Headband

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"Hairband" redirects here. For the genre of "hair bands", see Glam metal.

For other uses, see Headband (disambiguation).

A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consists of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal. They come in assorted shapes and sizes and are used for both practical and fashion purposes.

Horseshoe-shaped headbands are sometimes called Alice bands after the headbands that Alice is often depicted wearing in Through the Looking Glass.

A hard plastic headband, or Alice band

Contents 1 Fashion 2 Practical uses 2.1 Sweat absorption 2.2 Cold protection 2.3 Head protection 2.4 Managing hair 3 External links

Fashion

Headbands were once almost universally an item of female clothing, but have recently become popular for men in some countries, due to a fashion for long hair. The use of Alice bands by men was possibly first made popular by David Beckham and Ronnie O\'Sullivan.^{[citation needed]}

During the 1980s, headbands were associated with rock and roll music, particularly with Bruce Springsteen, Cody Stallings, Olivia Newton-John, and Mark Knopfler.

In Japanese culture, hachimaki headbands may symbolise determination or devotion.

Practical uses

Sweat absorption

Two cloth headbands

Headbands, or sweatbands, are worn around the forehead during physical activity to absorb sweat and keep it from reaching the eyes. Sweatbands are often made of a continuous loop of terrycloth, as it is a particularly absorbent fabric. Folded bandanas, usually knotted behind the head, also serve this purpose. These headbands are usually used for sports.

The sweatband was invented by Carl M. Tipograph. He holds the patent for the sweatband in both Canada and the United States. He realized the importance of providing an effective way to remove sweat from the head.

Cold protection

Some specialized headbands are designed to be worn covering the ears, in order to protect them from cold temperatures and snow. These tend to be broader and of heavier fabric.

Head protection

The car headband is a conceptual protective headband for car occupants being investigated by the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR), University of Adelaide, Australia.

Managing hair

Headbands are regularly worn by sportsmen and women to keep hair out of their eyes. Famous users include David Beckham and Ronnie O\'Sullivan

External links

• Headbands: Instant Hair Helpers For Long to Short Hair by Karen Marie Shelton, revised 1 July 2006

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