We studied 41 European cities to discover how different climates impact your clients’ hair and determine the right products to help combat environmental stressors.
Hair is exposed to invisible environmental stress factors on a daily basis – sun, air pollution, water hardness and humidity can all have a potentially damaging effect on the hair’s structure – causing split ends, scalp build-up, frizz, and generally making hair more difficult to manage.
Today, location is increasingly determining how you might care for your clients’ hair. In this article, we compare environmental conditions across Europe, to give you an insight into how different climates can affect hair. So, whether your client is preparing to explore a new city or trying to navigate the everyday effects on their hair in the city they call home, you can be armed with the right haircare recommendations for maintaining healthy hair no matter your client’s location!
- Toughest Cities for Hair: Nicosia, Valletta and Athens
- Best Conditions for Hair: Helsinki, Stockholm and Oslo
- DACH Region: Berlin stresses hair the most and Hamburg the least
So how exactly do the environmental factors: sun, air pollution, water harness and humidity, play a role in the condition of your clients’ hair?
Water hardness is determined by the levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium present. Hard water contains high levels of these minerals which, as they build up on the hair overtime, could be making your clients’ lengths feel dull, straw-like and difficult to comb – shampoos must work harder to clean the hair and coloured locks can lose their intensity more quickly.
The European cities with the highest water hardness were, for example, Nicosia in Cyprus and Rome in Italy, whilst cities such as Helsinki in Finland scored 1 in the soft water ranking.
Experience an enhanced level of care and deep conditioning, whilst keeping the hair lightweight, for a moisturised hair feel for up to 72 hours.
Gently cleanses and locks in the vibrancy of coloured hair, for 4x more colour vibrancy & shine*.
*vs untreated hair
Rebuilds and revitalises the inner hair fibre for more rapid detangling and improved manageability.
In the same way we would apply sunscreen to our skin to protect ourselves from the sun’s UV rays, advising your clients to protect their hair is just as important. UV radiation has a damaging effect on the hair’s keratin, the protein responsible for hair strength, resulting in dryness, breakage and colour changes.
The European cities ranking worst for UV exposure were Nicosia in Cyprus and Valletta in Malta. London ranked best in this category with the lowest UV levels.
Strengthens the hair by building inner hair bonds, to smooth the hair and leave it feeling supple.
Provides smoothness and shine to the hair surface, preventing and repairing hair damage with a long-lasting effect.
In a similar way to hard water, air pollution can cause fine particulate matter to settle on the hair, stripping natural oils from strands, making them dry, weak and prone to breakage as well as causing an irritated and itchy scalp.
The European cities ranking worst for air pollution were Bucharest in Romania, whilst Tallinn in Estonia and Stockholm in Sweden came out on top.
Restore strength and natural elasticity, for +100% stronger, resilient and repaired hair*.
*vs untreated hair
Instantly helps to reconstruct the hair fibre, for increased resilience, manageability, shine and up to 83% less hair breakage*.
*vs untreated hair
Provides lightweight moisture to the inner hair fibre, whilst preventing and repairing hair damage with a long-lasting effect.
Humidity is a measure of how much moisture is in the air. If humidity levels are high, the hair cuticle is opened and as a result, the hairs natural bonds can be more easily broken. The effect of humidity will depend on your client's hair texture; fine hair can fall flat and lose its shape, whilst porous hair becomes unruly with uncontrollable frizz.
The European city with the highest humidity level was Valletta in Malta compared to Madrid in Spain and Oslo in Norway, which saw the lowest levels of humidity.
Restores hair health by creating resilient hair bonds and locking in the hair's own keratin, for pro-active, permanent repair.
With humidity control and an anti-static effect, experience easier detangling with improved hair strength, manageability and smoothness.
Deeply nourishes and restores hair whilst controlling frizz with an anti-humidity effect.
With a combination of multiple environmental stressors such as intense UV radiation, high levels of humidity and hard water, Mediterranean cities such as Valletta, Nicosia and Rome, dominate the rankings for the toughest cities for hair.
It won’t come as a surprise that the cities ranking most highly for the best environmental conditions are those with directly opposing climates to the Mediterranean. Although colder climates come with their own challenges, cities in the Nordic region showed minimal stress was put on the hair due to lower UV intensity, softer water levels and overall cooler temperatures.
1. Nicosia, Cyprus
2. Valletta, Malta
3. Athens, Greece
1. Helsinki, Finland
2. Oslo, Norway
3. Stockholm, Sweden
As the premium market for hairdressing across Europe – with our very own House of Hair headquarters located in Hamburg – we look at how environmental stress factors in German, Austrian, and Swiss cities compare across Europe.
In the DACH region, Berlin was rated the toughest city for environmental stressors. The German capital combines very hard tap water with elevated air pollution levels, a mix that puts noticeable strain on hair over time. Comparatively, Hamburg scored the best value because of low UV-Index and a more moderate climate.
Looking at Germany alone, the main environmental factor affecting hair is water hardness. With the majority of cities here experiencing relatively hard water, hair is more likely to become dry, damaged and dull. Out of the 41 cities studied, Munich was the only German city in the Top 10 Toughest Cities for Hair due to the high levels of hard water and air pollution.
Want to learn more about the methodology involved in the Hair Challenge Index study?
So, how does your city stack up? Consider the following:
- Did any of the findings surprise you?
- What is the biggest environmental stressor in your city that you might need to consider when recommending haircare products to your clients?
We’d love to hear your thoughts – join the conversation on social media @schwarzkopfpro.
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