What is hard water?
It is the term used to describe water that has a high content of dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium.
The effects of hard water on human hair
A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to spend some time travelling, I spent nearly three months living on the West Coast of Scotland and six months in North Dorset. I have long hair and noticed a dramatic difference in the condition of my hair in each of these two beautiful locations. The soft Scottish water (which was untreated spring water) left my hair fantastically soft and shiny, whilst Dorset's water left it dull, dry and so tangled I struggled to get a brush through it at all.
The effects on hair include:
Hair feels dry and sticky Hair is frizzy and tangled Hair is resistant to colour Hair is resistant to perming Dandruff or eczema of scalp Thinning hair Discoloration or darkening of hair Hair is dull and lifeless You go to the salon and spend a fortune having your hair coloured, permed, or straightened then come home and wash it in "hard" water and either the colour will change, seem dull, or your perm will appear to "fall out".! Why does this happen?
You need water to shampoo your hair and hard water makes it more difficult. Each hair shaft is made up of little scales and hard water tends to make the scales stand up. This results in hair feeling rough and tangled, which in turn makes it more difficult to rinse the shampoo out. Soap is less effective in very hard water because it doesn't lather properly.
So what solutions are available?
There are basically two ways of dealing with the effects of hard water on your hair.
1. Use specially formulated hair products
2. Install a water conditioner.
1. Hair Products for hard water areas
Gorgeous Locks are an online company that produce hair and beauty products to combat the effects of hard water. http://www.gorgeouslocks.co.uk
If your water is very hard you can use a weak acid rinse such as vinegar or lemon juice. A simple vinegar rinse will remove mineral deposits from your hair. It's easy to make: just add half a tablespoon of white or cider vinegar to a cup of water, rainwater ideally.
2. Water Conditioners
By installing an electronic water conditioner you can dramatically reduce the effects of hard water on your hair as well as reducing other detrimental and costly effects including:
Reduce scum marks on baths, sinks and kettles Reduce limescale build up in household appliances Kinder to skin Avoid having to prematurely replace pipe-work, boilers, storage tanks, radiators, showers, washing machines, etc. due to scale build-up Reduce Heating Costs. Avoid using increasingly more fuel to drive the system as scale reduces flow.
