Residents of 12 villages in Buldhani district, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, are perplexed by mass hair loss.
According to local health authorities, since January 2025, more than 200 people, including children as young as four years old, have reported rapid and unexpected hair loss.
Some have gone completely bald, which has caused concern and even panic among residents, leading health authorities in India to decide to investigate the underlying causes of this phenomenon.
Anandi (not his real name) from Pahurjire village in Shegaon district started losing his hair on December 31, 2024.
He went to the barber and shaved his head.
After that, his hair grew back, but soon began to fall out again.
According to reports, this mysterious condition begins with itching around the scalp, quickly followed by significant hair loss.
Some people's hair grows back, but the exact cause is still unknown.
Currently, the Ministry of Alternative Medicine provides homeopathic medicines to patients based on their symptoms.
The government, experts and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have launched an investigation to find out the possible cause.
Scientists at ICMR, along with teams from the cities of Bhopal, Chennai, Pune, and New Delhi, visited the affected villages and collected samples of hair, nails, blood, urine, and water sources.
These samples were analyzed at the State Medical College in Akola, Maharashtra.
"Biopsies and blood tests clearly showed that this was not caused by a fungal infection," college dean Dr Menakshi Gadzbie told the BBC Marathi service.
"Moreover, it cannot be classified as a specific disease."
"Investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of this problem."
"The various products used by the local population, as well as water sources, are also being analyzed."
A team from the college also visited the affected villages.
"It cannot be said that this is a fungal infection because this rapid hair loss does not usually occur in fungal infections," Dr Amol Gite, Buldhana district health officer, told the BBC Marathi service.
- How is air pollution measured and what levels are dangerous for humans?
- Indian women walk miles to fetch water and can't make a living
- India: Poor children as models
Hair loss and social exclusion
Due to this situation, the residents of the affected villages are discriminated against.
When the BBC visited these areas, some young boys and girls were afraid to come forward and talk about their experiences.
Arranged marriages were canceled, and those who lost their hair were excluded from social activities.
Some students also complained about being teased at school and college.
Fifty-five-year-old Parvati (not his first name) says: “My son has lost his hair.
"All his talks about marriage have failed."
"My son no longer appears in front of anyone in the village."
Sixty-year-old Kaveri Dalokar once had waist-length hair, but now there are no hairs on parts of her head.
"At first, I lost a little hair," she said.
"Then I combed my hair and a lot of hair fell out, and when I washed it, it all fell out."
"It's hard to lose that much hair."
Dr. Somesh Gupta, a dermatologist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi who visited the affected area, tried to reassure residents who are worried about the hair loss and the possibility that it is contagious.
"For those who lost their hair, it started to grow back," he told the BBC.
"I don't think this problem will last long, and the hair that grows back looks healthy."
"It doesn't seem like a viral infection."
"Also, it doesn't seem to be very contagious."
Dr. Sheila Godbole, an expert from the National Institute for AIDS Research, advises: “Patients should be careful about which shampoos and oils they use.
"They should also use their own combs."
"There's no reason to panic."
While unexplained hair loss has been reported in people experiencing high levels of stress, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people experienced temporary hair loss, there is no documented case of sudden mass hair loss in a specific area like this one in Buldhana.
Although environmental contamination is often one of the main causes in similar situations, officials have taken various measures, such as testing water sources and other environmental factors.
Groundwater samples from the affected villages have been analyzed, and the district administration has advised that as a preventive measure, chlorine be added to all local water sources to ensure that the water is safe to drink.
- Why do some people's hair fall out after contracting the corona virus?
- Why is hair transplantation so little talked about?
- Sterility, exercise and hair loss: What threatens male fertility
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube i Viber. If you have a topic suggestion for us, please contact bbcnasrpskom@bbc.co.uk
Bonus video:
