Trichologist in Dubai: a GMS guide by Yuna Shkhagosheva

Yuna Shkhagosheva — GP, dermatologist, cosmetologist, trichologist

What brings people to a trichologist in Dubai

I hear one of three stories most often. "I moved here, and a couple of months later my hair started falling out." "My hair has turned dry and brittle — it must be the water." "I started a weight-loss injection, and now I have less hair." Here is what the research says and what I check at the visit. How much shedding is normal and the main types of hair loss are covered in my article on hair loss. This guide covers what is specific to life in the UAE.

Shedding after a move

A move brings stress, a new time zone, a new sleep schedule and different food. Often there is an illness in the first months or rapid weight loss on top. Hair responds to events like these with a delay. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) calls this telogen effluvium: many hairs enter the resting phase at the same time and fall out a few months after the trigger, most often 2–3 months later. So you have already settled into Dubai, and only now does hair start showing up on the pillow.

It is reversible. Once the body readjusts, shedding stops, and fullness usually returns within 6–9 months. If thinning continues or the part keeps widening, stress alone no longer explains it, and we look for deficiencies and check for androgenetic alopecia.

Vitamin D and iron: what we know about the UAE

There is plenty of sun, yet many UAE residents are low on vitamin D. A hospital study in Abu Dhabi that analyzed 60,979 patients from 2012 to 2014 found vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in 82.5%, among UAE nationals and visitors alike. These were hospital patients, not the whole country, but the pattern is clear. The reason is lifestyle: apartment, car, office and mall, all air-conditioned, and in summer people barely go outside.

Iron tells a similar story for women. In a study of healthy young Emirati adults, 65% of the women had ferritin below 30 µg/L and 16% had iron deficiency anemia. We found no separate data for expats, but heavy periods, pregnancy, childbirth, vegetarian eating and strict diets deplete iron stores anywhere in the world. For hair, ferritin is the number that matters: it reflects iron stores and drops before hemoglobin does.

So with diffuse shedding I start with blood tests, not a multivitamin. At GMS the Anemia profile mini (CBC, iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, vitamin B12, ferritin) costs 500 AED, Vitamin D 25-hydroxy, total costs 250 AED, and the Thyroid function test (T3, T4, TSH) costs 300 AED. Taking iron or high-dose vitamin D "just in case" is not a good idea: both build up in the body, so the doctor sets the dose based on your results.

Dubai water: what the studies show

Dubai tap water is desalinated seawater. "My hair is falling out because of the water" is something I hear almost every week.

We found no studies on desalinated water and hair specifically. There is research on hard water, which is rich in calcium and magnesium. In a 2018 study, hair from 70 men was treated with hard water and with deionized water for three months: after hard water the hair's tensile strength dropped, after deionized water it did not. An earlier small study of 15 volunteers found no difference in strength or elasticity. The careful conclusion: hard water may weaken the hair shaft and add to breakage.

None of these studies looked at hair loss, though. Breakage and shedding are different things. A broken hair is a short fragment with no bulb, and it keeps growing. A shed hair comes out whole, with a small white bulb at the end. If your brush is full of fragments, it makes sense to talk about hair care and water. If it is full of whole hairs, we look for the cause inside the body.

About shower filters: we found no controlled studies showing that a filter reduces hair loss. If your hair has become dull and brittle, a filter is worth a try. But it won't stop shedding: the cause isn't the water.

Sun, chlorine and air conditioning

According to the AAD, UV light breaks down the proteins in hair and changes its color. The sun in the UAE is strong for most of the year, and long hair that spends years under it turns dry and brittle. Protection is simple: a wide-brimmed hat, or hair products with SPF such as a leave-in conditioner or spray.

A thinning scalp burns. When hair is fine or the part is wide, the scalp is exposed and the risk of sunburn goes up. The AAD recommends a hat or sunscreen applied directly to the scalp: SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum, water-resistant, reapplied every 2 hours and whenever your head gets wet or sweaty.

Pool chlorine dissolves hair lipids, the fatty coating that protects the hair shaft (AAD). That is why daily swimmers get dry hair and split ends. What helps: apply oil or a leave-in conditioner before the pool, wear a swim cap, then rinse right away, wash with a swimmer's shampoo and follow with conditioner.

Air conditioning dries out the air at home and at work almost all year. Your scalp is skin too, and in dry air it flakes and itches more often. A bedroom humidifier and a gentle shampoo are a good start. If itching and flaking don't settle, have your scalp checked: what looks like "dryness" is often seborrheic dermatitis, and it is treatable.

GLP-1 medications and hair

Many people in Dubai take semaglutide, tirzepatide or similar drugs. Hair shedding with rapid weight loss has long been known: the AAD lists losing 9 kg (20 pounds) or more among the typical triggers of telogen effluvium. New data came out in October 2026.

At the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Vienna, researchers presented two studies on the same group of participants: 575 people taking GLP-1 medications were compared with 1,329 people with type 2 diabetes or obesity who had never taken them, in France, the US, Brazil and Mexico. Unusual hair loss was reported by 50% of GLP-1 users versus 34% of controls, loss of hair volume or density by 42% versus 19%, and hair loss that began after starting treatment by 26% versus 12%. Scalp redness was about three times as common, and hair loss was almost always accompanied by itching, redness or scaling. Nail detachment from the nail bed: 39% versus 9%.

The authors name the limitations themselves: the studies are cross-sectional, rely on what participants reported rather than a doctor's exam, and cannot prove the drug is the cause. So far these are congress presentations that have not been peer reviewed. The work was supported by a maker of hair care products. Their practical takeaway matches mine: if you notice shedding, an itchy or red scalp while on a GLP-1 drug, see a doctor rather than stop treatment on your own. Scalp inflammation is treatable, and with a reduced appetite it is worth checking ferritin and other markers with a blood test.

Postpartum shedding

Dubai has a lot of young families, and I get asked about this all the time. After delivery estrogen levels fall, and the hairs that "stayed put" during pregnancy shed all at once. According to the AAD, shedding starts a few months after birth, peaks around 4 months, and most women regain their usual fullness by their child's first birthday. This is excessive shedding, not true hair loss, and it usually needs no treatment. If your hair hasn't recovered after a year, it is worth checking ferritin and thyroid function and seeing whether androgenetic alopecia has shown itself.

Androgenetic alopecia

This is hereditary thinning, and it is common in both men and women. Climate and water don't cause it, but after a move many people notice for the first time that their part looks wider. The hair doesn't so much fall out as get finer. It can be treated, and the earlier you start, the better the odds (AAD). Results take patience: from 4 months to a year, depending on the treatment. Treatment options are covered in our article on hair loss.

A trichology visit at GMS

You will see Yuna Shkhagosheva, GP, dermatologist-cosmetologist, trichologist, member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV). The visit includes:

• history: when it started and what happened 2–3 months before — a move, an illness, childbirth, a diet, new medications, GLP-1 drugs;
• a scalp exam and trichoscopy — a magnified look at the hair and scalp that shows thinning, inflammation and broken hairs;
• blood tests when needed — samples are taken right here at the clinic;
• a plan: treating the cause and choosing scalp care — shampoo, products, sun protection, rules for the pool.

A Trichologist consultation is 750 AED, Trichoscopy is 500 AED, and Selecting a scalp and hair care system is 300 AED. If shedding is linked to a scalp condition, the same doctor treats that too — more on the dermatology page. How to protect your skin from the sun is covered in our article on sun and skin in the UAE.

You can book with Yuna Shkhagosheva through the form on our website or on WhatsApp. Consultations are in English and Russian.

Sources

• EADV. GLP-1 receptor agonists: nail and scalp involvement, two multinational studies presented at the EADV Congress 2026 (press release, 1 October 2026)
• American Academy of Dermatology. Hair shedding
• American Academy of Dermatology. Can COVID-19 cause hair loss?
• American Academy of Dermatology. Hair loss in new moms
• American Academy of Dermatology. Must-try summer hair care
• American Academy of Dermatology. How to apply sunscreen
• American Academy of Dermatology. Alopecia areata: self-care (sun protection for the scalp)
• American Academy of Dermatology. Hair loss: diagnosis and treatment
• Government of Dubai Media Office. Dubai's desalinated water production rises by 4.6% (2024)
• Luqman M.W. et al. To evaluate and compare changes in baseline strength of hairs after treating them with deionized water and hard water and its role in hair breakage. International Journal of Trichology (2018)
• Srinivasan G. et al. Effects of hard water on hair. International Journal of Trichology (2013)
• Haq A. et al. Vitamin D deficiency: a single centre analysis of patients from 136 countries. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol (2016)
• Al-Dabbagh B. et al. Half of the Emirati population has abnormal red cell parameters: challenges for standards and screening guidelines. Hemoglobin (2014)

FAQ

Why is my hair falling out after moving to Dubai?

Most often it is telogen effluvium, a reaction to stress, a new routine, an illness or rapid weight loss. Shedding starts with a delay, usually 2–3 months after the trigger, and fullness returns within 6–9 months. If thinning continues or your part keeps widening, it's time to check for deficiencies and rule out androgenetic alopecia.

Does Dubai water cause hair loss?

We found no studies on desalinated water and hair. In one study, hard water lowered the tensile strength of hair, which may add to breakage. Hair loss itself was not studied. If your brush holds whole hairs with a white bulb, the cause is inside the body, not in the water.

Do shower filters help with hair loss?

We found no controlled studies showing that a shower filter reduces hair loss. If your hair has become dull and brittle, a filter is worth a try. But it won't stop shedding: the cause isn't the water.

Can semaglutide and other GLP-1 drugs cause hair loss?

Data presented at the EADV Congress in 2026 found unusual hair loss in 50% of GLP-1 users versus 34% of controls, almost always with an itchy or red scalp. The studies rely on self-reported symptoms and cannot prove the drug is the cause. If you notice shedding on a GLP-1 drug, see a doctor rather than stop treatment on your own.

Which blood tests should I get for hair loss in Dubai?

For diffuse shedding: ferritin and a complete blood count, vitamin D and thyroid function. At GMS the Anemia profile mini with ferritin is 500 AED, vitamin D is 250 AED and the thyroid panel (T3, T4, TSH) is 300 AED. A Trichologist consultation is 750 AED.

This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.

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