As far back as history can go, humans have always engaged in one form of water sport or the other. And today one of the most popular such sports is swimming and just about everyone loves it. Medically, the advantage swimming provides is immersion, and has regularly been used as a means of relaxing the muscles. Also, when it comes to building coordination as well as team spirit, professional coaches turn to it for help.
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When swimming, a necessary but not compulsory gear is the swim cap. Many pools, water parks, and recreation centers with water sports facilities mandate their use. In other cases, swimmers with long hair use it to keep their hair in place and out of the way. This makes it essential for every swimmer to have one or two swim caps in their gear bag.
In this piece, I will be giving a quick load down on the types of swim caps available as well as the best swim cap for bald head.
My favorite pick:
- Latex and Rubber Swim Caps: Speedo Solid Latex
- Silicone Swim Caps: Friendly Swede
- Lycra Swim Caps: TYR Lycra
- Neoprene Swim Caps: Zone 3 Neoprene
Best Swim Cap for Bald Head
It’s easy to become flooded with options with different designs, styles, and makers available to choose from. Picking the best swim cap for you might mean you spend less on recurring purchases. Also, since swim caps don’t last long, the material you choose will be paramount.
To this end, I will discuss the types of swim caps available in today’s market based on the materials they are made from. Also, I will share some of the best swim caps to get with each material type.
Below are the best swim caps according to their materials;
1. Latex and Rubber Swim Caps
This type of swim cap is made from plastic/rubber or latex and is one of the oldest types of swim caps, and has been around since the 1920s. They offer a higher level of durability making them one of the most preferred choices among elite swimmers. This is even more so since it provides a tight grip which further helps improve streamlining of the body in water; thereby increasing speed.
Latex or rubber swim caps are excellent for protecting the scalp from the effect of exposure to chlorine. As since most are made with a uniform color, this makes it easy to imprint a logo as well as other writings on it. This has again led to its popularity among triathlon athletes. A visible downside to this type of cap however is they are more challenging to wear and remove. Also, there is the chance of you being hypersensitive or allergic to latex. Below are my picks for this category:
a). Speedo Solid Latex
This swim cap comes with a unique design that lets it double as an excellent tool for both recreational and competitive swimming. It comes in a variety of colors; 7 to be precise ensuring you have a wide range to pick from. This swim cap is lightweight while providing sufficient protection from harmful UV radiation.
[affiai asin=”B00070QEAS” count=”1″ template=”grid”]The Speedo Solid Latex swim cap uses scalloped anti-roll edges to help reduce the occurrence of tearing. Thankfully both genders can use this product as it fits tightly and is affordable. A noticeable downside although is its inability to fully prevent water from entering your ears.
2. Silicone Swim Caps
While latex swim caps have held sway for years now, the introduction of silicon-based swim caps has seen a shift in the focus of swimmers. Right now, silicon swim caps are arguably the most well-known! This is because they were made as a solution for individuals who appear to be sensitive to latex. Although there aren’t cheap like latex and can cost a premium.
Also, unlike latex that comes with uniform colors, Silicon swim caps allow you the option of picking from a wide range of different colors or combinations of colors. They provide much more strong protection for the scalp as they are better impervious to water. This doesn’t mean they are completely waterproof!
Also, they are much easier to wear and pull off, much better when compared to latex. As awesome as silicon swim caps are, they have the single flaw of slipping off easily; which is where latex the cap beats it! Let’s take a look at one of the best silicone swim caps available in the market today:
b). Friendly Swede
This product is made from premium quality silicone material ensuring you have no chance of suffering from an allergic reaction that comes with latex caps. It is durable, soft, and boasts excellent elasticity for any head size and shape. This cap remains gender neutral which is one fact I love about it.
[affiai asin=”B01N6QAJ62″ count=”1″ template=”grid”]The Friendly Swede swim cap also possesses an awesome feature known as the ear pocket. This feature helps prevent water from flowing into your ear easily. Asides from swimming, this cap has found use in other sporting activities such as running as well as in the gym. As usual, a noticeable downside is the price tag as well as its weight.
3. Lycra Swim Caps
When it comes to comfort, the Lycra swim cap provides more comfort to wear in water than both silicone and latex types. Lycra swim caps are made from similar material as your regular bathing suit, which is responsible for their comfort. If you are also gunning for uniformity, then you can rely on the Lycra caps to help you achieve this. Asides from this, they regularly last longer than both latex and silicon variants.
It is noteworthy to mention that the Lycra swim cap slips easily when in water and they also don’t provide enough protection against the inflow of chlorinated water. This can harm your scalp since there is no hair to prevent direct contact. With less protection, you will be surprised to know that Lycra swim caps are the most expensive of all types.
c). TYR Lycra
[affiai asin=”B000F9HPQI” count=”1″ template=”grid”]Made from nylon and Lycra fiber, the TYR Lycra swim cap is comfortable to put on as well as remove from the head. Also, it utilizes a no-wrinkle design to stay fit on your head which makes it appealing to many users. As you swim with this headgear, you have little to worry about drag while enjoying immeasurable protection against chemicals in the water.
4. Neoprene Swim Caps
Neoprene swim caps are another type of cap for swimmers. These are made from similar materials as you have on wetsuits. If you are probably going to be swimming in a pool, then you may not bother yourself with this as they are specially designed to help keep the head warm when swimming in open waters. For suffers and triathlon athletes, this makes sense because you lose body heat through the head quickly when in cold water. So Neoprene swim caps protect against this since they are thicker than the other types.
Neoprene swim caps come in a dull shading usually black and are fitted with seams. They also often have inside padding for further protection and have an unmistakable smell. And since they are not for regular swimmers, they come with an extra expense.
d) Zone 3 Neoprene
[affiai asin=”B01D1XIERI” count=”1″ template=”grid”]The Zone 3 Neoprene swim cap remains one of the most stylish swimming headgears in today’s market. Asides from its elegant style, this product is powerful enough to withstand the rigors of open water swimming without it falling off. If you are bald and you want to swim in open waters, then this is the ultimate choice of swim cap for you as you will get to enjoy arguably the best insulation in cold waters.
It has an impressive Velcro strap with easy adjustment to your desired satisfaction. The Velcro strap helps it to hold steady on many head sizes while still maintaining its water-tight qualities. The Zone 3 Neoprene is designed from high-grade hypoallergenic neoprene material. Swimmers planning long swimming sessions can use this without worrying about developing feelings of any pain around the head. An obvious downside is that it’s not suitable for use in chlorinated waters present in pools and water parks. The manufacturer warns against this!
Do Bald Swimmers Wear Cap?
Yes bald swimmers wears cap, there is more to wearing swim caps than just keeping the hair safe, and we will look at the reasons later on. But just before then, here are some factors that can lead to or contribute to the loss of hair:
- Bad hair hygiene.
- Hormone levels.
- Heightened stress level.
- Underlying immune system medical conditions.
- Skin/scalp health.
- Treatment procedures of certain illnesses such as cancer treatment.
Why Do Bald Swimmers Wear A Swim Cap?
Asides from the fact that swim caps help protect the hair from chlorine present in swimming pools; this reason is irrelevant to you if you are bald. That said, there are other reasons you should consider wearing a swim cap even if you don’t have hair on your head:
1. It ensures the head stays warm
Wearing a swim cap ensures that your head stays warm especially if you are swimming in cold or open water.
2. Improves visibility to other water users
A swim cap also improves your visibility to other water users when in open waters, thereby reducing the chances of a collision occurring either with boats, surfers, or other users.
3. It is mandatory in some public pools
Also, many public pools mandate the use of swim caps in their pools although there might be an exemption for you if you are bald. In the chance that there is none, you save yourself the stress of having to find one to use.
4. Helps to create a streamlines shape in water
Swimming caps help create a streamlined shape in water ensuring that you swim a bit faster. If you are a competitive swimmer, wearing a cap is essential regardless of whether you are bald or not.
There are Swim caps of standard size for grown-ups with short or no hair. They fit most head sizes as the swim caps can stretch to adjust to an individual’s head regardless of shape and size.
Do Silicone Swim Caps Keep Hair Dry?
No, swim caps can’t keep your hair dry because they are not made to keep water out completely. And of all the lots of swim caps available, those made from silicon materials are best for this. Alternatively, you can wear two caps at the same time with the silicon type on top to help create a better watertight seal against infiltration of water.
Can I Go Swimming With Alopecia?
Yes, you can swim even if you suffer from Alopecia. You can rely on wigs to help mask this condition. One type of wig that works effortlessly is the “vacuum wigs” which seals to the scalp and won’t come off when underwater. To wear wigs as a disguise for your Alopecia, you need to shave your head. If you don’t wish to, you can rely on swim caps, scarves, or hats. In the end, what you wear over your alopecia comes down to personal preference.
Alopecia is an auto-immune skin condition that leads to hair loss. Sufferers of this condition regularly have “relapses” of hair loss at different times in their life. If you have this condition, your immune system will attack certain hair follicles by mistake for no known reason. This means the causes of alopecia remain unknown.
Conclusion
Being bald doesn’t exclude you from using swim caps although there have been instances of professional swimmers who don’t. And since chances are that you will find yourself in a pool that mandates it, knowing which is best for you becomes essential. Picking the right fit as well as the right seam or edge design will come down to your adequate knowledge. This piece has explained all you need to know about the best swim caps for you!
