You know the drill. You buy a brand new black hat that turns brown after just a few wears. Ugh! What’s the cause? And why can’t you wash the stains out?
It seems like everything these days is conspiring against us. The chlorine in the lotion and hair product, the UV rays of the sun, and even our own sweat can turn our hats an unsightly orange color.
But which one of these is the primary offender of your faded black hat? And is there any way to prevent our black hats from turning brown in the first place?
Read on to find out!
How to Tell the Offenders that Murder the Black Dye Of Your Hat?
So, how to tell which one of these is the true killer of your black hat? Here are the principles:
1. Sweat Stains Color Change: Ring and Spot Shapes
Sweat is the top killer on the list that makes your black turn brown. As we all know, sweat contains salt, and the salt will leave on the fabric when the water dries.
But more than that, people’s sweat, in fact, has a slightly acidic pH value that is 6.3. If you sweat a lot, your black hat will likely turn brown due to the acid effect.
You can tell that your black hat is stained by sweat if the color change is not very apparent and looks yellowish or white.
The shape is a ring or dirty spot and appears near the front panel part of the hat. The position of the fading part is pretty unique: think which part of your head sweats a lot, and boom, that’s it.
2. Chemical Faded: An Obvious Orange Color
Besides your sweat, what you are using on your skin, such as lotions, creams, and treatments, can also add to the list of things that turn your black hat brown.
The chemicals can seep into the hat’s fabric. Differently, it colors our black hat brown with a bit orange color.
So choosing mild products to put on our skin is very important besides skin health, as they may have unintended consequences!
Back to the topic of fading black hats, you can check the color-changing part to see if this is the cause.
Usually, the chemical fading happens around the seams or any other areas where the fabric is thinner.
And it can occur in one spot around the bill; it’s probably from something you put on your skin.
Another potential factor that causes your black hat to turn brown: are peroxide and chlorine.
But how could these things get on your hat?
Well, if you often swim or spend time in a pool, your hair can still hold chlorine and other pool chemicals even after you leave the water.
Slowly, they will turn your black hat orange-brown.
3. Sun/UV Faded: Lagre Area On the Top of The Hat
Luckily (or not at all), I have sufficient experience about why your black hat is turning brown by sunlight.
Although I have never been a big fan of black hats, I had a floppy one for my yearly beach vacation since they have better UV protection.
But for this year’s trip, I noticed the color change on the top of the hat when I was going to pack it.
It had turned from a deep, rich black to more of a faded brown. The shading area looks like a focal light that’s been shined on it for too long.
I can only assume that this is because of the UV rays, which caused the dye in the fabric to break down and turn the hat a so-appealing shade of brown.
The story’s moral: if you wear a black hat in the sun, be prepared for it to fade and turn brown over time.
Is There Any Way to Prevent The Color Changing of Black Hat from Happening?
Sadly, I find there’s no way to restore the black color of your hat other than re-dyeing it. The chemicals and UV lights directly ‘killed’ the black dyeing in your hat.
Well, though we cannot be the avengers, at least we can take some preventive measures to stop the black hat from turning brown.
Here are some tips:
– Avoid exposing your black hat to the sun for too long; the harmful UV rays will speed up the fading process.
– If you’re going to be in the sun, try to UV proof your black hat as well. You can use a UV protection spray or even just regular sunscreen.
– Be careful with chemicals! Hairspray, perfume, and other chemicals can cause the color of your black hat to change. Try to avoid getting any on your hat.
If you must use hairspray or perfume, make sure to test it on a small inconspicuous area of the hat first.
– If you’re storing your black hat for a long period of time, try to keep it in a cool, dark place. High temperatures and light can also cause the color to fade.
Well, This is the End
Seeing our precious black hats turning into another color is heartbreaking. We can only hope that by taking some preventive measures, we can keep our hat beautiful for longer.
But be positive about the unavoidable looking: a distressed hat is coming back into style! You might even be able to pass it off as a “vintage” piece.
So this is the end of this article; if you have any other great methods to restore the black color of the hat, please tell me. I would love to know!
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