Hard Water (One of the Unrecognized Saboteurs of Hair Growth) Map. Take A Look!
- Thread starter tryn2growmyhair
- Start date
Starian
Well-Known Member
So THAT'S it! As ya'll know, I relocated from New Orleans to San Antonio and my hair is doing a bit worse, with dryness and shedding. I have to REALLY keep up with it and wash more frequently and deep condition a lot to keep it healthy.
Texas is red as opposed to Louisiana being blue! That's why my hair is so dry and lacks the luster it had when I was in New Orleans. I just didn't understand. Thanks for posting this. I'm buying a shower filter as soon as I can.
Melaninme
Well-Known Member
Starian said:
So THAT'S it! As ya'll know, I relocated from New Orleans to San Antonio and my hair is doing a bit worse, with dryness and shedding. I have to REALLY keep up with it and wash more frequently and deep condition a lot to keep it healthy.
Texas is red as opposed to Louisiana being blue! That's why my hair is so dry and lacks the luster it had when I was in New Orleans. I just didn't understand. Thanks for posting this. I'm buying a shower filter as soon as I can.
Not all of the map in Louisiana is blue. New Orleans is white. I'm from the New Orleans area and I know that the water there is hard. It's just may not be as hard as it is in SA.
You may want to limit the number of washings using the hard water until you can at least get a shower filter, especially since it may be the hard water that causing the extra dryness and shedding.
However, I have to agree with an earlier poster and say the best method is having/installing a soft water system for your home. We're finally looking into having one installed in our home, but until then (which won't be long...thank goodness!) I use distilled water ONLY to wash/condition my hair.
Starian
Well-Known Member
Asha97 said:
*nod* Thanks for the advice. All I know is even if the water in NOLA is hard, this San Antonio water is atrocious,
. I'm going to start with a shower filter first...I'm in an apartment so I don't even know if I CAN install a whole softening system...I'll have to ask management. Thanks again.
baglady215
Well-Known Member
Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three has been working wonders on my hair. While the water in DE is softer than Philly, I believe, I think we still have some hardness. Since I've been using the chelating shampoo, my hair hardly ever feels rough like it used to. Thumbs up to the ladies who suggested chelating shampoo to combat water problems!
Starian said:*nod* Thanks for the advice. All I know is even if the water in NOLA is hard, this San Antonio water is atrocious,
Yeah, we are in the red zone. I used to live in central Texas and I noticed my hair was never as dry as it is now. When I first moved here I was always getting complemented by hairstylist on how soft my hair was. San Antonio water has really damaged my hair. The management at my apartment complex claims that they installed a water softening system but I still try to wash my hair with distilled water as much as I can just in case.
Priss Pot
Makeup + Bench Pressing
That's why I love Memphis (South West TN)water, it's soft and it tastes good.
I don't know why Nashville (middle TN) is in light blue because their water is HARD and NASTY!!! I have to use more conditioner in my hair when I'm there for school. And if I were to drink the water, it has some weird aftertaste....if that's bad, I'd hate to have to experience the Red area waters, ugh.
ETA: Also, I notice a difference in my skin with the different waters. In Nashville, my cuticles are always dry and rough lookin after showering. I'm always having to massage them with lotions and oils. But here at home in Memphis, my cuticles are fine, and I don't really have to massage them constantly with oils.
I don't know why Nashville (middle TN) is in light blue because their water is HARD and NASTY!!! I have to use more conditioner in my hair when I'm there for school. And if I were to drink the water, it has some weird aftertaste....if that's bad, I'd hate to have to experience the Red area waters, ugh.
ETA: Also, I notice a difference in my skin with the different waters. In Nashville, my cuticles are always dry and rough lookin after showering. I'm always having to massage them with lotions and oils. But here at home in Memphis, my cuticles are fine, and I don't really have to massage them constantly with oils.
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HoneyDew
Well-Known Member
I bought afilter and it did not help. I did not realize that could not help with hard water.
Also, I don't think that chart is absolute or maybe it needs to be updated. I live in MD and it is Blue. But, after I moved to my home, my skin and hair started having all the symptoms of being in an area with hard water.
I used to live at home with my parents not that far away and I neer had these problems.
I have been looking into a whole house water softener because I think my laundry and dishwasher are having problems, as well.
Even my Caruso Steamsetter was acting up. I started usign distilled water in it and all was well after that.
Also, I don't think that chart is absolute or maybe it needs to be updated. I live in MD and it is Blue. But, after I moved to my home, my skin and hair started having all the symptoms of being in an area with hard water.
I used to live at home with my parents not that far away and I neer had these problems.
I have been looking into a whole house water softener because I think my laundry and dishwasher are having problems, as well.
Even my Caruso Steamsetter was acting up. I started usign distilled water in it and all was well after that.
Wishin4BSL
New Member
Is distilled water not hard? Can I effectively wash my hair with distilled water in a spray bottle? I have a lot of breakage and I think it must be from hard water because I know I'm doing everything right now. Maybe I could just deep condition more and longer to help with the dryness and breakage?
Tee
Active Member
I was glad to find my city in the soft water area on all three maps I found through out this tread. I can really tell the difference in my hair since I moved here from Texas. I wouldn't have guessed it was the water. I almost ran out and got a shower filter from reading the other threads. I am glad I didnt. I will still go pick up a test strip to make sure the maps are correct. I love Texas but I didnt know the water was kicking our butt like that! I will tell mom to look into getting a water softner. Thanks ladies.
Je Ne Sais Quoi
Well-Known Member
Wow, I've been sleeping on this thread. I live in LA county and when I went to Hawaii last month I cowashed almost everyday. BOY could I tell the difference. I thought maybe it was the shower head. I had no idea that could be the source to better or worse off hair.
sareca
Well-Known Member
*Bre~Bre* said:
That happened to me too. I thought my water was "ok" after I got the filter, but when I went to Aruba for a week I realized that filter does very little. I had a completely different head of hair. It turned back into my regular ol' hair in about 2-3 washes at home.
tffy2004
New Member
I use to live in Nebraska and never really paid attention to whether or not we had hard water until we came to North Dakota to look at a college and I took a shower at the hotel we stayed in. The water up here feels so good on your skin. I was wondering about this for a while now.
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Proudpiscean
Well-Known Member
Bumping. I bought some water quality test strips from Home depot to test my water and it passed all with flying colors! What a relief.
thiccknlong
New Member
Asha97 said:Ladies beware!
Last night as I was washing/twisting my hair I noticed that my hair was becoming tangled like it did when I would wash with hard water. So, I pulled out my hard water test strip and tested the Walmart DW. The results came back as "hard" water
Now, when I first started using this brand, I did a test then and the water was soft water. Not sure what has happened, but I decided to go with Ozarka DW. I tested it and the water was "soft". It may cost more $1.06 compared to Walmart's $.58, but my hair is worth it. LOL!
I guess what I'm saying is to test your DW to make sure that it is not "hard" water, but in deed soft water you are using to care for you hair.
The walmart brand was still softer than the "very hard" water that comes from my faucet (tested this water as well), but never the less, it's still hard water.
Just f.y.i.
Now this is some real talk! I KNEW that walmart water felt hard to. And to think, I've been bustin my butt to buy, lugg it to the car, lug it into the house, warm it up then use.
Just to still have hard water. D*mn !
seraphim712
Well-Known Member
Thanks for posting this, I realized after washing my hair last night that the water coming from my shower was the reason I end up with an itchy scalp, calcium build up that looks like dandruff and hair overshedding. Yuck
erplexed . I'm definately now going to get a shower filter...
erplexed . I'm definately now going to get a shower filter...
Dare~to~Dream
Well-Known Member
carameldiva said:
All the maps I've viewed for my state classified the water as "soft"--but the water in my area is far from that--it comes from a well.
Since a shower filter won't alleviate the problem (purchasing a water softener is not an option for me either), I try to use a clarifying shampoo that has chelating ingredients from time to time. I am going to get the test strips just to see how hard the water is...PrettyBrownEyes
Well-Known Member
Ladies, you might want to try using ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo it is supposed to remove calcium build-up http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=304575&navAction=jump&navCount=0&id=prod1689057
Dare~to~Dream
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the suggestion! I usually use other shampoos but this one seems to specially formulated to remove calcium and other harsh minerals. I may give it a try.
thiccknlong
New Member
tryn2growmyhair said:Do you have hard water? Poohbear (thank you) provided a really good link about split ends that was very helpful. One of the links was to a map of hard water in the US. Our posters in London and Paris should know that they most likely have hard water too. : http://water.usgs.gov/owq/map1.jpeg .
I firmly believe that hard water can sabotage hair growth. Why? From personal experience. My hair does much better when I am in a soft water environment than in a hard water environment, where my hair sheds and is harder and is a lot more difficult to handle. Conditioners do not work as well. Here is what the website on split ends that Poohbear provided to us says about hard water (I knew that it caused split ends! This confirms it.): http://splitends.bebto.com/preventse.htm. LOOK AT THE SHOWERING BATHING WATER SECTION.
My question for those of you who have successfully combated hard water and grown your hair is this:
*What techniques did you use to combat the hard water? Filters? Is there a way to deal with hard water without the expense of a shower filter?
Conditioners?
*Please give as many details about your technique as possible and name brands that you used.
I just started over.
Last week I got a perm and used bottled water for everything.
This week (as a type), I clarified (to remove the harding chemicals), used porosity control (to combat the tangling and possible physical and chemical changes to my hair) and restarted my regimen. Applied a protein treatment. Then a moisterizer. I'll apply another moisterizer. Then I'll comb it down to dry.
I want let that water touch my hair again.
I'm lkg into buying a water softener. And supplementing with a shower filter.
Til then, it's bottled water when I wash, every 2 wks.
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