Aside from considerations like genetics, hormones, stress, diet, and sleep pattern, now there’s even climate to consider when it comes to hair loss. No matter what type of hair you have, humidity generally holds no favour for the hair.
Humidity is the presence of moisture in the air, and our hair reacts to the humidity through molecular changes, meaning the water molecules in the humid air can disrupt our hair’s hydrogen bonds. As such, for some people, their hair strands will absorb the moisture and swell, and this can lead to knotting or twisting in hair strands and ultimately hair fall and frizziness and other forms of damage. If your hair has been bleached, dyed, permed, or is constantly heated with styling tools and exposure to the sun, it’s likely that the moisture in the air will be absorbed into your hair even more easily because of how porous the strands are.
Tien Goh, the Educational Manager at Shiseido Professional, remarks “Our lab research shows that during cold or dry climates, the scalp tends to secrete less sebum so the chances of pores being clogged are lower. However, in hot and humid climates, the skin and scalp tend to secrete more sebum. If the scalp is not efficiently cleansed, it might lead to clogged pores and problems like dandruff. Research shows that when the scalp is unhealthy, there is a higher chance of hair loss symptoms.”
Luckily, there are many things you can do to keep your hair strong and healthy and limit the hair fall and breakage in Singapore’s humidity.
