Effect of Hard Water on Hair
Have you ever washed your hands and noticed a film on them afterward? If you have, this is a sure sign that you have hard water in your home. Now, imagine what that is doing to your hair!
Ladies, if this has happened to you, you are damaging your hair every time you wash it without even being aware you are doing it. Hard water consists of high levels of minerals such as calcium (CaCO3) and magnesium (MgSO4). These are the same minerals that do damage to your plumbing and appliances. They can make caring for your hair extremely difficult and who needs that?
As water riddled with calcium and magnesium runs through your hair, these minerals grab onto every strand leaving your hair dry and prone to breakage. This affects the health of your hair by altering its texture, volume, moisture, and even color. If you leave these issues unresolved it can even lead to hair loss.
According to the International Journal of Dermatology, a 2015 study involving females who washed their hair using hard water and distilled water for 30 days found that hard water damaged hair considerably. Ten to 15 hair strands of 15–20 cm that were obtained during combing from 15 female volunteers for the study. At the end of the study the hair from the hard water samples had decreased in thickness and had a rumpled and tangled appearance.
Other problems you may experience from washing your hair in hard water include:
- Breakage
- Thinning
- Dry Scalp
- Dullness
- Brassiness
- Frizziness
Also, the pH of your water plays a role in hair health as well. Human hair has a pH balance between 4.5 and 5. Hard water generally has a pH of 8.5 or higher which is more alkaline than your hair needs. Add in the pH of your choice of shampoo, conditioner, or hair treatments and suddenly your hair is on the fritz. This is because once your hair reaches a pH of 10 or higher, the fibers swell and cause irreversible damage.
What About Soft Water?
Before you spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on cosmetic products for your hair, make sure the water you are using is not the problem. Hard water can damage your hair and by switching to soft water you can fix a lot of your hair problems.
Soft water can make your hair soft and shiny by eliminating calcium from your water supply. It also makes it easier to wash your hair allowing you to use less product. And those things are good.
However, soft water also has negative effects on the health of your hair. Although it may not be as damaging as hard water, using soft water means it will take longer to rinse the soap residue off of your scalp and hair. This leads to a build-up of soap residue on your scalp that decreases your hair’s volume and leave it feeling greasy. Yuk!
How to Prevent Hard Water Hair Damage
Luckily, at Clean Water Solutions Houston we know how to combat hard water, soft water, and increased pH levels to help save your hair from any further damage. If you are looking to bring damaged hair back to life, these techniques should do the trick.
Soft water is essentially the opposite of hard water. While it contains some minerals, the concentration is nowhere near as high as hard water. This means that it is cleaner and healthier.
To attack each of these potential hair casualties at the source, consider purchasing a cost-effective water softener shower head. These shower heads have carbon cartridges that are designed to remove the minerals before the water touches your hair.
You can also purchase a whole house water softener system. This can save your pipes and appliances in addition to saving your hair. While this is the best method for purifying water in your home, this can run on the expensive side.
Either option will minimize the harmful effects hard water has on your hair, but water softeners will combat hard water at every point of contact in your home.
Other temporary healing aids for hair that has been damaged by unfit water include:
- Using natural rinses such as vinegar
- Hair masks
- Replenishing treatments
Call the experts at Clean Water Solutions Houston today so you can stop fighting hard water buildup and follicle damaging pH levels in your water. Our specialists will diagnose any water problems throughout your home quickly and implement a long-term solution even quicker!
Find out more about our water softener installation and then schedule your free Water Analysis today by visiting our website or inbox us today!
