Is Hard Water Ruining Your Hair? Here’s How You Can Manage It

Hard water dries out your scalp and causes dandruff while making your hair frizzy and coarse.

 
Sambhav Kumar
Written by: Sambhav KumarUpdated at: Feb 12, 2023 10:00 IST
 Is Hard Water Ruining Your Hair? Here’s How You Can Manage It

3rd Edition of HealthCare Heroes Awards 2023

We are all concerned about our hair texture. Busy schedules and hectic lifestyles can leave one with little to no time to practice good hair care. The harm has already been done by the time you begin a good hair care routine. However, water quality is an essential element that many people overlook. One of the main causes of excessive hair fall is hard water, which is relatively frequent in most parts of India. Hard water dries out your scalp and causes dandruff while making your hair frizzy and coarse. Unfortunately, many individuals are unaware of the negative consequences of hard water.

Is It True That Hard Water Causes Hair loss?

Hard water is high in calcium and magnesium, which combine with your hair products to form a salt. Eventually, salt leaves a deposit on your scalp and hair, preventing your scalp from absorbing the moisture. As a result, your hair becomes dry and matted, resulting in breakage. Hair thinning can occur if hair breakage is not addressed. The following are some of the ways hard water might harm your hair:

  • Calcium buildup prevents the scalp from absorbing moisture.
  • Minerals accumulate on your scalp and cause brittle hair.
  • Hard water minerals render soap and shampoo useless.
  • Excess minerals clog your scalp's pores.
  • Hair lacks volume and always seems flat and frizzy.
  • Mineral buildup promotes bacterial growth, infections, and yeast proliferation.
  • Dries out the scalp, causing dandruff.

Simple Ways To Protect Your Hair From Hard Water

Use Water Softener

Even though there are numerous home cures for dealing with hard water, none of them is helpful in eliminating the hardness of the water. The level of magnesium and calcium in hard water is particularly high, causing brittle hair that eventually leads to hair loss. You can use a water softener which will replace calcium and magnesium ions present in hard water with sodium ions. 

Shower Filter Installation

Shower filters are inexpensive and simple to install. Shower filters aid in the reduction of minerals and chlorine in water, which aids in the reduction of hard water damage. Shower filters are cost-efficient, although water softeners are less effective.

Rinse with lemon

Acidic nature of lemon aids in the removal of build-up from your hair. Combine a teaspoon of lemon juice and 3 glasses of water. After shampooing, rinse your hair with this. Massage your scalp for a few minutes and then rinse. Lemon rinse improves the gloss of your hair while also reducing dandruff caused by hard water.

Hair Nutritional Supplements

Hair loss can also be caused by a lack of certain nutrients, which help maintain your hair healthily. Add Iron, Proteins, and Vitamin D to your diet to ensure you are not deficient in any critical nutrients.

Make use of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar aids in mineral deposition. One teaspoon of apple cider vinegar can be combined with one mug of water. Rinse it through your hair to remove mineral buildup.

Image credit- FreePik

Disclaimer