The bald facts of life in the UAE, sadly, include that many of us are experiencing hair loss. According to a survey quoted in The National yesterday, two-thirds of women say their hair has thinned, and many of the expatriates among them say it has only happened since they moved here.
The experts aren't exactly at a loss to explain things - in fact, there are about 50 possible reasons why women's hair falls out. The root cause for its high incidence in the UAE, however, seems to be a combination of hot weather and poor diet - exacerbated by a change in eating habits during Ramadan. The much-derided public water supply does not appear to share in the blame.
If you're among the female losers, improving your nutrition, with an emphasis on lean proteins, antioxidants and vitamins E, C and B7, may help bring back your natural fullness.
For follically challenged men, the news is not so good. The overwhelmingly most common reason for male hair loss is inheriting the baldness gene, meaning your cherished locks are predestined to fall out as you age.
Of course, the majority of men who make up the UAE's expatriate population are young, hitting our shores just as the years - and in many cases, the gravity - are catching up with them. So it's natural they'd look for excuses. But perhaps nothing explains hair loss like the inevitability of time.
