Wearing a Headscarf

Believe it or not the conversation between us and many different friends has turned to the inordinate amount of hair loss. We are all losing hair at an alarming rate. Most of us are fairly new to the Gulf region, so we are all beginning to notice it at the same time. When I arrived my hair was crazy fluffy and almost unmanagable (no flat iron for a few months). Now it has become flat and stringy.

It is apparently due to the use of desalinated sea water, high levels of chlorine to offset sea water bacteria and the addition of lime to water for the purpose of counteracting the chlorine. The first two are highly drying agents and the latter creates calcium deposits in the hair, making it heavy and stringy. (Now I finally understand why I had stringy hair when I was growing up-we had hard, calcium rich water.)

In addition to all of these damaging effects, sand & mica from the winds collect on our hair and skin causing even more damage. Apparently this contributes to people in the Gulf age faster than their counterparts in other regions.

I may soon start covering my head to protect my hair like the local women. The more I learn about living in the Gulf, the more the clothing choices of the inhabitants make sense. The loose clothing is much more comfortable because of the constant breezes, but I have found my shorter skirts will fly up in a gust, so even the longer skirts are beginning to appeal to me.

Despite my concerns about skin and hair damage, taking action to correct it will have to wait a day or so - we are going to the beach for the first time tomorrow!