The truth: Hairy things from the capital

“No, that doesn’t work at all,” comments master hairdresser Pedro Pietsch after holding his hand under the running water. He turns off the tap.

"It's absolutely poison for my craft. It's basically not water, but pure lime. People wash their hair with Berlin water, then they come to me and I have to give them another load of lime. Hair doesn't tolerate that. I try to save what can be saved with spray and gel, but I can only sugarcoat the result."

Crisis-plagued Berlin has one more catastrophe. The Hair Challenge Index 2026 doesn't leave anything good in the capital. It's not just high rents, dirt on the streets, organized crime and an abnormally bad mood that make life hell, but also the hard water, air pollution, UV radiation and humidity.

These factors affect the condition of the hair, and because everything in Berlin is too much, things are bad for the hair of Berliners. The hard water is full of calcium and magnesium and these bad things build up in the hair and make the hairstyle look like it hasn't been washed for six months.

“Speaking of sugarcoating,” says Pietsch. "For a while I tried hydrogen peroxide. Half a liter per hair root. The customers looked as if they had reached into a socket. I told them that it was the latest fashion, straight from Paris and Milan, that the fashion-conscious metropolitan trendsetter wears it," smiles Pietsch.

"At first the customers believed me, but when they stood on the mat again after two weeks and looked as if an atomic bomb had been tested on their head, I had no choice but to give them pure wine. Berlin is to blame, most of them no longer have any emotional reaction to the explanation. I then just give tips on how one might be able to save something," the victim shakes his head.

"Because of the UV radiation, I recommend using sunscreen, but be careful with your hair. Not leaving the apartment can also help and if you have an appointment with me, you should just wear a hat or put up an umbrella. And just no water! No pipe beads, no mineral water, no table water. Some people swear by rain and then wash their hair. But I don't know, why should rainwater be harmless in Berlin?"

According to the Hair Challenge Index 2026, Hamburg is said to be the most livable of all German cities when it comes to hair. The UV radiation is said to be the lowest, which is not surprising since it rains there all day. The tap water is probably also better because the entire German lime deposit is concentrated in the Berlin region.

It is probably even better further north, while the south of Europe reaches values ​​like those in Berlin. In Athens, for example, a bald head might be the best choice. The hairdressing trade is virtually extinct there. Year-round sunshine, car traffic with fine dust pollution that exceeds all limits and then the famous Athenian humidity, which gives every hairstyle a strength that makes all combs break.

Master hairdresser Pedro Pietsch has made a decision: "I think I'll emigrate to Hamburg. Maybe the city isn't just good for your hair, if you understand what I mean."