There is no denying that hats have always been a versatile “treasure” for K-pop idols — cleverly hiding newly dyed hair ahead of comebacks while also serving as a stylish fashion statement. In fact, quite a few popular trends involving baseball caps, beanies, or bucket hats have been sparked by idols themselves. So it is hardly surprising that V, who frequently finds himself at the forefront of fashion trends, also uses hats as an everyday accessory.

In recent years, V has often been spotted wearing eye-catching baseball caps or bucket hats when appearing at airports, attending events such as movie premieres for his friends, or watching sporting events. There have even been many moments when he used a hat to completely cover his hair, leading fans to jokingly say that he looked like a ninja.

What is worth noting, however, is that in recent years, hats have become more than just an accessory for V — they have also been a “lifesaver.” V explained this during a previous livestream, and many people expressed their sympathy for him.

Specifically, V began by telling fans that he normally did not wear hats, but had been wearing them more often recently. He then explained that the biggest reason behind this unusual change was hair damage caused by repeated bleaching. "I don't wear hats often, but I dyed my hair so much, so it was hard to take care of my hair. These days, it's hard to manage my hair", he expressed. 

His hair had become damaged, frizzy, and difficult to style, so whenever he went out without getting a haircut, it would become completely unruly. This made it difficult for V to manage his hair, so he decided to wear hats to deal with the problem.

He also recalled that the last time he bleached his hair was when BTS were promoting “Butter” in 2021. In the past, there was even a period when V bleached his hair and changed its color as many as five times in a row within just a few months.

Most recently, although he has not bleached his hair, he has still gone through several different hair colors over the past three to four months — from a youthful brown to a unique Oreo shade, then back to black, and most recently, a curly chestnut-brown style.

That is without even mentioning the fact that, even when he does not bleach it, he still has to style his hair with hair wax or use heat. As a result, his hair has become severely damaged over the years. For someone like V, who places great importance on his appearance, it is understandable that he would not want to appear in front of fans with dry, frizzy, messy, and unkempt hair.

At the same time, fans are no strangers to the serious damage that repeated bleaching and hair dyeing can cause K-pop idols. Karina of aespa is perhaps one of the most notable examples, having once made the public feel concerned after revealing how severely damaged her natural hair had become following repeated bleaching and dyeing.

After V opened up about these struggles, fans could not help but sympathize with what the idol was going through, while also reαѕѕuring him that, in their eyes, he still looks incredibly handsome: "I can relate,  my hair is a mess even with treatment (bc dyeing). He's so beautiful", "I hope this is the last time he coloured his hair before entering m̴i̴l̴i̴t̴a̴r̴y̴, there’s side effects to our scalp", "He is still pretty", "This is so relatable….. as a fellow blonde I feel your pain Tae", "Better not looking at mine, Tae, if you look like this when your hair is difficult to manage", "Bleach will really fry your hair sadly but it’s the only way to go blonde", "Looks perfect as usual", "He is so cute my little fluff ball", "Still handsome, baby... dont worry too much..."