Is your Tap Water Harming Your Hair? Here's what you should do!

Maintaining a healthy mane is becoming increasingly taxing. Hard water, pollution, unhealthy lifestyle, and diet contribute substantially to hair loss. While we cannot control everything in our immediate environment, we can certainly pay attention to the quality of water that we are using for our hair.

The effects of hard water on our hair can be permanent. It is pumped with chlorine, mineral salts, calcium, and a plethora of dust and sand particles. While it is generally advised to avoid hard water for hair wash, in some cases, it is unavoidable.

Read along to know how water affects your hair and what measures you should take while washing your hair with tap water.

What Does Hard Water Do to Hair?

Hard water is brimming with impurities like sand, metal residues, dirt, and more, which makes lathering using shampoos and soaps difficult. Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) and Magnesium Sulphate (MgSO4) are two types of salt that make water particularly hard.

In order to get rid of the salts and other impurities, hard water is treated with chlorine and other chemical disinfectants to make it fit for use. The end result, however, is not completely free of these mineral salts and has additional residues of chlorine and fluoride.

When this treated water is combined with shampoo, the minerals present in it combine with the soap and form a salt. This salt leaves a residue on the scalp and roots of the hair, compromising your skin’s porous quality.

The film created by this residue blocks moisture from penetrating into the scalp, making it unhealthy and prone to hair breakage.

How Do You Prevent Hair Loss from Hard Water?

1. First, you need to check how hard the water is and if its current quality is permanent. Sometimes, hard water can have increased levels of bicarbonate salts. This can make the water running in your faucets hard but on a temporary basis. This brief harshness can be taken care of by boiling the water.
2. If the hardness of water is permanent, you can take a few measures to prevent hair loss. You can use a shower filter in your bathroom or a new water filtration system in the main tank. This will not only protect your hair against breakage but will contribute towards better skin and teeth as well.
3. The main culprit for hair issues is the mineral build-up that is created when you use hard water. You can use a clarifying shampoo once a week to rid your hair of mineral build-up. Natural acidic rinse can also help to deal with the situation. You can also use gentle hair scrubs to remove any mineral residue.

Why Is Tap Water Not Healthy for the Hair?

Tap water can degrade water quality further as it adds more impurities to the water. Heavy metals from the faucets can spew into your water silently and make it dangerous for your hair and overall health. These heavy metals are capable of acting as biocatalysts and alter your hair on a cellular level.

The increased amount of sodium fluoride and lime scale present in water can make your scalp inflamed and more prone to flakiness. Dryness is also associated with the presence of heavy metals, fluorides, and lime scale.

These impurities can speed up the process of hair miniaturization, which defines the age of your hair. The speed of hair miniaturization is directly proportional to hair fall.

What Can Be Done to Change Accumulation of Excessive Copper in Hair Fibers?

If your tap is made of copper and hasn’t been well-kept, it can lead to an increased level of copper in water. Accumulation of excessive copper in hair fibers have been associated with slow hair growth, damaged hair and pigmentary changes in the hair strands.

Copper can act as both an antioxidant and pro-oxidant. In a controlled amount, it can be useful but excess of it can lead to premature graying. You can resort to water softening treatment to avoid exposure of hair to an increased level of copper.

There are many chemical treatments available to reverse the damage caused by excessive copper in the hair fibers.

How Do I Protect My Hair from Chlorine from Tap Water?

Hard water often has an increased level of chlorine that is added to it to treat other impurities. One of the best ways to protect your hair against it is to use fresh or filtered water. You can even use bottled water if possible. A diligent water softening system can help as well.

Since tap water is known to dry out hair, you can also use counter treatments, including leave-in conditioners, hydrating hair masks and chemical-free shampoos as well to prevent further damage.

End Note

Many studies conducted by NCBI have proved the correlation between hair loss and hard water. Excess exposure to chemically treated or harsh water is the root cause of premature graying, hair breakage, and hair damage. If this breakage is not treated on time, it can lead to hair thinning and permanent hair loss.

We, at Advanced Hair Studio, can guide you through these perils and help you in reversing the effects of hard water on your hair. We offer a number of treatment options that can further protect your hair against hard water.

We can also suggest some products that you can incorporate into your hair care routine. With the help of our hair experts, you can easily navigate out of hair issues.

FAQs on Water for Hair

Does Cold Water Make Hair Fall Out?

Water in any extreme temperature can have an effect on the scalp and hair health. Hot water can open the pores of your scalp, making it void of all the essential oils. Cold water in extremely cold weather can send stress signals to your nerve endings and give you a headache.

When the temperature is normal or hot, cold water is your best option for hair wash. If you live in a cold country, you can use lukewarm water.

Does Vinegar Remove Hard Water from Hair?

Acidic ingredients like apple cider vinegar and lime juice can reduce mineral build up in hair. However, one must keep in mind that direct application of any type of acid on the scalp and hair can do more damage than good. Always dilute these acids before rinsing your hair with them.

Dilute one tablespoon of vinegar with at least three cups of purified water. Lime juice and many types of vinegar don’t suit a majority of the population. Apple cider vinegar is a fruit vinegar that is gentle on the scalp and protects it against dandruff as well.

Can Hard Water Damage Your Hair?

Studies from NCBI and Mayo Clinic have proved that hard water is not good for hair. It can change the texture of your hair, make your scalp produce more sebum, and lead to baldness as well. Depending on your hair quality and the hardness of the water that you are receiving, these effects may vary.

Which Water Is Best for Hair Wash?

Purified bottled water at room temperature is the best for hair wash.