To filter, or not to filter: do you need a shower filter?
One of the biggest complaints we see from women in Dubai, is what the water in Dubai does to your hair. Now, we aren’t going to go in to the ins and outs of what you can do to protect your hair outside of this – that’s for another post exclusively on hair care.
Dependent on where you are from originally, you may never have heard of a shower filter. Well, that all changed when you relocated to the desert, didn’t it? Hardly a day goes by where questions about hair fall and “which shower filter is best” don’t crop up on various Facebook groups. If you are experiencing hair fall, dry hair, dry skin etc the go to response seems to be “get a shower filter”– so the real question is, should you invest in a shower filter? What does it actually do?
Essentially, they are designed to strip out chlorine and other nasties as well as balance the pH levels to a more alkaline state. Most filters are infused with vitamin C powder which is the most important ingredient for neutralising the nasties in the hot water.
With that being said, does a water filter actually improve the condition of your hair? Though the now “purified” water will reduce the chlorine content to an extent, it won’t dramatically change your hair condition. There are so many other factors coming in to play regarding your hair, which is so much more than simply the water you are showering in.
Many people link their hair problems from dryness to hair fall to the water quality here. Do Olympic swimmers, who spend a significant amount of time in chlorinated water, have far less hair than those that don’t swim? It’s negligible.
Hair is extremely sensitive to change – from a change in circumstance to environmental factors (think how much time you spend going from extreme heat to air conditioning). Yet, we blame the city’s water supply for hair fall and dryness! Hair loss actually isn’t linked to the quality of water. So, while your skin could benefit from the reduction in chlorine while you shower, you could be saving yourself a few quid in filters and investing in good hair products and keeping your health in check.
*Keep an eye out for our post on keeping your hair in the best condition possible in Dubai!*