Affects of Hard Water on Hair

Most people don't know that hard water can greatly affect your hair. Hard water minerals bond to hair in the same way that conditioner does. It also finds its way beneath the surface layers. The more damaged the hair (heat, highlighting, permanent color, relaxer, permanent wave), the more minerals will bond to it, but minerals bond to little-damaged hair too. Hard water minerals can create stiffness, inflexibility, brittleness and breakage, dullness and friction in hair. Minerals that make your hair feel more stiff might reduce elasticity or at least flexibility and increase friction in your hair. Less-flexible hair is a cosmetic problem and makes hair products behave unpredictably. But friction in hair is something that can increase brittleness as hairs rub against each other, breaking off cuticles and creating tangles. Hard water build up tends to make hair feel dry or less soft (more rigid). It may cause hair to look dull and frizzy. Some hair may get a brassy or reddish discoloration or grayish. If there is a substantial amount iron in your water, orange shades tend to appear, especially in lighter-colored hair. Some people's hair will not grow past a certain length when their water is very hard because hair may become brittle with hard water accumulation. The only way to avoid this is by finding a shampoo to remove mineral build-up from your hair. For commercial products, a chelating shampoo is what you want to look for. Most will be labeled as "hard water shampoo" or hard water treatment, or as chelating shampoos