Water softener, Distilled Water, Water Filters

[anon123]

So I thought it might be best to start a new thread about it since Sareca's thread about meeting a LHCFer in person was getting hijacked. The discussion came up here:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=322031
and also Sareca talks about it here:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?p=6607743

She also kindly posted charts for hard water regions in both the U.S. and Canada:
U.S. :
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=6607287&postcount=45
Canada:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=6607443&postcount=50

As Sereca pointed out water filters and water softeners are different things. I bought a water filter for my shower, but couldn't figure out how to get it attached. I don't think I can because my fixtures are really really old. Nonie asked:

Mwedzi, what do your fixtures look like? I have an old one too; the kind where the hose is attached to a shower head and is only held up to the wall by a brace. I didn't think I could find a filter but I did. So can you find share a picture of what your shower looks like? I'm pretty sure there's something for it.

Here are the pics:





I want to experience this hair and skin-changing miracle. Can I do it? Advice for me, please??

Also if you wash with filtered water, distilled water, or softened water, please share your experiences.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

I have a water filter.... and now after reading Sereca's post - I realize I need more than what I have...
I use Distilled water for my final rinse...

 

[ladytee2]

Mwedzi thank for posting this thread I have been looking for that other thread for 2 days.

 

[sareca]

This is one of my favorite subjects! There's no much misinformation and the truth will change your hair.

Great thread!

 

[adw425]

I don't have particularly hard water so I don't have a softener. However, I bought both a shower filter and a bath tub water filter almost a year ago and I immediately experienced much softer hair and skin. After that, I did some research on the effects of chlorine not only on hair and skin but on overall health and was mortified.

 

[Junebug D]

Thanks for posting this! I'm in Chicago and we have craptastic water! And in my new apartment, the water is probably the hardest I've ever experienced. It even tastes hard. I want to look into that shower stick Sereca uses , but I guess I need to know how easy it is to intsall and remove. I'm in a brand new apartment and I don't want to tear up anything and make people angry.

 

[anon123]

Thanks for posting this! I'm in Chicago and we have craptastic water! And in my new apartment, the water is probably the hardest I've ever experienced. It even tastes hard. I want to look into that shower stick Sereca uses , but I guess I need to know how easy it is to intsall and remove. I'm in a brand new apartment and I don't want to tear up anything and make people angry.

Hello fellow Chicagoan. Hope we'll see you at the winter meet-up! That water stick looks pretty easy to install. I'd get it but I'm not sure it's compatible with my shower. I know what you mean by craptastic. The water in my friend's apt. is even worse. It actually smells, coming straight from the shower. I've never seen/smelled anything like it. I think I'm going to bring the shower filter I bought (which doesn't fit my shower) and try to put it in his.

 

[Nonie]

Mwedzi, I am not sure but looking at the photo on the page below, I think it is possible. You would have to remove the shower head and attach a hose instead (the entire white part shown):
http://www.allwaterpurification.com/shower-water-softener.html

 

[Tybi]

Hi Mwedzi

I have both too. My water goes through a whole house filter and then a shower filter, I think the Sprite from Home Depot. We also have a water softener out back. The reason is because my house has well water not city. Plus my area of the country has extremely hard water anyway. The difference is amazing. Its like taking a shower in pure bottled water everyday. My hair and skin are crazy soft too.

Funny thing is when I lived in another city last year with extremely hard water, I had no filter. I could feel a difference in my hair and skin, it was not as soft and the soap did not lather as well, but I got the best curl definition ever..

 

[sareca]

I don't have particularly hard water so I don't have a softener. However, I bought both a shower filter and a bath tub water filter almost a year ago and I immediately experienced much softer hair and skin. After that, I did some research on the effects of chlorine not only on hair and skin but on overall health and was mortified.

Me too! Chlorine was never designed to be inhaled, but it's airborne in your shower. So wrong...