new thread
Hey guys. I thought I would post. I have been suffering from some pretty nasty headaches. I talked with my Doctor. The brain is ok, and so is all of the other things that could be wrong. Eyes have been checked etc.
My Doc however told me that my hair looks really heavy (It is rather thick) and he said it could be causing the headaches.
So...I did what I thought was right and called my mother who used to have butt length hair, which is just as thick as mine, and she said one of the reasons she went shorter was because the weight of the hair was causing her headaches. Muscular tension which resulted in headaches.
Is this a myth? My mom likes my hair long. Reminds her of my dad when he was younger, so she would not lie to get me to cut it.
Has anyone heard this before?
Thanks
Doug
I've heard that before, but my experience is that long hair doesn't cause headaches for me...unless I do something like change my part. So thigh length hair = no headaches, also, the people I know with floor length hair also don't get headaches.
However, YMMV!
Thanks. I find it wierd. It's like at the base of my skull, where the neck muscles connect and then it becomes a headache. I don't know if this is hair related. I notice if it's loose then it's better.
I thought more a myth as well. But I did some internet searches and people mention it often enough.
In my experience the base of the skull is a fairly common location for headaches, regardless of hair length. If it happens more when your hair is tied, perhaps you're tying it a bit snug? Another theory might be a question of posture. If you spend a lot of time with your head in a particular position, (while reading a hyperboard, perhaps [grin]) then maybe you need to adjust that posture.
I'm no medical professional, so take any of the above as you will.
Frodo
Ponytail might be too tight, other than that nothing i can think of that is restricted to long hair that could cause you headaches.
I've heard this from some women on another board who wear their hair in an 'updo', and they seem to think it is something to do with not correctly balancing the weight of their hair, which I suppose could happen with a ponytail as well.
It does also seem to be confined only to those with thick hair, so as someone who's had thin hair all my life I will never be able to comment from personal experience. My hair is past my waist and weighs essentially nothing.
OTOH, anyone can get headaches from a tight ponytail, especially if they are not used to tying their hair back.
If the hair is worn loose, or at least the weight is evenly distributed on your scalp, and it isn't secured too tightly, then you should not get a headache atall.
Thanks for the information. My hair is quite thick and heavy. It also takes an eternity to dry. I was doing a tight ponytail and then putting on a baseball cap on occasion.
I have been wearing it down or in a loose bun now...like real loose and some of the pressure is relaxing.
I also gave myself a head massage and I could literally feel the presure relieved. I don't know if it;s my hair. My posture is good.
Thanks for the info guys. This does help a lot.
Yes its true. Hair can cause you headaces.
In this 80's clipcountry singer Crystal Gayle talks about cutting her floor lenght hair. It's causing her headaches and other problems and shes thinking of cutting it. Well this vid is from the 80's and as far as i now she never cut it short. She still at age 59 sports her floor lenght hair!!!
enjoy!
// JIM
Still long as far as I know.
She has aged wery well =) Beautiful lady with beautiful hair!
Thanks for sharing that nice pic of Crystal, Pat!
What I remember being told about her is that she kept the length of her hair, but had it professionally thinned out a little, so that it wasn't quite so heavy.
- Ken
She said in more than one interview that she cuts off 9 to 12 inches per year, just to keep it from dragging on the ground (it grows that much per year). She could supply "Locks of Love" and still keep long hair.
I used to get really bad headaches when I was younger, and had short hair. I don't get headaches now. Maybe it's the other way around.
I sometimes get a pain in my scalp if I've had my hair tied tightly and then let it loose, but other than that I've never had any headaches. My sister's the same.
Apart from that I haven't heard of anyone else having problems due to weight of hair.
As some of the other posters have said, it could be down to muscle tension and poor posture.
Good luck with it.
Mothers never lie !!!!!
What your doctor said is very true and not a myth.
I have known three other girls with the very same problem and after trimming their hair, problems like headaches ceased as well as neck aches.
Dosen't mean you have to cut it off perhaps just a trim or professional thinning.
It's definately the weight of my hair. I talked with my sister and asked her if she (Same thick wavey hair only longer) get them. She told me all the time. She is always talking about getting it cut.
She gave me some tips.
1) Wash your hair or condition but scalp massage. I did this and I could feel the pain.
2) She knows I dont want to cut it. So she said when it's wet from the shower to take the length and clip it loosely above the neck. I usually use a band, but one loop and then pull some of the length through to make a sort of bun. It's relieves the pressure and the weight of wet hair.
3) She said to wash it the night before
4) Take pain meds if needed. *I thought she was joking and she was being serious*
Im not wanting to have my hair thined proffessionaly, and I don't want to cut it, but it's definately the weight of it.
My mom had very longhair when she was young. She always said it was heavy and made her head hurt but I always wondered if it was just an excuse to cut it. Angel, my wife has butt length hair and never says it makes her head hurt.
I think it may be possible for hair to be so thick it's heavy enough to cause a headache but there may be some other reason. I'd check into it a bit more before I started hacking. You might do that and still have the headaches, that would suck.
Paul
I have quite long hair, about mid-way down my back, and it gives me headaches almost every day - if it is tied up. Even tied up into a low pony tail pulls on my scalp giving me a headache (having one at the moment). It does not give me a headache if it is just down my back. But any sort of hair-do where it is tied up on my head gives me a rattling headache after an hour.
My hair is very thick and not thinned/layered. Just a big clump of hair.
Try tying your hair up into a pony tail mid way up your head (not high or too low that its resting on your neck) and pay attention to whether you develop a headache after a while (can be hours) and judge how your scalp deals with it. I think everyone has different tolerances and my scalp cant take much before hurting.