Your shower may be ruining your hair, but your shampoo is not the culprit!
If you’re anything like me, you have a small bag of hair care products under your bathroom sink. This is the arsenal you pack to every hotel while you’re traveling. You’ve also probably noticed that these products perform differently depending on where you’re at. That’s because water varies so much from place to place.
What causes bad hair?
There are several things that can contribute to your hair’s overall appearance and manageability. The most common being hard water. If you have filmy, white minerals on your shower head and hard to clean soap scum, then congratulations, you have hard water. The phrase “hard water” refers to high levels of certain minerals in the water. Hard water can affect both the color and texture of your hair. You might notice your hair is dryer and can become almost frizzy. Color may fade quicker or begin to look “brassy”. This is usually due to excess mineral build-up.
Now having said that, soft water should be a much better option for your hair, right? Nope, not the case, soft water can also negatively affect your hair. Although soft water doesn’t pose quite the same challenges as hard water, it definitely has its downside. With soft water, it can take considerably more time to cleanse hair of shampoo, conditioner, hairspray and styling products. The result is build-up of product on the hair shaft. This can result in a greasy or oily appearance to your hair. This is especially true with people who already have naturally oily or thin hair.
City water versus well water
If you are on a city water system, you’re probably thinking you don’t have to worry about whether your water is hard or soft, but just the opposite is true. City systems are not only prone to high mineral content, but you also oftentimes have added chemicals like chlorine to contend with. Chlorine is a very common method of treatment for many municipalities. If you are blonde and ever spent much time at a pool as a kid, you know what I’m talking about. That lovely shade of green that occurs looks good in your yard, but not in your hair. Chlorine can also damage the hair cuticle and proteins. Active chlorine can make wet hair feel gummy and dry hair feel like straw. Other minerals such as copper, iron, and manganese, silica, and lead, can all have a negative, unhealthy impact on your hair as well.
Fixes for your hair and your home
So, what can you do? Most hair professionals will tell you to use a clarifying product at least monthly, maybe switch your shampoo/conditioner to a more natural (more expensive) product line or try a detoxifying product. Truth be told, if minerals are wreaking this kind of havoc on your hair, what’s happening in your home? I’m sure you’re probably experiencing staining in your sinks and toilets, maybe white scale build-up on your faucets and dishes, or pitting and etching on your shower doors. They don’t make shampoos and clarifying products for those issues. There are, however, a tremendous amount of harsh chemicals and scrub brushes on the cleaning aisle at the local supermarket that might help.
Change your water for the easiest fix to bad hair
Wouldn’t it just be easiest to eliminate the problem at the source. I’m talking about your water supply. With a Cascadian whole house water treatment system you can treat a multitude of issues that affect your hair, skin, and of course your home, both simply and affordably.
