How to understand that hair is dry and brittle from hard water, and what to do: expert advice

Let’s start with the main thing – with the fact that it is usually hard water. This is considered H2O with a high salt content. There is temporary hardness caused by calcium and magnesium bicarbonates, which can be removed by boiling, and permanent hardness caused by calcium and magnesium sulphates and chlorides – it does not change with exposure to temperature .

When you wash your hair with hard water, an excessive amount of minerals build up on the scalp and strands, and here are the “side effects” it causes.

Calcium and magnesium block moisture – water molecules cannot penetrate either the skin or the hair – because of this, the strands begin to split and break, and even stop shining.

Minerals settle on the curls and the effect will be cumulative – with each wash the film will become thicker. The result is a dull, fluffy color and an everlasting tangle of strands.

If you dye your hair, hard water will prevent you from retaining the color between visits to the salon – the plaque that forms on it quickly destroys the result that the master managed to achieve.

Instead of cleaning the skin, hard water leaves a film on it – over time, mineral deposits can lead to dry, itchy, irritated and flaky scalps.

To do this, as a rule, it is enough to run your hand over freshly washed strands – they will feel rough to the touch, and brunettes may even notice a white coating on the curls that cannot be washed off.

Also, hard water can be calculated by other signs: for example, after boiling it, plaque remains on the walls of the jars, white streaks on clothes after washing, and a film at the surface of the brewed tea.

And finally, think about it: has your hair texture changed despite using the same products? If so, a layer of salts probably built up on them – that’s why they started to get worse.

Here are some ways to help you.

Installing this filter is very simple and, according to dermatologist Rebecca Marcus, MD, it is the best way to get rid of the “special effects” caused by hard water. Catch a bonus: it will help to improve the condition not only of the hair, but also of the skin.

In case a shower filter isn’t the answer, Rebecca recommends using a deep cleansing shampoo once or twice a week to help remove salt deposits from your hair and scalp.

As Dr. Marcus explains, it is excellent for demineralizing hair. To do this, dilute one-third cup of 9% apple cider vinegar in three cups of water and rinse your head with the solution after washing out the shampoo.

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