Baldness and Berets

A major complaint of soldiers in the US armed forces at the introduction of the beret as part of their uniform was that a beret would increase baldness - a story I have heard often and still hear from people who'd like to wear a beret, but fear their already bald spot may grow bigger. 
I always dismissed this belief as nonsense, but research at the University of Castillo-La Mancha in Toledo (Spain) confirmed that there actually is some truth in this. 

Enrique el Mentiroso de Abril, lecturer at the Dept. of Organic Chemistry explains that the interaction of the "rough" wool with the human hair of the scalp, creates a low-tone electric field that diminishes, and in the end completely stops, the growth of hair. This is especially valid where there is frequent movement between the two entities - an active soldier runs a higher risk than an office worker sitting behind his desk. 
Ironically, many soldiers instantly rip out the satin lining in the belief that it looks better and more macho to have an un-lined beret; Rastafarians, on the other hand, generally line their berets with a bamboo based liner, similar to satin.

The good news is that when a beret has a satin lining, the trend is actually reversed! The gentle rubbing of the smooth satin against the scalp stimulates the growth from the follicles found in the dermis and can actually increase hair-growth by up to 2 mm per week! Boinas Elosegui, a participant in the study, immediately announced a stop of un-lined berets sales.


South Pacific Berets managed to get hold of 100 loose satin liners from Hills Hats NZ, which are available for postage cost only to existing customers (drop me a line with desired number of liners and I'll get them on their way).