Have you ever washed your hands and noticed a film on them when you're done? This is the result of hard water. Now, imagine what hard water must be doing to your hair. To put it simply, it's damaging it. Hard water contains a buildup of minerals, like magnesium and calcium, which can produce a film on your hair. This film makes it difficult for moisture to find its way into your hair. The result? Dry hair that is especially prone to breakage. When such issues are left unresolved, hard water damage can even lead to hair loss!
Hard water is found in approximately 90 percent of homes. Taking this into consideration, it's reasonable to imagine that hard water hair damage is largely unavoidable. However, the good news is that there's a lot you can do to counteract these effects. Today, MyCuts will be sharing some hair-saving techniques that you can use to minimize the damage caused by hard water. Let's get started!
The Effects of Hard Water on Hair
Sure, hard water isn't necessarily harmful in itself. That being said, there are some severe downsides to hard water when it comes to your skin and hair. In one study observing the impact of hard water on hair, 15 women found that they had damaged hair after using samples of both hard water and distilled water for 30 days. By the end of the study, the women using hard water had hair with a somewhat ruffled appearance and decreased thickness.
There are a few other ways that hard water can affect your hair. Here are some additional hair symptoms you may notice if you regularly wash your hair with hard water:
- Frizziness
- Dry scalp
- Thinning
- Tangles
- A green hue
- Breakage
- Hair loss
How to Repair Hair Damaged By Hard Water
Now that you understand the effects that hard water can have on your hair, you may be wondering what you can do to protect it. Fortunately, there are a variety of proven methods for treating hard water hair damage. Here are just a few ways you can reduce the impact that hard water has on your hair with ease!
1. Use a Clarifying Shampoo
One of the best ways to protect your hair from hard water damage is to use a clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos can seemingly bring hair damaged by hard water back to life because they remove the mineral buildup that prevents moisture penetration. We highly recommend using a clarifying shampoo at least once a week. Additionally, you should use a clarifying shampoo that focuses on revitalizing your hair rather than just removing mineral buildup. It's always best to kill two birds with one stone. The right clarifying shampoo will produce moisture while removing mineral buildup.
2. Install a Water Softener Showerhead
Another great way to protect your hair from hard water is to install a water softener shower head. Soft water is the opposite of hard water. While soft water does contain some minerals, it doesn't have nearly the amount found in hard water, making it cleaner and healthier for your hair. While many people purify their water by installing a water softener, these can be outlandishly expensive. Luckily, a water softener shower head is a much more budget-friendly option to consider.
Water softener showerheads have cartridges filled with carbon that remove minerals from your water before it ever comes into contact with your hair. In this way, a water softener shower head eliminates the problem at the source. Hard water can't damage your hair if it never comes into contact with it in the first place! Consider installing a water softener showerhead to truly eliminate the risk of hard water hair damage.
3. Use a Hair Mask
Finally, another of our favorite ways to eliminate hard water hair damage is to apply a hair mask. The damage caused by hard water is a result of mineral buildup blocking your hair from moisture. To avoid such damage, you need to find a way to apply that extra moisture that your hair is thirsty for. A hair mask is one of the best ways to do this.
By using a nourishing hair mask at least two times per week, you can restore moisture and produce shine. You should be sure to massage the hair mask well into the scalp, working it through to the tips of your hair for the best effect possible. You should also leave the hair mask in for a minimum of five minutes each time. Additionally, you can use a leave-in conditioner (with a lower pH) to close your hair cuticles back down so that moisture is locked in and minerals are locked out.
Trips to the Hair Salon Made Easy With the MyCuts App!
We hope that these tips for protecting your hair from hard water damage have been helpful! With hard water being found in most homes, we must know how to keep our hair at its healthiest. What's another way to keep your hair healthy and beautiful? Regular trips to the salon! Unfortunately, booking an appointment with your hairstylist isn't always easy. That's where the MyCuts app comes in!
The MyCuts app is a hair salon scheduling app that provides a revolutionary way for salon owners to manage their bookings and inventory easily. Our app makes it easier than ever to schedule an appointment with your favorite salon so that you'll never have to stress about getting in for your next appointment. With convenient appointment reminders sent directly to you, you'll never have to keep track of when your next appointment is scheduled.
If you're a salon owner, the MyCuts app is here to take the burden off your shoulders. Our app offers inventory tracking functionality that allows you to search your inventory by item name. Additionally, you can filter items as "stocked," "low," and "reorder" to ensure that you're never out of your best-selling products.
Try the MyCuts app for free today and see the difference it can make in providing the best hair salon experience possible for your staff and customers alike!
