Scotland 'top for mops'

Experts say Scotland's water can create softer, shiner hair

Healthy hair is more likely to be found on people living in Scottish cities than in other parts of Britain, according to a survey.

Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen all ranked top of the mops in a poll to find the best place in the UK to wash your hair.

Cosmetics scientists believe residents in Scotland will have softer, shinier manes because water north of the border contains less calcium.

In a survey of 1,100 women by beauty company Lush, almost half (47%) rated softness and shine as the most important element of good hair.

But experts believe that only soft water - which contains low levels of calcium - can improve the condition of your locks.

Ten best places to wash your hair Edinburgh Glasgow Aberdeen Manchester Sheffield Birmingham Solihull Exeter Nottingham Cardiff

And the softest of the lot is found north of the border.

In Edinburgh, the survey revealed that there are just 8.7mg of calcium per litre, compared to a massive 124mg per litre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, which came bottom of the league table.

Mark Constantine, Lush managing director, said: "The results are very interesting.

"I believe that our theories should revolutionise shampoo formulations for the next 20 years and dramatically improve everyone's ability to manage their hair.

"That's what is genuinely exciting about this development."

Hard water, which is common in the south of England and contains a lot of calcium, can leave hair dry and brittle.