Hard water/ soft water whats the difference?

[KeraKrazy]

Hi ladies I was wondering if anyone could explain this hard water/ soft water thing to me. I live in london and apparently we have very hard water here, but I ususally spend my summers in Canada where they have soft water. I was just wondering what effect this hard water has on your hair and what I should be doing differently to someone who lives in a soft water area.

thanx in advance

 

[dicapr]

For alot of women, hard water dries out their hair. The problem is compounded if you hair is relaxed and even worse if it is double processed with color. I lost alot of hair when I moved from an area with soft water to somewhere with very hard water. Even after deep conditioning and moisturizing daily my hair and skin was bone dry. I have had to purchase a water filter for my shower in order to save my hair and skin. If you live in an area with hard water, normally you have a harder time maintaining the right moisture balance in your hair.

 

[loonatick]

Maybe you could try clarifying, not often though.
I use acv or Aloe Rid now and again (every month or two) to strip the hard water deposits from my hair.
Make sure you deep condition and moisturise after though

HTH

 

[sweetpuff]

My two cents for a scientific answer.

"Water described as "hard" is high in dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium. Hard water is not a health risk, but a nuisance because of mineral buildup on fixtures and poor soap and/or detergent performance.

As water moves through soil and rock, it dissolves very small amounts of minerals and holds them in solution. Calcium and magnesium dissolved in water are the two most common minerals that make water "hard." The degree of hardness becomes greater as the calcium and magnesium content increases."
http://www.hardwater.org/

From another posting, I think we learned that calcium was not really good for our hair.
And from the first paragraph, we may conclude that if the magnesium or calcium build up lessens the soap/detergent performance, it might do the same to the products you put in your hair, not allowing them to fully cling to your hair.

HTH

 

[gradygirl]

I think I have been using hard water. I'm going to get a shower filter and see if I see a difference in my hair but especially my skin because it is very sensitive.

 

[KeraKrazy]

Thank you ladies for all your info, I think I'm gonna have to invest in a shower filter also for when I'm at home

 

[Victorian]

I have hard water. I sometimes use purified water (we have a filter on the tap in the kitchen) when I want to re-wet my hair for something, and I can feel the difference. I would love to get a shower filter one day.

OT: KeraKrazy I love your screenname

 

[BLESSED1]

hard water gave me scratchy hair & pimples
I thank God for my shower filter!

 

[sareca]

Oh my goodness you guys must have been reading my mind. I was just about to post my most recent hair experience on this exact subject! We just got back from our honeymoon in Aruba where the water is amazingly soft. I noticed the difference in my hair after just a couple of cowashes. Long before anyone told us about the water. Apparently they are known for their water quality (softness, purity, etc.). The biggest difference was that my hair airdried like a dream. It was like silk. I could easily comb my through my completely airdried hair. It takes a lot of work to get my hair to airdry half as good at home. When I got home it only took 2 washes before my hair was back feeling rough. I was floored. It made a huge difference. So much so that I immediately started looking at whole house water softeners. But they are expensive and I want to do some comparison shopping. In the meantime, I decided to try this hard water conditioner from Sally's that I'd been eyeing (they have a shampoo, but I'm abstaining). NE-way, I tried it today and my hair is back to feeling like it did on vacation. My products work a LOT better and my hair baby soft again. This product is the truth and hard water ain't no joke. I knew it had an effect I just didn't realize how much until I spent 10 days without it.

 

[sareca]

Oh and one more thing... Shower head filter don't soften water. They only remove heavy metals, chemical, and sediment. Only a whole house water softening system can soften water. I have a filter on my shower head and although it helps there's nothing like soft water!

 

[Choclatcotton]

I noticed a difference after i switched to a AQUA SAUNA SHower Filter on Ebay. It makes the water softer and filters out hard water. My hair broke off bad without the filter and lost its sheen and was very dry. I recovered it with aphogee and the water filter.

 

[LiLi]

Oh and one more thing... Shower head filter don't soften water. They only remove heavy metals, chemical, and sediment. Only a whole house water softening system to soften the water. I have a filter on my shower head and although it helps there's nothing like soft water!

Yes ... a lot of people think that shower filters are water softeners but they are not ... there are a couple of extensive threads on this subject if you do a search you will find them.

 

[sareca]

Yes ... a lot of people think that shower filters are water softeners but they are not ... there are a couple of extensive threads on this subject if you do a search you will find them.

Yeah, I know. Nobody ever believes me when I tell them filters and softeners are totally different. If you call any Home Depot kind of place they'll describe in disgusting detail the difference.

 

[BLESSED1]

Yeah, I know. Nobody ever believes me when I tell them filters and softeners are totally different. If you call any Home Depot kind of place they'll describe in disgusting detail the difference.

wow, then I'd prob. be in pure heaven & have hair down to my booty if I got an actual water softener

 

[sareca]

wow, then I'd prob. be in pure heaven & have hair down to my booty if I got an actual water softener

That's exactly what I said in Aruba. I was thinkin' no wonder dem heffas in soft water areas have long hair. They don't even have to try. Long hair just runs out of the tap onto their heads.