The Most Damaging Cities in Michigan for your Hair Revealed in New Study

Photo by Sherise Van Dyk on Unsplash

Article courtesy of Dr. Terziler

• A new study has revealed the most damaging locations in Michigan for your hair, based on humidity, UV radiation, sunshine hours, wind speeds, and water hardness.
• Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the number one most damaging city in the state.
• An expert gives advice on reducing climate-related hair damage.

Research has revealed the most damaging locations for your hair in Michigan, with Grand Rapids ranking number one.

Hair transplant surgeon Dr. Terziler identified which cities and Census Designated Places (CDPs) in Michigan are the most damaging for your hair, based on five key environmental factors affecting hair health and manageability: humidity, UV radiation, sunshine hours, wind speeds, and water hardness. They gave each location an index score, with a higher score indicating a more damaging city. The study included the ten cities and CDPs within the state with the largest populations.

The most damaging locations in Michigan for your hair

Grand Rapids is the Michigan city most likely to contribute to hair damage, with an index score of 57.84 out of 100. The city experiences high average humidity at 71.89%, moderate solar exposure of 14.61 MJ/m², and just over eight hours of daily sunshine. While it has steady winds, averaging 7.78 mph, it has very hard water at 380 parts per million (PPM).

Muskegon comes in second, with an index score of 57.8 out of 100. This area has elevated humidity levels, at 75.48%, as well as shortwave radiation averaging 14.79 MJ/m² and roughly 8.23 hours of sunshine each day. Its average wind speeds are 9.18 mph, and hard water levels of 116 PPM.

South Lyon ranks third, scoring 57.78 out of 100. The city’s climate includes humidity of 73.29%, a solar exposure of 14.33 MJ/m², and to 8.01 hours of daily sunshine. Winds average 8.24 mph, while hard water levels are at 326 PPM.

Ann Arbor places fourth, with an index score of 52.19 out of 100. Its average daily humidity is 72.90%, paired with moderate solar radiation of 14.37 MJ/m² and about 8.08 hours of sunshine. Winds average 8.32 mph, and water hardness reaches 129 PPM.

Kalamazoo rounds out the top five, with an index score of 51.95 out of 100. The city experiences 73.03% humidity, solar exposure of 14.58 MJ/m², and roughly eight hours of sunshine per day. Its average wind speed is 7.86 mph, combined with hard water levels of 145 PPM.

Dr. Terziler has commented, 

“Environmental factors play a far bigger role in hair health than many people realize. High humidity can cause the hair shaft to swell, lifting the cuticle and leading to frizz, breakage, and loss of definition, while UV radiation and long sunshine hours can damage the hair’s protein structure, much like how the sun can damage our skin.

“Strong winds increase friction, tangling and breakage, and hard water leaves mineral buildup on the scalp and hair, making it drier and more prone to snapping.

“If you live in or are planning on visiting any of the top ten locations, each of these factors can be managed with the right approach. In humid climates, lightweight anti-frizz products and regular conditioning help seal the cuticle. UV exposure can be reduced with hats, UV-protective hair sprays, and by avoiding direct sun exposure at peak hours.

“Wind-related damage can be minimized by wearing protective styles such as braids, while hard water damage can be decreased by using chelating shampoos, shower filters, and deep conditioning treatments to restore moisture.

“This study highlights how your location can affect your hair’s health, and why hair care routines should always be adapted to where you live.”

Sources:

Open-Meteo, Aquasure

Methodology:

501 US cities and CDPs (Census Designated Places) were analyzed to determine which areas are the most damaging for your hair. The study included the top ten cities and CDPs with the largest populations from every state. Cities were filtered to give data for Michigan only, as well as the US as a whole. A total of five factors were used to create an index score out of 100 for each location, and a weighting was assigned to each factor to reflect its importance within the analysis. The factors, their sources, and their percentage weightings are as follows:

• Average Daily Relative Humidity (%) – Source: Open-Meteo.com (22.2% weighting)
• Average Daily Shortwave Radiation (MJ/m²) – Source: Open-Meteo.com (22.2% weighting)
• Average Daily Sunshine Duration (hr) – Source: Open-Meteo.com (11.1% weighting)
• Average Daily Wind Speed (mph) – Source: Open-Meteo.com (22.2% weighting)
• Water Hardness (PPM) – Source: Aquasure.com (22.2% weighting)

The top 50 most damaging locations in the US for your hair (national ranking)