Hard Water: What Is It, What Does It Do To Your Hair, And How Can You Fix It?

In many parts of the world, hard water is what’s released through showers and sinks. Hard water refers to water that contains higher levels of minerals, metals, and other mainly harmless contaminants, which in turn can impact the hair and skin when one showers. 

Hard water could increase symptoms of pre-existing conditions like eczema, dandruff, and dermatitis, as hard water can make the hair and skin dryer, coarser, and duller. It’s also known for being especially harsh on textured hair, leading many individuals to use more shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash to reach the results they would have in a shower without hard water. 

Luckily, there are methods and products that exist that can filter out the extra minerals and metals, and help one’s hair and skin remain smooth, moisturized, and healthy. 

Many individuals have utilized plumbing technology such as domestic water softeners, however, these tend to be expensive, and sometimes aren’t usable with older plumbing systems. 

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One solution that many individuals have begun to implement are purifying shower heads, which are available online for less than $100. The shower head attachment screws onto most standard shower heads, making it so the water is filtered before it hits your skin and hair. Like water filters, these utilize replaceable filter cartridges, to ensure the head works continuously. 

It’s also recommended that for individuals with thicker, coarser, and/or textured hair, to utilize a clarifying shampoo every 7-14 days as opposed to their regular shampoo. Clarifying shampoo is formulated to remove excess buildup and residue from your hair and scalp, offering a much deeper clean than regular shampoo. 

It’s important to note that clarifying shampoo is not meant to be used on a regular basis due to how deeply it cleans the hair/scalp. If you were to use it every day, it would lead to much drier hair and skin. 

Finding a proper moisturizer and skin routine that works for your specific skin type, on your face and body, is important in general, but especially if you notice that your shower water is impacting your hair and skin.