!

You guys do realize that there's a perfectly simple solution to this whole problem: just don't ever take the hat off. Problem solved. :junior: -IJ

I've noticed that a slightly large hat won't cause Hat-hair. An extremely tight hat will wreck your hair.

Hemingway Jones wrote:I've noticed that a slightly large hat won't cause Hat-hair. An extremely tight hat will wreck your hair.

I've tried that and it worked great until a gust of wind came along and blew my hat off. But a windy day is rare in Los Angeles. I try not to wear the larger hat during the Santa Ana winds.

Well, this is me without the hat. As you can see, i don't get "hat hair".

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prairiejones wrote:Well, this is me without the hat. As you can see, i don't get "hat hair".

It looks to me like you don't get hair at all.



Just kidding, old buddy!

That's not you!! That's Kevin Spacey on the set of "Superman Returns"!

J/k - you look cool without your hat, too!

The real secret to hat hair is - to get LOTS of volume in your hair - make it like a giant afro. Then, when you take off your hat, it is conformed to the shape of the hat so well, that nobody even realizes you've taken it off, thus defeating the bad hair comments!

In Christ,
Shane

I could write volumes on how comfortable the AB sweatband is.

prairiejones wrote:Well, this is me without the hat. As you can see, i don't get "hat hair".

[/img]

No wonder you're wearing sunglasses... the glare, man, the glare! I'm working on the "crop circles" myself.

I keep my hair cut fairly short to accomodate my hats. Even when it does grow out a bit and I do get hat hair, I usually just let it go. Of course, I work at a university among young people. They already think I'm dressed up because my shirt has a collar.

I started wearing fedoras with a crew cut- very very short. I found that if I got hat hair it'd be impossible to get rid of. When I moved I grew gradually grew my hair out. It took about 3 or 4 months to finally reach the right thickness. Now my hair is that sort of rakkish vintage hair cut- shorter on the sides and I let it grow out on the top. My bangs reach the bottom of my nose if I pull it all the way down, but I use Royal Crown hair dressing in it daily and part on the right (naturally there). It keeps my hair out of my eyes, prevents hat hair usually, and hasn't left any stains. The worst I've experienced with hats+hair dressing is that the sweatband can get a little waxy. A wet paper towel and water usually remedies this though.

I prefer crew cuts with no wax or dressing. Haven't had a haircut since I last posted on 2006-07-12.

The worst was the camel humps I'd get from the center dent. I started wearing vintage hats and the c-crown/teardrops are much better for shorter hair I find. It gives an even consistency in hat hair instead just down the middle of the head.