By Kerry Hale

Unveiling the Impact of Pollution on Hair and Skin in Different UK Areas by Mira Showers

  • Thursday 21st June 2024
  • 6 minute read

Hair and skin health is a hot topic, one which is often associated with our genetics and lifestyle, but have you ever considered that where you live could be having a significant impact?

In our daily lives, various environmental elements can influence the health of our skin and hair. From the water we use to shower in, to the pollution in the air, these external factors can potentially affect our appearance and well-being. 

Understanding how the environment affects our body is the key to keeping it healthy, so to help you understand more, we analysed which UK areas are most affected by pollutants and therefore could be contributing to skin and hair damage.

To determine this, we analysed data that measures how many pollutants are in our water supplies and within the air across different counties in the UK. Each area was then ranked and given a score out of 100. So, which areas are the most affected?

The worst five areas for overall skin and hair health

From our analysis, we found that South London and Kent are the worst areas to live for overall skin and hair health. London is renowned for high levels of air pollution and hard water so for people living in this area, looking after skin and hair health is vital.  

The area scored 95 out of 100 in the weighted rank based on combined metrics measuring the levels of water and air pollutants. The area has the highest average of calcium (152.6) and magnesium (610.1) levels in their water sources. Plus the highest levels of nitrogen oxide (0.0998) and sulphur dioxide (0.0097).

South London and Kent also rank as the worst areas to live when considering skin and hair health as individual factors, with a weighted score of 99 for both. Shockingly, South London has 137% more air pollutants than the national average.

South London also has a staggering 1,000% more magnesium in its water supply than the average across England. The higher the presence of these chemicals in water means the water is much harder, which can have a damaging effect on hair health.

On the other side of the Thames, the West scored 60 out of 100 in our study. The area has an average calcium level of 113.1 and an average magnesium level of 8.8 in its water sources.

Despite having lower levels of magnesium, there are high levels of harmful compounds within the air, with data revealing levels of nitrogen oxide at 0.0830 and sulphur dioxide at 0.0086.

North London & Hertfordshire also made the list, with an average calcium level of 123.9 and an average magnesium level of 11.9 in its water sources. 

Although magnesium levels are higher here than West Thames, the levels of air pollutants are notably lower meaning North London & Hertfordshire ranks at number three with a score of 57 out of 100.

Most damaging area for skin

Aside from South London and Kent, West Thames is the next worst area for skin health, with a score of 71 out of 100. Overall, the London area has 96% more air pollutants than the national average.

Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire is awarded the third worst place to live for skin health with a score of 69 out of 100.

Most damaging area for hair 

In terms of hair health, we found Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk to be the second worst areas to live, after South London and Kent, with a score of 51 out of 100. This was followed by North London and Hertfordshire which scored 39 out of 100.

Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire were revealed to be the fourth county most affected by negative effects of air and water pollution, while the West Thames is the fifth.

Which area is the best for overall skin and hair health?

By looking at how ‘soft’ the water is, meaning it has low levels of mineral deposits, plus the least amount of air pollution based on combined air quality readings, our study revealed that Devon and Cornwall are the best areas to live for overall skin and hair health with a weighted score of just three out of 100. 

Devon and Cornwall have 70% less calcium in their water supply than the average across England, making it not only the overall best place to live for combined skin and hair health, but also the best place for hair health individually. 

Soft water, like the kind you can find in Devon and Cornwall, is less harsh and helps retain natural oils, promoting a healthier scalp and hair.

Devon and Cornwall also has 854% less air pollutants than South London making it the best place to live in England for skin health and the least age-accelerating area to live in England.

Cumbria and Lancashire is the second best area to live, followed by Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire.

What pollutants can be found within air?

Compounds that can be found within air such as nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter were all used for analysis as these are proven to damage and age the skin.

  • Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)  - Nitrogen Oxides can lead to oxidative stress, this stress can damage skin cells, collagen, and elastin, contributing to premature ageing and the development of wrinkles. 
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)  - Some VOCs can cause skin irritation, redness and inflammation. Prolonged exposure may exacerbate conditions like eczema or dermatitis.  
  • Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) - Sulphur dioxide can irritate the skin, leading to inflammation, redness and ultimately altering the skin's PH. 
  • Particulate Matter (PM) - Particulate matter (Particles within the air either caused by humans or natural sources) can cause penetration into the skin, disrupting the skin's barrier.

What chemicals can be found within water?

Although water is crystal clear, it does contain minerals and chemicals. You may be familiar with the terms ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ water which relate to the level of chemicals that can be found within water. 

Hard water contains elevated levels of calcium and magnesium which can cause the formation of mineral deposits on the hair shaft. These deposits can make the hair feel dry, rough, and more prone to tangling.

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Methodology:

Data was extracted from the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Water) which measured the levels of calcium and magnesium from water sources in each area. Calcium and Magnesium are proven to damage hair, so we filtered out all readings that did not include these readings.  Calcium and Magnesium measurements (mg/l) were totalled for each region and then averaged, giving average readings for each region.

Latitude and Longitude coordinates were then matched to coordinates from the National Atmospheric Emissions data, so that Air pollution data could be brought together with water sample data. From the air pollution data; Nitrogen Oxides, Volatile Organic Compounds, Sulphur Dioxide and Particulate matter were all used for analysis as these are proven to damage and age the skin. 

With each region having metrics that demonstrate damaging hair and skin, a weighted rank was created.  Equal weighting was placed on each metric, creating a score between 1-00.  The higher the score to 100, the worse for the skin and hair.

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