Abstract
Much attention is given to protecting facial skin from damage caused by exposure to sunlight and pollutants. However, we tend to overlook the fact that our scalp and hair are also exposed to harmful UV rays, pollutants in the air and water, and the chemicals present in hair care products that we use daily. This paper discusses the impact of pollution on hair health, the preventative measures to tackle the damage done and the potential actives that can be used in haircare formulations to provide protection.
Introduction
Hair is often used as an indicator of pollution exposure in environmental studies as many types of pollutants tend to adhere to it. The scalp and hair can collect pollutants from both the air and
water, resulting in various issues such as itching, redness, trichodynia, psoriasis, and damaged, frizzy hair caused by accumulated oxidative stress. This oxidative stress is further aggravated in the presence of UV rays, potentially damaging the pre- and postemerging hair fibers, which leads to senescent alopecia, greying, hair weathering, lipid peroxidation, and flaky scalp. 1
