You may be among the many people in the UAE who are balding, facing hair thinning, or loss of hair, and you’re wondering if the water coming from your shower head is to blame.
Dropping some hair is completely normal because the average person loses between 20 and 50 hair strands per day. After all, each hair has its hair cycle.
Many other factors exist, based on the specialists, even though some people attribute this issue to the tap water and others to the heat, these of which may be partially to blame.
How Hard Is the Water in Dubai?
Dubai’s water is very hard. Numerous minerals, including calcium, and copper, are present in large quantities in this water. Drinking hard water has no impact on one’s health, but it can cause serious damage to your hair.
The water is full of soluble ingredients, including chlorine. It gives the skin and hair a gloomy and dry look. Routinely use of such tainted water, may cause your scalp and hair to fall out.
The chemical compositions of a specimen of Dubai water sent from DEWA (Dubai Electricity & Water Authority) show water hardness in Dubai. The hardness range is 50–70 ppm or mg/l.
In the worst scenario, this hardness could alter the hair’s hue and make it fizzy. It may also result in issues with thinning hair.
During the water recycling and purification processes, water treatment plants add mineral deposits back into the water. Dubai’s abrasive water has a terrible impact on skin and hair according to some people.
Reasons for Hair Falling in the UAE and Solutions
You might have heard some people lament that since relocating to Dubai, their hair loss has suddenly increased. The high number of strands left on their hairbrush is not the daily average of 150.
Many researchers explain that the water in the UAE is not the reason you’re losing your hair. It may happen due to using styling tools and drying workshops.
Where Dubai’s Water Comes From
Fresh water is scarce in Dubai because of the country’s scorching desert climate. The majority of the city’s water—nearly 99%—comes from desalinated seawater from the Arabian Gulf. The remaining water comes from ground sources.
The seawater continues to move through a series of chambers as the equipment repetitively boils and vaporizes the water. Salty brine and genuine, desalinated water are the two byproducts of the process.
Hair Damage from Desalinated Water
The extra salt in seawater is eliminated during desalination, and chlorine is added to destroy germs. Chlorine is an oxidizer, which harms the structure of the hair by penetrating its protective outer cuticle layer and leaving it dry, and brittle.
Water that has been desalinated makes it difficult to maintain healthy hair. Use a good shower filter to get rid of the majority of the chlorine in the desalination.
The best way to prevent damage to the hair is to wash daily since shampoos with hair conditioners eliminate chlorine from the hair without removing the natural oils that wrap the cuticle.
Therefore, even though taking showers and baths in desalinated water that is strong in chlorine can be difficult on your hair, the adverse consequences can be lessened by taking precautions.
Hair Loss and Damage: Is There Something in the Water?
Dubai’s tap water is hard which may lead to hair loss, dry skin, and premature ageing. Experts, however, dispel them as myths that people have been holding onto for too long.
The desalinization in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is suitable for drinking, even without filtering, and for washing, according to the official government line. What’s up with that hair loss then?
According to Dr Ryan, there is no evidence that using tap water could indeed cause hair loss. He added that the food, the dry conditions, and stress are some of the things that are causing this.
However, due to the high humidity in Dubai, many people experience dry hair. Since the water has a lot of chlorine in it, it may additionally make hair fizzy.
Using a water filter can normalize the problem by filtering out any impurities in the water, including chlorine and can bring healthy hair reappeared. So, there is a demand in the UAE for anti-hair loss shower filters.
There is no direct connection between Dubai’s water reliability and hair loss or balding, according to some research that was done on the city’s water quality and expert interviews.
Treatment for Hair Loss
The average age at which people begin to lose their hair is thirty, but what if it happens much earlier? For to overcome this issue, there are numerous treatment options available.
If hair loss is a reason for harsh water, you can minimize it by using a water filter or by using soft water for showering. But if any underlying reasons are behind your hair loss you may need the following treatments.
- Medications: Applying medications to the injured region of the scalp including ointments, and gels. Finasteride and Minoxidil also referred to as Rogaine, are two of these medications.
- Hair transplants: Permanent hair loss typically results in pattern baldness, which only affects the top of the head. Hair transplants can treat this condition.
You can also take laser therapy. The cell lines of the follicles are energized and stimulated, which increases hair density. This procedure makes use of a low-level laser device.
Conclusion
Man or woman who has lived in the city for a while, though, and they’ll likely tell you an additional fact that isn’t as well-known abroad: living in Dubai does seem to cause hair loss.
Most of the time, the local water is to blame. There are a few particles present in water that may responsible for hair loss but it is not significant rather many other physical underlying reasons are a threat to this issue.
Despite many studies showing that the main water supply in the UAE doesn’t contain anything that makes hair fall out, the widely held myth continues to spread year after year.
