Sweaty helmet hair

Here is a question from Shirley in Missouri. She needs help with sweaty helmet hair…

How does everyone deal with sweaty, helmet hair? Yesterday I went for a ride, just touring the countryside, but when I stopped at a convenience store to get a water, I was so embarrased to take my helmet off as my hair was wet with sweat and needless to say there wasn’t much I could do about it. I have both a full face helmet and a half helmet – which I was wearing yesterday. Does anyone know of a “magic liner” or how do others handle this situation.
Thanks for the input!

Shirley in Missouri

Well Shirley, you have a problem that a lot of women do: What do you do to keep your head cool in the summer? As you know, hair in the winter is a wonderful thing. It helps protect your neck and ears from the cold and keeps your head warm. However, in the summer, hair can be hot and cause you to sweat. Here a few tips to help you keep your cool.

Taking care of the symptoms

Sweating is how your body keeps itself cool and a good bit of body heat goes out the top of your head. Many riders wear bandannas and “doo rags” to help control the sweat but they don’t help a lot once they get wet. A better solution is to use a Cool Max headliner for your helmet or a Buff.

A Cool Max headliner (like the HJC Cool Max Headliner) is designed to be worn underneath your helmet. The DuPont Cool Max material channels moisture away from the skin through the fibers of the material itself, offering eight times the absorption rate of standard helmet liners.

For something a little more fashionable and functional, try a Buff. They are made of a polyester microfiber which makes the fabric highly breathable and extremely soft feeling. They are very thin so they don’t add a lot of bulk to your helmet and they come in many different colors and designs.

Both of these help wick away sweat and allow it to evaporate easier giving you a more comfortable ride without many of the summer helmet hair issues.

Solving the problem

The cause of sweaty heads is poor airflow through your helmet. Proper airflow in a helmet allows the heat to escape and any moisture to evaporate quickly. Many three-quarter and half helmets have very little if any ventilation because they are open around the face but that doesn’t help get rid of the heat that develops around the top of the head. Spending a little extra on a helmet with good ventilation helps keep you a lot more comfortable.

Many helmets also come with washable, Cool Max (or similar) liners. These liners help wick away sweat but remember, without good ventilation, the sweat has no place to go.

You don’t have to pay a fortune for a helmet with good ventilation and a Cool Max liner. The GMax GM68 full face helmet has 19 vents for excellent ventilation and a removable, Cool Max liner to help keep you dry and comfortable while costing less than $150.

Conclusion

The secret to keeping a cool head is good ventilation and something to wick away the sweat.

She Rides and He Rides Too
5925 Atlanta Hwy, Suite 300
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 967-2453

www.she-rides.com

She Rides® is a registered trademark and protected under the laws therein.

© 2000-2009 She Rides®