HYDERABAD: Hair fall may be due to heredity, lifestyle, stress, pollution, or nutritional imbalance. But, in Hyderabad: as the saying goes, ‘Is shehar ka pani jamta nahin mujhe,’ (City’s water is not suitable for me) is apt. The water here is overly treated and contains chlorine and magnesium in excess, which is not good for hair health. The discussion was sparked by haircare experts who hosted an educative session at Taj Vivanta on Saturday in association with Parachute Ayurvedic Coconut Hair Oil.
According to hair experts, overly treated domestic water supply in apartment complexes and gated communities contain high amounts of chlorine and magnesium — causing inflammation in scalp tissue. Inflammation in the scalp leads to scarring, itching, flaking follicle roughness and hair loss.
“Many people who shifted to Hyderabad have seen a sudden problem of excessive hair fall and it is true as they say water is not suitable. But, it’s not everywhere. The problem is only in societies, gated communities and apartment meant complexes,” says Dr Varsha Bhanoor, Clinical Nutritionist. “Overly treated domestic water in apartment complexes excessive content of sodium and magnesium, which also results in tangling and hair-fall with a single wash,” she added.
“I have noticed my patients complain about roughness, hair thinning and eventually hair fall. All is because of overtreated water. The apartment management might say that the Total dissolved solids (TDS) level is in control, but TDS levels don’t show chlorine and magnesium levels which cause scalp inflammation” added Dr Tanya Dubey a Dermatologist.
Well, the solution to hair fall is simple. “If the domestic water is causing roughness (the first sign of hair fall), we must use RO water at least for washing hair. The RO water is thin and can help immediately resolve the issue of roughness and scalp irritation” added Dr Aparna Santhanam, a Consultant Dermatologist, at Marico India Limited.
Only water change is not complete for hair care. Since hair is the only beauty organ in the body, the body takes it for granted, so proper nutrition and nourishment are needed. “In an average person, hair grows roughly about six inches a year. Lack of the right nutrients including vitamins A, C, D and E, zinc, B vitamins, iron, biotin, protein and essential fatty acids may slow down hair growth, cause hair breakage, dullness, roughness and eventually cause hair loss. Our current lifestyle warrants us to take even more care of our hair and overall health. So, ensure you have a nutrient-rich diet and nourish your hair regularly,” Dr Varsha added.
Uneven screen time can also cause hair fall
Melatonin is a hormone made in the body that among many other functions is responsible for hair growth. The hormone’s primary function is to regulate night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin production is affected by blue light, during the day we are exposed to a lot of blue light. But at night too, nowadays most of the blue light is unrestricted as it comes through the screen - reducing, melatonin production. “We shall turn off blue screen devices including phones at least an hour or two before the sleep to help the body maintain the natural level of Melatonin which nourishes hair and skin,” says Dr Shalini Patodiya, a Trichologist & Cosmetologist at Citizens hospitals, Hyderabad.