“You lose most of the heat from your head,” the saying goes. But is this actually accurate? This myth likely stems from a US Army Field Manual that stated 40–45 per cent of heat loss occurs through the head.
Scientists explained that if this were true, you would be just as cold wearing a hat and no trousers as you would wearing trousers and no hat. Not likely!
Your face, head and chest are just more sensitive to temperature changes. This explains why covering them feels like it prevents heat loss more than other areas of your body. In reality, covering any part of the body has the same effect.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Hattie Kingston, via email 'Is it true you lose the most heat through the top of your head?'
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