The Impact of Hard Water on Hair: Solutions for Healthier Strands
Water hardness refers to the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium it contains. The more minerals, the harder the water. It’s not bad for health, but it can lead to limescale building up in pipes and appliances, and clothes fading, so think what it’s doing to your hair. The excess minerals are likely to form a film over your hair strands. This means it’s harder for moisture to get through the cuticle layers, so over time, your hair becomes dull and dry. Dry, brittle hair is more likely to break, and if you continue to wash your hair with hard water, this breakage can lead to hair loss. Before breakage, you may experience frizzy, tangled hair and a dry, itchy scalp due to the mineral buildup blocking the hair follicles. Hard water can also cause difficulties with coloring hair, with the color washing out quickly or turning brassy. Up to 85% of the US has hard water, so chances are you’re experiencing one or more of these problems.
Hair Care Tips to Protect Your Hair from Hard Water
Your first step to repairing your hard water-damaged hair is to remove the build-up of minerals. If you’ve been using hard water for a while, you can use one part apple cider vinegar and three parts water to rinse your hair to help further reduce build-up and begin the detox process. There are now clarifying shampoos that target mineral build-up instead of just styling product build-up. Swapping to one of these can improve your hair and scalp health and ensure your hair can be properly cleansed and moisturized. If you don’t want to use this shampoo every time, you can use a sulfate-free one in between to ensure you’re not disturbing your natural oil production, which will cause new hair and scalp problems. Next, work hard on hydration to combat the hard water dryness. Use light leave-in conditioners and conditioning masks regularly to improve the texture and health of your hair. Always ensure your shampoo is fully rinsed out before conditioning so you’re not locking in anything other than moisture.
Long-Term Steps to Repair Your Hair
The haircare tips here will help protect your hair and scalp, but there are ways to go further for better results. The best way to get results is to replace your shower head with one containing carbon cartridges to soften the water as it comes out. This stops the mineral build-up at its source. If you can’t change your shower this time, using filtered water to rinse at the end of your shower can help clear some minerals. Ending with a cold blast can also help close the cuticles and lock in moisture.
Once you’ve taken steps to prevent further build-up, your salon can offer deep conditioning or protein treatments to help build your hair back up to its full glory. At Indulge Salon, we are proud of our mission to help you find your best hair. To start with, find out more about our conditioning options.
