Medical professionals have long known that cold therapy can help migraine attacks — studies on the effects of cold on headaches go as far back as 1849. Cold temperatures, such as the cooling delivered from ice packs, help numb head and neck pain. Most people simply use freezable cold packs or cooling patches, but another option has been getting attention: migraine hats.

If you live with chronic migraine, you might be looking for ways to help manage your symptoms. This article provides information about migraine hats, including research on how these may help and what others have to say about using them. As always, talk to your doctor or neurologist before trying a new therapy or treatment for chronic migraine — defined as experiencing at least 15 migraine attacks per month for at least three months.

What Is a Migraine Hat?

As its name suggests, a migraine cold cap (also known as a headache hat) is a hat or wraparound headband designed to provide relief from some migraine symptoms. They may help alleviate your head and neck pain, regardless of whether you have episodic or chronic migraine. These hats or bands work by cooling the head, which constricts blood vessels and provides localized relief. They also have a numbing effect to lessen the pain or tension felt during a migraine headache.

Holding or securing an ice pack to the head or neck is something people with migraine have been doing for ages. Modern migraine hats aim to make things easier by securing cold or hot packs for you on your pain points. You simply put on the hat — no need to hold anything in place.

Do Headache Hats Work?

There’s limited research evaluating the benefits of modern migraine hats or caps. A small systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2023 concluded that applying cold provides immediate and temporary relief of migraine headaches, but any long-term benefits are unclear. However, the principle behind these hats — cooling as a form of migraine relief — has been in use for years.

One small study in 1988 looked at the efficacy of a device called the Migra-lief apparatus, which delivered both heat and cold to the wearer. The apparatus was found to reduce pain severity in 15 of the 20 study participants with migraine.

In 2006, researchers conducted a small pilot study where subjects wore a cooling gel hat to see if it would help migraine pain. The researchers found that participants felt relief in as little as 25 minutes. The application of cooling alone, without drugs, may be enough on its own to help alleviate migraine attacks in some people, the researchers stated. They also noted that two people withdrew from the study, one because they could not tolerate the cold and the other because of vertigo (dizziness).

Anecdotal Evidence

Although there aren’t many studies specifically on modern migraine hats or caps, there is some anecdotal evidence.

Some members of MyMigraineTeam have expressed their satisfaction with a migraine hat product called the Icekap. “I use Icekap for the really bad days and it helps,” said one member. Another member explained, “It is a cap with various pockets for ice or heat packs, and after you put it on, you have straps with Velcro on them to tighten the cap up.”

As one member commented, “It allows you to have a cold compress at your forehead, top of the head, and back of the head and still be hands-free. It really is a helpful tool. I recently ordered a second one to keep at work because I have got to find a way to not take off so much from work."

Other members had these things to say about cold caps for migraine:

• “If ice packs help your headaches, this is a perfect solution. They come in different sizes and have medical-grade ice packs.”
• “I find the location of the three ice packs at once is more effective. It even has a ponytail hole to slip your hair through!”
• “If I have any type of headache or the inkling of one, I put the Icekap on for about 20 minutes, and it really tames things.”
• “I use the Icekap. You can either ice the gel packs or heat them. It is expensive but worth it!”

However, not everyone likes migraine hats. They’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. One member wrote, “I do not use my headache hat because it is too cold. I love my flaxseed and rice cloth bags that I store in the freezer. A larger one to use on my cooling pillow and a longer, smaller one to drape over my eyes and temples.”

Migraine Hats: The Bottom Line

Chronic migraine affects around 2 percent of the population. If you experience at least 15 headache days each month, wearable cold therapy hats, bands, and devices may be worth considering. These products may offer convenient pain relief, most of them are portable and reusable, and the hats are a drug-free choice for managing symptoms.

As always, talk to a health care provider before trying new therapies for migraine, including over-the-counter options like migraine hats. Your doctor will be able to advise you on how these other approaches may fit into your current migraine treatment and symptom management plans.

Find Your Team

MyMigraineTeam is the social network for people with migraine and their loved ones. On MyMigraineTeam, more than 81,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with migraine.

What strategies do you use to manage chronic headache pain? Have you tried ice therapy or a headache and migraine relief cap? Share your experience and tips in the comments below or by posting on your Activities page.