The Lone Star State's largest city has very high ozone pollution combined with a high smoking rate and 90 percent humidity (our pores are clogging just thinking about it). And it looks like H-Town wreaks havoc on more than just skin because it also made our list of the worst hair cities.
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No. 1: Bakersfield, California
The American Lung Association ranks Bakersfield as the city most polluted by year-round particle pollution. The area's dry, stagnant weather doesn't help matters either (nasty pollutants and no fresh, cool air to blow them away). This combined with Bakersfield's record-high sunshine and heat makes this Cali locale a combat zone for your skin. As Dr. Kunin explains, the actual particle pollution obviously isn't good for skin, but what's even more damaging is when the pollution depletes the ozone layer and allows stronger, more damaging UV rays to reach us (Bakersfield is the second most ozone-polluted city).
Before blowing your next paycheck at the derm's office or on pricey skin care products, take a closer look at the place you call home. We looked at pollution levels, sunshine and humidity averages, skin cancer, smoking rates, and even tanning salons per capita to determine which U.S. locales could be disastrous for your skin. Did your city make the list?
