Hard Water and Hair – What You Need to Know

Keeping your hair protected can be very difficult, especially when there are so many outside forces that seem to be vying for its destruction. Interestingly enough, sometimes, those forces can be right in our own homes. When we talk about hair protection, we’re often referring to your professional curling iron set and the need to keep your locks guarded against heat. Something that we often overlook, however, is the need to make sure your hair is protected from outside influences. One of those outside influences that we’re going to be discussing here today, is hard water, which is definitely an issue for many people. So what is hard water and most importantly, how does it affect your hair?

Hard Water – It Affects you More than Professional Curling Iron Sets

There is an unfortunate misconception floating around that the only hard water, is well water, but surveys have proved to show that more than 85% of water in the United States is hard water. So what is hard water exactly? Let’s start by talking about rainwater. It’s soft, it’s free of minerals, but once it hits the ground it passes through the soil and rocks, which causes it to dissolve a lot of minerals along the way.

Mostly, it’s going to be calcium and magnesium, which turns it into hard water. As the degree of mineral content increases, the water becomes harder, which becomes a real pain in the shower. Showering with hard water will call for more soap, shampoo, and detergent, which can be very counterproductive if you’re trying to save water. Also keep in mind that according to many studies, hard water is an eczema trigger, and it can also negatively affect your hair.

Hard Water and your Hair – What you Need to Know

So how does hard water affect your hair exactly? The first thing you need to know is that contrary to how it appears, each hair on your head is made up of tiny scales, and hard water actually makes them stand up. So, when this happens, it will make your hair feel rough, and it will begin to easily tangle. That said, it’s going to be more difficult to rinse the soap out of your hair, which can leave you with a soap film.

What You Can Do About It

If you suspect that you have hard water, then the first thing that you’re going to need to do, is to determine just how hard it is, which isn’t a matter of great difficulty. All you need to do is make sure that you’re able to test for hard water, which is going to mean calling for the city and asking for their results. This, however, will only work if you are served by a municipal water company, and if not, then you will need to obtain your own hard water testing kit. Don’t worry, it’s easy, and usually free. There are many companies that will offer you a free kit, and all you’re going to need to do is search online.

Once you test, you will be able to seek out hair products that will treat your mane a little better under hard water, and ultimately get the sleek, shiny hair that you deserve. You’re going to need your hair in great condition if you use a hair wand set or any other professional curling products, so do make sure you’re keeping that in mind.

Finally, get the best possible products on the market. It’s going to be a bit more expensive, and potentially more time consuming to do it right, but getting rid of hard water in your home without installing a filter will prove to be troublesome, and it may not be done right away. This is especially true if you live in an apartment complex where hard water is the norm. Still, it’s possible for you to keep your hair under control, and get the sleek shine that you know you deserve. Just put some effort into it!