How to Get Rid of a Headphone Dent on Your Head

What is a headphone dent?

A headphone dent is an indent left on your head by over-ear headphones. If you wear headphones for too long or if they fit incorrectly, the piece that goes around your head can press down and leave a small depression in your scalp. The headphones may also flatten your hair and make the dent more noticeable. Headphone dents became more notable from Twitch streamers like Tyler1 and Curtoss who had indents on their head when they took their headphones off after hours of streaming.

Do headphone dents go away?

Yes, headphone dents only last a few minutes to a few hours. Luckily, headphone dents aren’t permanent. Once you take off your headphones, your scalp will start to go back to its normal shape. It just may take longer if you wore your headphones for a long time. Headphones won’t leave any idents on your skull. Any creases you see after wearing them are only in your hair and skin.

How to Fix Headphone Dent

Take a break from wearing headphones. As soon as you notice a headphone dent, take your headphones off for a little while so the dent starts filling back in. If you’re able to, switch to external speakers in the meantime. Otherwise, get up, stretch, and take a quick break before putting your headphones back on.

Massage your scalp. Gently rub where the headphones rested on your head using your fingers. Just a few minutes of massage can help improve the blood flow to your scalp and help the dent fill in faster.

Wet and restyle your hair. If the headphones only left a dent in your hair, then wet your fingers and run them through your hair. Keep wetting your hair and redoing it until you can’t see the dent anymore. If you still notice the dent and have some time, hop in the shower and wash your hair.

What causes headphone dents?

Prolonged headphone usage The headphone band presses down and applies pressure on your scalp when you wear them. After using them for a while, the skin on your scalp indents slightly from the weight and pressure.

Headphones that are too loose or too tight When headphones are too loose, the band supports all their weight and presses down into your scalp more. If they’re too tight, then the added pressure could make the dent more noticeable.

How to Prevent Headphone Dent

Put the headphones over the back of your head. Place the headphones over each of your ears first. Then, position the band further back so it wraps around behind your head and applies less pressure.

Use extra padding between the headphones and your head. For an easy way to add cushion to your headphones, put on a hat or hood before wearing your headphones. Alternatively, get reusable headphone padding that wraps around the band. Padding makes headphones more comfortable so they’re less likely to leave a dent.

Take your headphones off when you aren’t using them. If you’re taking a break from music or stepping away from your computer, set your headphones down instead of wearing them around. Giving your head a break makes it less likely a dent will form. Try to take a break from your headphones every hour or so. Your ears will appreciate a break from any loud music or audio you were listening to.

Switch to earbuds instead of headphones. Since earbuds don’t have a band that goes over your head, there’s no risk of them leaving a dent. Many earbuds now have the same audio quality as over-ear headphones, so they’ll sound just as great.