Hair care in Bengaluru

Moderate temperatures, no extreme heat for most of the year, and humidity that is manageable rather than punishing. On climate alone, Bengaluru is easier on hair than the coast or the northern plains.

There are two mild caveats. The dry season can leave hair and scalp drier than people expect, and air quality in denser parts of the city means particulates settling on hair through the day.

Bengaluru's supply is a mix. Piped water from the Cauvery system serves many areas, while a great many apartments and layouts, particularly in the outer and newer parts of the city, depend substantially on borewells or tankers.

Borewell water is generally considerably harder, and hardness is the single most common reason people report their hair deteriorating after moving to or within Bengaluru.

• Shampoo that will not lather properly, so you use more.
• Hair that feels coated or squeaky-rough rather than smooth.
• Dullness that conditioner does not fix.
• White scale on taps, shower heads and in the kettle.
• Colour fading faster than it used to.
• A faint persistent scalp itch.

The soap shake test is a quick confirmation: a clear bottle a third full, a few drops of liquid soap, shaken hard. Thin foam with cloudy scum means hard.

1. 01Use a chelating shampoo once and judge the difference. Look for EDTA or an explicit chelating claim.
2. 02Repeat every week or two if it clearly helps.
3. 03A dilute vinegar rinse, one part to four parts water, between chelating washes.
4. 04Consider a shower filter, which many Bengaluru households find worthwhile. Replace on schedule.
5. 05Oil before washing so hard water sits on oil rather than bare cuticle.
6. 06Condition the mid-lengths and ends every wash.

Ordinary clarifying shampoo will not properly remove mineral deposits. That distinction is the most useful thing in this article.

• Wash frequently enough to clear city particulates, with lukewarm water.
• Keep conditioner off the scalp.
• Attend to the ends during the dry season, when they suffer first.
• Trim every few months.