Hair care while travelling in eastern Europe

[soopahgrover]

Hi everybody,

I was traveling in the Crimean peninsula with a coworker for about 10 days last month. Both my coworker and I had problems with our hair. It felt like straw. After returning home to NYC, it took weeks for my hair to feel right again.

Now it seems I need to go back, for a longer visit this time. Does anyone have any tips on what I should do? Maybe the water was just really hard? I know we were told not to drink it and just drink bottled water. :/

Thanks in advance!

[humble_knight]

The water over there is harder than what we are used to [UK + USA]. I always drank bottled water, but bathed and showered using ordinary tap-water, which would sometimes come out brownish :rolleyes: If you've got the money and can afford to wash your hair using bottled water, that is an option.

[Anje]

Usually when you're advised not to drink the local water, it's because the procedures for sanitizing it aren't very good. (Generally, you'll also need to avoid ice and raw produce that's likely been washed in that water.) It's probably just fine for bathing in; you wouldn't drink lake or pool water either, but that doesn't mean you can't have it contact your body.

As far as hardness, I really don't know (would have to look at a chart). My local water here isn't far from having small rocks hit you while showering, it's so hard. If you're not sure, I'd say that if you usually use a soap-based shampoo, it might be worth switching to something detergent-based (SLS, SLES, etc. unless you're sensitive to them) for the time that you're there. Those will rinse clean in all water.

[KittyBird]

Hmm, maybe you could try an acidic rinse (ACV, white vinegar or citric acid) after washing and conditioning your hair? I have hard water here, and the ACV rinse transforms my hair from velcro straw to smooth and fluffy. :)

[MissAlida]

I live in Eastern Europe (not so far east as where you were, but still). Water is pretty hard around here. An acidic rinse helps a ton. I use white vinegar, and don't rinse it out at the end.

[Wildcat Diva]

Maybe a pre wash oiling, would that help to protect your ends? I second the acid rinse idea. Citric acid would do the trick.