Headache after wearing helmet

Jxmxg

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I bought a Charles Owen helmet last year after trying lots of them on at the tack shop. The Charles Owen skull type one seemed to be the best fit but after wearing it for a while I got a bad headache and I couldn't bring it back. So I have just bought another helmet a Champion one and that also seemed to fit, I had several of the ladies that work there check it for fit and said its good and it felt good too but this one also gives me a major headache. I wore it for about half hour today and felt sick after and have had a bad headache since. Not sure what to do. Is there a place I can get one cutsom made or fitted professionally? Any helmet suggestions? It's seem to be my forehead and temple area that's the problem but not sure.
 
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dogatemysalad

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Has your helmet got a dial adjuster so that you can loosen or tighten the fit to suit you ? First time riding in my new hat, I thought it was very comfortable until I returned with a massive headache. Since keeping the fit less snug, it's been fine.
 

Country Mouse

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Have you thought about how you are wearing your hair? Thick hair can take up quite a bit of space between head and hat. When you tried the hat in the shop did you have your hair the way you wear it when riding. Try tying it up on top of your head.
 

Jxmxg

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I wore my hair down when i tried it on and was wearing it down today. Still have a headache it's horrible. If I wear my hair up it would probably make it tighter. Good suggestion tho x
 

poiuytrewq

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I had this, I bought a gatehouse hs1 and had it fitted properly. All seemed fine until after about half an hour on board I’d get a horrible headache. By the time we got home like you I’d be feeling sick and just awful. The second I took the hat off I felt relief.
Went to several other good places and all agreed that the same hat was the best fit for me ?‍♀️
Eventually, pure luck I happened to be passing a saddlery I didn’t know and so called in. She agreed the HS1 was the hat she’d have recommended had I not told her the issue!
So we tried another and I actually stayed in the shop wearing it for a good 45 minutes ?
Worked though, I’ve had it about 2 years now with no problems.
 

Leafcutter

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I get this with every new hat I’ve ever bought. After a couple of weeks of headaches, it stops. I’ve always assumed that the padding packs down a bit with use thus alleviating the problem, and have accepted it as part and parcel of buying a new helmet. Don’t know why I’ve never questioned it, probably because it’s been happening since I was a kid and I’m now a granny! :p
 

pansymouse

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The tack shop where I buy my hats make you wear a hat for half an hour as part of the fitting - there are always people wondering around in hats there! I have a difficult to fit shaped head and since using them I haven't had to go through my head feels like it's going to fall off phase of having a new hat.
 

scrat

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I had this too. Had a hat fitted, got up to walk around the shop for a bit and it felt like something was pushing my eyes from behind along with an intense headache.I couldn't wait to get the thing off.
I've never had a hat fitted before. The next size up was fine. I only recently found out that some hats are oval and others round which probably explains the pressure points if you make the wrong choice.
 

Jxmxg

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Glad I'm not the only one who seems to have an odd shaped head or something lol. Yeah next time I will leave it on longer before purchasing, they actually told me the size down seemed like a good fit but I said it seemed a bit tight so got the next size up which they said seemed to big and that's the one that still made me feel sick and have a major headache for hours. Now I have two helmets to sell that are like new.

Is there somewhere I can go to get one specially made for me?
 

Cutgrass

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I have this too with a Champion hat. Mine was much worse in summer and has settled down now so I'm hoping the padding has been squashed. The alternative is that I have a head that expands hugely when I get hot!
 

Missidi

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Although I've never had this issue, I do know people that have. The tack shop say they fit them tight at first as they "bed in" so to speed up that process, they recommend storing your hat with an inflatable football/beach all in it to kind of stretch it out!
 

turkana

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Every hat I've ever worn has given me a headache, they felt really heavy on, Champion were the worst. I went to the ProTector shop at Badminton, who explained that it was the shape of my head not that the hats were too heavy, I bought one of their expensive hats but it was worth every penny no more headaches!
 
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