If you’re to randomly throw a stone at someone who’s experiencing some kind of hair problem in Saudi, the shot wouldn’t go to waste. It’s the one thing that unifies us all the residents of the Kingdom—hair issues—hair fall, brittle, dry and frizzy hair issues! 

Maybe it’s the excruciating heat, or the desalinated water that’s wreaking havoc on your tresses, the frenetic lifestyle and its resultant stress, however, you can take comfort in the truth that you aren’t alone in this. In fact, hair loss is the common complaint of all the expats who’ve recently moved to the Middle East.  

There’s hope after all

Well, the good news is that this is not an onset of baldness, contrary to what you may think. Because your scalp and hair is dryer than usual in this region, your hair is falling out more, becoming thinner or frizzier than ever. But, but, but….this is totally salvageable and we’re here to tell you how. 

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1. Get a shower filter

The chemically-treated sea water that comes in our shower is one of the biggest reasons that contributes to hair problems. Use a shower filter to combat this problem. You can find them across pharmacies in Saudi.

2. Apply baby powder to your greasy hair

The combination of heat, dryness, sweat and stress in Saudi make your scalp greasier ever so often. And while it may be tempting to wash your mane every day, one must avoid it at all costs. Washing hair that frequently can cause more damage to your already dry and brittle hair. Instead you can sprinkle baby powder on your greasy roots and rub it through your hair until its all blended. Your hair will instantly feel less greasy. 

3. Use distilled or bottled water for hair wash

When you know that the root cause of all the hair problems in Saudi is primarily its water, it makes sense to replace the very water as a solution. Start washing your hair with bottled water and notice an instant change in the quality of your hair. 

4. Gently warm your oil before massaging it into your scalp

It’s a great way to keep your hair well-nourished and to let all the nutrients from the oil soak in your scalp. Make sure the oil is just warm and not too hot. You can use coconut oil, castor oil, almond oil, olive oil or a mixture of any three on your hair. Apply the oil and keep it for an hour before rinsing your hair thoroughly.

5. If the remnants of the oil doesn’t go away after washing your hair twice, use the conditioner first before the shampoo 

There have been times when the greasiness from the oil has persisted even after the fifth day since washing our hair thoroughly. If you’re experiencing something similar, here’s the solution. Rinse your hair with water and apply the conditioner and gently rub it into your hair. Then use the shampoo, apply it evenly and massage till suds are formed and finally rinse the hair. Your hair won’t be greasy anymore! 

6. Dry your hair with an old cotton T-shirt instead of a towel

We all have the habit of rubbing down the towel vigorously to dry our hair. This can draw too much moisture from the hair leading to dryness, breakage and frizzy-ness. What you can do instead is pat your hair with an old cotton t-shirt which is gentler and will soak just the right amount of water.