The practice of hair colouring is common among people of all ages. It can change one’s appearance and boost confidence while giving them a new look.
However, many are cautious about the chemicals used in hair dye, which may affect their hair and body in the long run.
With that said, it has been claimed that there are many ways to turn blonde naturally, including a claim that there is a lake in Turkey - Lake Van - that will do this to anyone swimming in it.
Is this actually true?
VERDICT:
TRUE
Yes! Anyone who swims at Turkey’s largest saline-soda lake will experience temporary yellowing or discolouration of their natural hair colour.
In some cases, their eyebrows turn yellow, too!
Kids from Yayliyaka Village in the Van Province flock to the lake during summer to cool off as temperature rises, and they are among the local residents would visit the lake nearly everyday.
With that said, why is this happening? According to Professor Hatice Uce Özkol of the Department of Dermatology at Yüzüncü Yıl University(YYÜ) in Van, this is due to the salinity of the lake's water and the action of the sun's rays in summer.
She added that this affects both hair on head and eyebrows and dissipates in the colder months of the year.
“Those who have oily skin and bathe in the lake are more affected by this. The saline water of the lake removes the dead layers of the skin. This has a lightening effect, which occurs because of the sun and also because the altitude here is high,” said Prof Hatice.
Her findings come after her team analysed the effect on children in Yaylıyaka, a village on the north-eastern shore of Lake Van.
Prof Hatice added that this effect does not just affect children with brown hair.
“The hair of those with red hair can also become even redder. When the effect wears off in winter, the hair returns to its normal state,” she said.
References:
https://www.dailysabah.com/
https://anatoliatoday.com/
