Signs Your Hair Is Being Affected By Hard Water

Woman Lathering Shampoo On Head

Home Water Quality

May 31, 2023

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Learn the common hair health signs and issues that may be caused by hard water in your home.

What Are The Signs Of Hard Water On Hair?

Hard water often makes people feel like their body isn’t getting clean enough, even when they shower. However, many people neglect to realize another issue with hard water: how it affects your hair.

Hard water’s effect on hair can make the task of brushing and styling your locks a painful and irritating process. By identifying the potential signs of hard water on hair, you can implement preventative solutions to protect the future of your hair’s health.

This article will discuss the symptoms of hard water on the hair and how to approach your water problem to solve your current predicament.

Women Combing Out Hair Damaged By Hard Water

Common Signs Of Hard Water Effects On Hair

Hard water affects your hair in numerous ways that often go unnoticed. Identifying the signs of hard water on your hair is the first step to preventing further damage.

1) Hair Dryness

If you’ve noticed that your hair is drier than usual, it could indicate hard water damage. Hard water damage is especially likely if you are still experiencing dry hair when using shampoo and conditioners that typically treat dryness.

2) Hair Loss

In some cases, prolonged exposure to hard water on your hair could cause hair thinning and hair loss. Hard water harms the scalp, which could lead to excess hair loss. However, hair loss isn’t as common as other signs of hard water and is more often seen in people with hard water experiencing eczema or psoriasis.

3) Hair Damage and Breakage

If your hair seems weaker than usual and you’re noticing more split strands, you might be experiencing one of the effects of hard water on your hair. Hard water causes your hair to become prone to damage and breakage, which can be worsened when you brush and style your hair. The more exposure to hair water your hair receives, the weaker your strands and follicles become.

4) Frizziness

Exposure to hard water may cause your hair to take on a ruffled, frizzy appearance. Styling your hair and keeping it in place becomes more challenging the longer you shower with hard water.

Woman Brushing Frizzy Dry Hair

What Does Hard Water Do To Hair?

If you notice some common signs of hard water on your hair, taking action to prevent further damage is crucial. With prolonged exposure to hard water, hair can experience significant damage and harmful long-term effects.

Hard water contains a high mineral content; mineral buildup can cause many other issues. Below are the significant impacts of hard water and the potential long-term damage hard water can have on your hair’s health.

1) Fading Color

Hard water can cause damage to people who color their hair and lead to the color fading and becoming duller. Hard water can even change your hair color due to the stress excess minerals cause to your hair and scalp. Color-treated hair is more vulnerable to hard water and could cause damage long after your hair color has faded.

2) Harm to Hair Growth

Hard water can cause long-term damage to your hair’s natural growth. This damage is especially likely if you have eczema or psoriasis, as you are more susceptible to hair loss, preventing a healthy growth process for your hair.

3) Dry, Flaky, or Greasy Scalp

A dry and flaky scalp is a common sign of hard water damage on your hair. However, prolonged exposure to hard water can make your scalp greasier than usual. While natural oils in your hair are essential to its health, too much oil buildup caused by hard water can damage and irritate your scalp.

4) Flat Appearance

Hard water can give your hair a flat appearance, making it challenging to style it the way you want it to look. Without identifying your hard water problem, you’ll find it challenging to revitalize your hair and get rid of the flatness.

How Do You Know If You Have Hard Water?

Avoiding hard water protects your hair from short and long-term damage. However, many homeowners need help identifying a hard water problem. Hard water isn’t only identifiable by your hair’s health; it affects various parts of your home. If you suspect hard water, it’s crucial to pay attention to all of the possible signs.

First, pay attention to your houseware. When you’re taking dishes and glasses out of the dishwater, examine them for any spots. These spots are signs of mineral deposits like calcium carbonate and indicate a hard water issue.

Additionally, hard water can be identified by the feeling on your hands after you wash them. After washing your hands, see if you feel a film covering the skin. A film over your hands is caused by soap forming soap scum reacting to the calcium from your hard water.

Pay attention to your water pressure whenever you turn on a faucet. Low water pressure could indicate a hard water issue, as mineral buildup can occur in your pipes and affect water flow.

Hard Water Scale On Shower Head

How To Repair Hair That Has Been Damaged

You should install a whole-home water softener system to repair your hair and solve your hard water problem. For instance, companies like Aqualite US offer whole-home water softeners that can improve water quality which will help to improve your hair quality and overall health.

Other ways to repair the damage that hard water has caused your hair include the following options.

  • Avoid washing your hair too often and cut back if you wash your hair daily.
  • Lessen how often you use hot hair tools like flat irons and curlers. When using these tools, lower the temperature.
  • Invest in hair healing masks.
  • Get frequent trims for your hair to reduce damaged ends.
  • Consult with a stylist about potential serums, leave-in conditioners, or specific hair brushes to help repair your damaged hair.
Woman Applying Hair Healing Serum

What Do I Do About My Water Problem?

The best thing you can do to address your hard water problem is to get an in-home water test from professionals that can test the level of hard minerals in your water. Testing your water regularly is essential, and Aqualite’s water experts can help you identify potential water problems and how to solve them.

Additionally, you can consider at-home water testing kits to collect your samples and ship these samples to an independent certified laboratory for testing.

Take time to check out the local hard water guides in your region. Hard water maps can identify areas in your state where hard water is common.

Soft Water From Shower

Call on Aqualite US To Solve Hard Water Problems

Hard water effects on hair can be incredibly damaging if you don’t address the issue. Aqualite US can provide advanced water treatment solutions to address your potential hard water problems, including whole-home water softener systems that protect you and your hair from harmful chemicals and minerals.

If you’re seeking a solution to repair your hair after exposure to hard water, contact the experts at Aqualite today to find solutions for any of your home’s water problems.

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