Wearing headphones is a necessity whether you are watching your favorite TV show or joining in on a meeting at work. However, if you wear headphones for a long time, you might have seen that it can cause a dent, especially over hair. This may seem normal, but is this a cause for concern? Can wearing tight headphones cause a dent in your head and lead to injury?
While it is possible for headphones to cause a temporary dent in your hair, or even on the skin on your head, it is unlikely to damage your head permanently. That being said, using tight headphones can be dangerous in other ways, so it is best to use a headphone set that fits you right. You can make this happen by using padding or tightening or loosening up the strap.
As alarming as a dent in your hair or on your skin can be, it is unlikely to be the sign of any serious issues. However, if you have noticed any long-term dents on your head, there may be some other medical issue at play. It is best to see a doctor in this case. Keep reading the article to learn more about how headphones can affect your head, and how to minimize any risks.
Can Wearing A Headphone Indent My Head?
If you have been wearing headphones for a while, especially over your hair, you may have noticed that that can cause the shape of your head to change. In most cases, this is just because the headphones are pushing down on your hair and flattening them, which makes it look like your head has a dent in it.
However, it is unlikely for headphones to cause this issue.
If you have noticed that there is a dent in your head after you take off your headphones, either in the hair or the skin, you can rest assured knowing that this is simply a temporary effect. It is similar to the way that wearing a headband can cause your hair to flatten, or your skin to show a slight indent because of the pressure, or if the headband itself is too tight.
You will usually see this dent in your head after you have been wearing headphones for a long time, or if you are wearing headphones that are a bit too tight. Luckily, this is no different than the indentations that glasses leave on your nose – they will go away in some time when you take the headphones off. If the issue does not persist, you have no reason to be alarmed.
Related: How Long Should You Keep Headphones on Per Day?
What Happens If You Feel A Dent
With all of this being said, what happens if you do feel a dent on your head, and you’re worried? If that is the case, it is very important to keep an eye on how long this dent appears.
What is important to understand is that the dent caused by headphones should disappear in some time, which can last a maximum of a few hours, although some go away in just a few minutes.
However, if you have noticed a dent and it is not going away after an entire day, there may be cause for concern. In that case, the best thing to do is to contact a medical professional. A persistent dent in your head can indicate an emergent issue, so you need to go to the doctor immediately to rule out any serious issues. There may be intervention needed.
In some cases, what you are ascribing to the headphone may actually be a sign of some other underlying condition, such as congenital skull indentation, Gorham’s disease, Paget’s disease, or even a result of some kind of injury to your body. In either of these cases, you will need to have medical attention right away, so don’t put it off, and call your doctor for advice.
Can Wearing Headphones Affect Ear Shape?
Along with damage to the head or skull, one of the things people may be concerned about is the possible damage to their ear. Some people believe that using headphones consistently can alter the shape of your ear, or deform and damage them permanently. The good news is, just like the first scenario, this is not possible, and using headphones will not permanently affect ear shape.
Based on the opinions of experts, this is not possible and there is no evidence to suggest that you need to be worried about the outside of your ears and their shape while using headphones. After all, the reason behind this is that the shape of your ears develops rather early into infancy. While headphones do apply pressure to the ears, they cannot shape the shape of the ears.
As you get older, and to the age where you will be using headphones, your ears have already been fully developed. While the use of pressuring items can cause swelling, redness, and even pain at some points, they will not have a permanent effect on the shape of your outer ear. That being said, sometimes people do feel like there is indeed an effect on their ear.
This is because when you use headphones constantly, the ears are pushed a little bit towards the face. This is usually a result of wearing tight headphones that are applying a lot of pressure. However, just like your head, the ears should move back to their original position after some time. This is completely normal, so you have no need to worry.
Related: Will My Headphones Work After Being Washed?
How To Remedy Headphones That Are Too Tight
With all of what we have discussed in the sections above, you know that there is little risk for permanent damage when it comes to wearing headphones. That being said, one of the biggest reasons why these issues and concerns even come up is because people use headphones that are too tight all the time, which can add pressure, and cause pain or discomfort.
Here are some tips you can follow to get your headphones back to a normally fitting range and to reduce the pressure on your head.
Here’s what you can do:
Wearing Headphones At The Back
One of the best ways to minimize the risk to your head is to wear headphones in a different way. This involves changing the position of the headphones so that there is less pressure on your head. As a result, you will notice that you will have less chances of seeing headphone hair or even the concerning situation of a demy on your scalp.
Here’s how to do this. You can wear your headphones in a comfortable way by starting out by placing the ear pads on your ears. Now, push the headband a little further back on your head. As a result of this, what you will immediately notice is that the headphones will feel more snug and secure. Plys, this feels a lot more comfortable and is less likely to cause indents.
Wear Headphones With A Beanie
If you really struggle with the amount of force or pressure on your head, one way to soften the grip on your head is to wear something underneath the headphones. One of the best things to try out is a soft beanie or cap to serve as an extra layer of soft padding to protect your head and hair. This will help to distribute the pressure evenly instead of just at the spot where the band is.
This may involve loosening up the headphones a bit, as we will talk about in the next paragraph. However, it will help you feel comfortable and secure, and it will lessen the chances that there is a lot of force concentrated on one spot on your head. This is also a great tip to use if you are feeling cold, and need a beanie on your head to stay warm in the winter months.
Lessen Pressure On Your Head
The best way to deal with headphones that are too tight or too loose is to adjust them so they fit better around your head. You need some degree of clamping in order to make sure that the fit of the headphones is secure on your head, but if it is too tight or even in some cases, too loose, that can make you feel uncomfortable. You need a balance of pressure in this case.
In order to fix this, you can either tighten up loose headphones, or loosen tight headphones so you get the right fit. You can do this on your head, or on some other object that’s a little bit wider or narrower than your head depending on the scenario. Most headphones also have adjustable straps that you can use to tighten or loosen the headband as needed.
Add Padding To Headphones
Finally, padding can make a huge difference to the experience of wearing headphones, and make them a lot more comfortable. As we explained when talking about beanies, having high quality padding can help you lessen the pressure on your head, and direct and distribute it in a way that is easier to manage without harming your hair or scalp.
Some people choose to use DIY solutions, while others will simply purchase headphone padding online. Just look for padding that is compatible with your brand of headphones, and try using it to see how it changes your experience of using the device.
Conclusion
Headphones will generally not cause dents on your head, but if you are worried, it is always best to go to a doctor to rule out issues. We hope this article clarified how headphones affect your head.