A woman aged 27 claims that tap water in Bali caused her 30-inch hair to fall out, leading to a traumatic experience that left her housebound for two months. Hollie Marie, originally from Cardiff, was visiting Bali with friends when she noticed her hair thinning. Within months, she lost the majority of her long blonde hair, with large chunks falling out whenever she brushed it. This compelled Hollie, who had been wearing wigs to cover the bald patches, to shave her head completely.
Feeling mortified and unable to leave her house due to feeling ‘ugly,’ Hollie had initially attributed her hair loss to stress, sun exposure, or alopecia. However, a hairdresser later revealed that the poor quality of the island’s tap water was the culprit. To prevent others from facing a similar ordeal, Hollie, who has been living in Bali for three years, established her shower filter business and shared her story on TikTok, garnering significant attention.
Hollie recollected the harrowing experience, saying, “I noticed I was losing hair, but because I had so much hair initially, it took a while to notice how drastic the change was.” She described the distressing change in hair texture and significant hair loss, leading her to eventually shave her head. Overwhelmed by the impact of losing her hair, Hollie refrained from socialising for months, feeling self-conscious about her appearance.
After learning about the water’s role in her hair loss from a hairdresser in April 2022, Hollie founded her business, Travel with Hair, to provide effective shower filters. She now advocates for using filters to protect hair and skin when in Bali, emphasising the importance of proactive measures to avoid hair loss incidents similar to hers. Hollie’s story underscores the significance of water quality in maintaining healthy hair and the importance of awareness and prevention measures.