Exhaustive fumes constantly dancing with the city breeze which blows all around our urban life…it often feels like we’re battling an intense war against pollution. Aside from the harm that such an environment causes to various facets of our well-being, both in the short and long term, an aspect of its damage that we tend to overlook is its impact on our hair and scalp. Our constant exposure to pollutants means an easy route to loosening and damaging our hair and scalp. To find a remedy involves fully understanding how our hair is impacted by this.
Target 1 - Pollutive Particles
Hair is generally affected the most by particulate matter (any matter made of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air) that affects the cells at the base of hair follicles. This particulate matter includes a mix of solid particles and small liquid droplets made of chemicals that enter our system when we inhale. Among these, PM10 articles (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less) .
The Clogging of Pores
Mostly, air pollution is caused by fossil fuels, vehicle exhaust emissions, agriculture, construction and energy usage in the home and workplace. Smog is formed when combusted fossil fuels come in contact with sunlight. It is one of the primary air pollutants in the world. Contained within it are particles of soot and affect the health of the hair cells. Besides this, smog and soot tend to stick to the hair follicles and damage them. They also clog the pores on the scalp and prevent healthy cell regeneration.
The Impact on our Skin Barrier
Pollutants like gases, particulate matter (PM), and dust particles easily penetrate our skin barrier, eventually causing damage to the hair fibre, leading to dryness and brittleness over time. They make contact with the hair fibre, penetrating the superficial cuticle layer. This leads to damage to the structure of the hair strands as they become continuously exposed to environmental elements and external aggressors. All this damage to our hair eventually leads to hair loss.
Remedies to Prevent Hair Loss Due to Pollution
The most popular and recommended method to prevent hair loss is the use of a scalp scrub. A scalp scrub helps to prevent hair loss as it decongests the hair follicles, nourishes the skin and allows the scalp to absorb nutrients that boost hair growth and stimulates blood circulation to the follicles.
Tugain Essentials Scalp Cleansing Scrub
With 2% Glycolic Acid, 0.5% Salicylic Acid Controls sebum production, helps in scalp deep cleansing. Its also helps promote healthy scalp and unclogs pores.
From here, one may indulge in scalp exfoliation, which is a basic and easy hair care routine for better hair growth. It can help to remove dirt and dead skin cells that block the hair follicles and prevents hair strands from growing through leading to stunted hair growth.
Incorporating Advanced Solutions
Incorporating advanced solutions like Tugain Essentials hair Growth Serum into your hair care routine can help to rebalance your hair growth cycle. Hair loss occurs when the number of hair in the anagen (growth) phase is reduced while there is excessive hair in the telogen (shedding) phase. Products like AnaGain activate the Dermal Papilla— the site of specialised cells that play a pivotal role in hair formation, growth, and cycling— with DNA microarray technique. It stimulates molecules like Noggin, a protein that shortens the telogen phase, and Fibroblast Growth Factor-7 (FGF-7) that helps to start a new hair growth cycle. Research showed that it increased the anagen hair density while the density of telogen hair was strongly reduced.
In Conclusion
Caring for our hair and scalp amidst daily exposure to pollution may appear challenging. However, with proper attention and consistent care, it is entirely possible to maintain healthy and lustrous hair. With a wholesome routine that includes the right mix of hair care solutions, our commitment to nurturing our hair can bring about remarkable results, all while ensuring that our hair radiates shine and vitality!