Advice for Las Vegas climate & hard water?

[alexaddgeorge]

I currently I have hair about 3 inches past my shoulders, slightly highlighted. I believe it to be a 1c/2a hair type based on what I read. I have thick hair, with mostly medium strands, the longer it grows the waiver it gets (guessing due to tension on strands). I am very prone to tangles and frizz, but can heat style fairly easy after a shower. Right now I have been living in Las Vegas for about 3 years and my hair has taken a beating. It is very dry and I am beginning to find more and more of it in my hair brush right from the root. It doesn't matter what shampoo or conditioner I use, the results are the same. It builds up and just makes it drier and drier, if I clarify it ends up feeling like straw since all the good and bad oils are gone, and then it gets very break prone. The only time it feels like my normal hair is if I wash it somewhere where there is a water softener. I can't use things such as baking soda or vinegar, or no-poo shampoos as not only do they do nothing for my hair, but it makes the situation worse. Based on some research the issue seems to be that calcium builds up and creates a barrier where the hair never truly gets washed but instead the product layers on and doesn't wash away. Typical shampoos are better at preventing this as they are harsher and can fight back against those chemical bonds. Does anyone who lives in a similar climate and bad water have any advice that has worked longer than a month??? I rent, I also have a shower filter.

[Anje]

First, it sounds like you're going to want a hard water-specific shampoo, or at least a chelating shampoo. That'll help with the hard water buildup. Failing that, rinsing with dilute vinegar or dilute citric acid or distilled water should help keep the buildup at bay. (Personally, I don't tend to find that I need to do these things, but I've lived with water that's varyingly hard most of my life.)

Incidentally, my husband had problems similar to what you describe while living in Cincinnati, and it turned out to be extreme chlorination at his apartment rather than the water's hardness. Shower filter solved everything.

Other than that, deep moisture treatments are good (especially after clarifying or chelating), but you don't want to leave in things that are rich in humectants in a desert climate. Oils and such (try applying a few drops to damp hair) would be a better choice for leave-ins than your standard conditioner-type leave-ins.

[alexaddgeorge]

Thank you for your reply. How often is it safe to use a cheating shampoo? Do you happen to know which filter he used?

[Anje]

It might have been a Sprite filter... got it from Home Depot.

Personally, I'd use chelating shampoo as needed. How often obviously depends partly on how frequently you wash, but I doubt you'd need it more than once every 5-10 washes. As I said, despite living with some very hard water (I think it was 27 grains/gallon before I moved), I haven't personally had much trouble with the hardness as far as my hair is concerned. My dishes are another story!

[Wildcat Diva]

Search for miracle water thread. Factoring that in when you can might help you stretch the chleating.