Questions about hard water

[MegHan-Solo]

I have lived in a soft water area all my life. However, I will soon be moving away from home to a hard water area. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions regarding what to do about this, and how it affects hair, and your personal experiences. If it comes down to it I guess I could try stretching my washes to one a week as I'll be returning home on most weekends, but this doesn't seem like a very good long term solution and I'm not sure if I will be able to manage it. Thanks!

[lapushka]

I've had nothing but hard water all my life - I don't know anything else.

I weekly wash, and weekly clarify (sulfates) and so... I double condition and that usually melts the tangles away (if I use good conditioners). I don't know what else to say.

I don't get why it's a "thing". :shrug:

[NimbleNut]

I've always had hard water as well so no real suggestions. I did travel for a wedding once and stayed with my cousin who had soft water. I didn't feel like I could rinse the shampoo or conditioner out of my hair. I felt like I had to rinse forever! I'm not sure how that translates if your used to soft water going to hard water though. That's pretty much the extent of my knowledge/experience.

[chomsky]

In the same boat as lapushka, the water where I am is so hard it smells, my hairs still alive and kicking. I've never known any different. If you feel like a coating or it's a bit crunchy you can chelate, I use a shampoo for swimmers and it does a good job.

One thing I have noticed though is it may bleach your hair. I say May because while I've never noticed my ends lightening any faster - since moving here the bf has noticed that his very pure black hair now has a red/brown hue.

Don't be afraid to wash normally. Pretty sure nothing drastic will happen. Good luck with the move!

[Katia_k]

I moved into a hard water area. I can't be sure it's what changed my hair slightly, because it was also an area with higher heat and humidity, but my hair did get fluffier and weirder when I moved.

I use a gentle clarifyer every time I wash, because I'm prone to build-up and not just because of the water, and I've started doing some ACV rinses. I don't know if any of these have made a difference in relation to the water, but my hair seems to like them. But I'd see what happens first, you might not notice anything. If you do, clarifying or chelating will probably help you out a lot. Don't do the stretched washes thing--embrace the shower you have and learn to work with it. :) As you said, the home-shower thing isn't a good longterm solution.

Good luck!!!

[Kaya]

Heh. This has always been a topic of discussion here. :D It seems the general consensus that hard/soft water affects people differently. Those who have known nothing else may not experience any issues; same goes for soft water. It really depends.

I think it comes down to understanding hard water and learning to deal with it properly if it does end up affecting your hair.

As someone who had to deal with moving from soft water to hard water, my top tips are:

-consider a shower filter, either through a whole house filter system, or one that attaches to the shower head itself. Look for one that specifically helps filter out minerals.

-if you clarify regularly, look at getting a shampoo that chelates. Chelating products are designed to help remove mineral buildup from hair. Clarifying won't necessarily do that, though chelating shampoos can also include clarifying effects.

-Also consider using citric acid rinses between/instead of chelating shampoos. Sometimes a simple rinse can bring hair back to it's happy state without having to do a full out wash.

That's it, really, for me at least. I trashed my ends and lost a considerable bit off my hemline because I didn't realize that the hard water was damaging my hair. And by this, I mean the mineral buildup, not the water itself!

Once I realized and educated myself, it was just adjusting my usual routine by adding a shower filter and chelating regularly.

Keep in mind though, hard water may or may not affect your hair. Some people's hair is more sensitive to water changes than others. I know mine is! :rolleyes: I'd grown up and was used to soft water. Hard water was a shock to experience!

[Wildcat Diva]

I've had nothing but hard water all my life - I don't know anything else.

I weekly wash, and weekly clarify (sulfates) and so... I double condition and that usually melts the tangles away (if I use good conditioners). I don't know what else to say.

I don't get why it's a "thing". :shrug:

It's a thing because I can go to a hotel in a different city and use that water and my hair so much better instantly and it makes me want to cry... Because I despise dealing with tangling and buildup problems like I do and here is a potentially easy solution to my hair troubles of buildup and tangling and such that wouldn't require harsh chelation every week. I could just move, problem solved. Better hair. Less breakage. More length retention due to less breakage in dealing with tangles. Softer, shiny, tangle free.

Like I feel my hair could be much nicer if my water was different.

[Kaya]

It's a thing because I can go to a hotel in a different city and use that water and my hair so much better instantly and it makes me want to cry... Because I despise dealing with tangling and buildup problems like I do and here is a potentially easy solution to my hair troubles of buildup and tangling and such that wouldn't require harsh chelation every week. I could just move, problem solved. Better hair. Less breakage. More length retention due to less breakage in dealing with tangles. Softer, shiny, tangle free.

Like I feel my hair could be much nicer if my water was different.

Seconded and my sympathies. My hair is the same way.

We stayed in a hotel in Germany last year and my hair was lovely and soft without using any oil or leave-ins. All because of the softer water.

During our holiday in Ireland, we were using pure mountain spring water at our lodgings. Not only did my hair love it, it tasted wonderful! :D

I was 'hair' sad to return home on both counts due the fact I was coming home to hard water.

[stachelbeere]

I moved to a hard water area and it took me a year to figure out what to do with my hair. At first I tried to wash my hair with filtered water that I would be pouring over my head with a jug - but unfortunately I got more and more buildup this way and had a hard time detangling my hair (I don't think that I was getting my hair 100% clean this way, I don't know...), my hair brush was full of dust all the time! So I wouldn't recommend doing that.

I was able to adjust my hair care in the end - the main point is that I am now more generous with shampoo than I was before, I apply it on my scalp very diligently and shampoo my length a lot more often during a wash than I ever did - I usually use a very mild shampoo and it's been okay. In order not to dry my hair out too much I oil my hair with coconut oil before every wash (the length) and make sure to use a moisturising conditioner after shampooing. An acidic rinse is a must after every wash!! The last rinse is with cold water. Unfortunately we don't have a shower filter but I found that it's not necessary. Also, get a clarifying shampoo when you get buildup.

If you're going to the soft water area every weekend you should be okay, I think. It depends how often you wash your hair. Don't fear hard water, in the end you'll get the hang of it and what works and what doesn't. But I have to admit that my hair is sooo much more silkier when I go back to the soft water area! Tangles? Virtually none! :)

[LadyCelestina]

It's a thing. We have a lake here with super hard water. I don't know how to put it in English, but it's basically water in an old stone mine or how to say it. Basically they take stone from there. http://media1.denicek.eu/images/media1:50f7c22d79c1a.jpg/m-sutovo1.jpg

My hair feels as if I swimmed in chlorine or salt everytime, it pulled out my henna! and I have little pieces of what I assume is mineral build up in my hair. This is very hard water though.

[lapushka]

It's a thing. We have a lake here with super hard water. I don't know how to put it in English, but it's basically water in an old stone mine or how to say it. Basically they take stone from there. http://media1.denicek.eu/images/media1:50f7c22d79c1a.jpg/m-sutovo1.jpg

My hair feels as if I swimmed in chlorine or salt everytime, it pulled out my henna! and I have little pieces of what I assume is mineral build up in my hair. This is very hard water though.

I wish my hard water pulled out my henna, then I wouldn't have had to bleach & lose all that hair. ;) :p

No, I get what you're saying. But seriously, maybe there's hard water and *hard water*; might differ in itself. We only get the white buildup on the taps here.

[Chromis]

The pH scale is logarithmic, so very hard water is a lot, lot, lot harder. I think this is part of what makes these discussions so circular. If you live somewhere where the water is only a bit hard, there is not so much difference. The mineral content can be quite variable between places as well, even at the same pH.

The bigger thing though, is that if you have always lived with same water, of course your routine is already tailored to that! You have had your whole life to come up with what works for you, so you do not perceive that you are "doing" anything for your water conditions. It is just your normal routine. Like if you live somewhere it is always warm, you don't think much about how to dress for your normal warm weather, but if you visit a cold place, suddenly you have to figure out how not to freeze there!

[LadyCelestina]

I wish my hard water pulled out my henna, then I wouldn't have had to bleach & lose all that hair. ;) :p

No, I get what you're saying. But seriously, maybe there's hard water and *hard water*; might differ in itself. We only get the white buildup on the taps here.

It was no fun since the henna literally bled orange water all over me :D

[stachelbeere]

Yes, exactly! The water where I live now (Reading, UK) is 15 on the German degree scale, and back home it's 7, but from what I know the water is a lot harder in other places! Lady Celestina, you are my hard water hero! :blossom:

[Annalouise]

I've lived in a "very hard" water area for over ten years. I have only chelated my hair once recently. I don't clarify my hair or use sulphates. I don't use vinegar either. I just use shampoo & conditioner. (I do have a chlorine filter on my shower head). I guess I'm used to the water like ~Chromis~ said because I don't notice it. I don't have split ends. The only damage I have is lightened ends due to the sun. My hair is tangly, this might be the result of the water.:confused:

[littlestarface]

Be sure to buy a chelator for inbetween uses, I wish I grew up knowing that. I've lived in this super hard water all my life and my hair was never it's wurly potential as it is now since I started chelating.

[vampyyri]

The bigger thing though, is that if you have always lived with same water, of course your routine is already tailored to that! You have had your whole life to come up with what works for you, so you do not perceive that you are "doing" anything for your water conditions. It is just your normal routine. Like if you live somewhere it is always warm, you don't think much about how to dress for your normal warm weather, but if you visit a cold place, suddenly you have to figure out how not to freeze there!

This pretty much sums it up for me. I moved from my dad's house to my new place literally 5 minutes down the road with probably the same water supply. I've always had moderately hard water, and have never really experienced anything else. Makes me wonder what soft water would even do *scratches head*

[spidermom]

We have soft water here. I stayed at my father's house for 5 months in Ohio when he died last year, and the water was hard. I was freaking out every time I washed/conditioned it because I could feel that it had "stuff" on it, plus it looked more dull. I discovered that mixing a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar into a pitcher of warm water and using it as the last rinse made my hair feel and look a lot more normal. I don't like using white vinegar here because it makes my hair crazy fly-away, like I stuck my finger into a light socket.

[Wildcat Diva]

The pH scale is logarithmic, so very hard water is a lot, lot, lot harder. I think this is part of what makes these discussions so circular. If you live somewhere where the water is only a bit hard, there is not so much difference. The mineral content can be quite variable between places as well, even at the same pH.

The bigger thing though, is that if you have always lived with same water, of course your routine is already tailored to that! You have had your whole life to come up with what works for you, so you do not perceive that you are "doing" anything for your water conditions. It is just your normal routine. Like if you live somewhere it is always warm, you don't think much about how to dress for your normal warm weather, but if you visit a cold place, suddenly you have to figure out how not to freeze there!

I feel like I try and try and nothing is ever REALLY going to work that well EVER here, without a price. Chelating often enough to get the minerals off has a price I believe for the somewhat fineness level of my hair: if it is strong enough to work, it's harsh and stripping. And all I would have to do to get much better, satisfying hair is move? (And spend years growing three feet of hair without that stress/ damage from constantly stripping it, and fighting tangles, and breakage, so it would grow out healthier, no question). It's very frustrating, and I feel angry when I encounter my hair doing instantly, noticeably better with soft water, in a childish, 'it's not fair' kind of way.

[MegHan-Solo]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and advice. I guess I'm just going to have to experiment with your suggestions when I get there. Hopefully I can have they luck some of you have and it won't effect me much!

[Chromis]

I feel like I try and try and nothing is ever REALLY going to work that well EVER here, without a price. Chelating often enough to get the minerals off has a price I believe for the somewhat fineness level of my hair: if it is strong enough to work, it's harsh and stripping. And all I would have to do to get much better, satisfying hair is move? (And spend years growing three feet of hair without that stress/ damage from constantly stripping it, and fighting tangles, and breakage, so it would grow out healthier, no question). It's very frustrating, and I feel angry when I encounter my hair doing instantly, noticeably better with soft water, in a childish, 'it's not fair' kind of way.

I live with the hardest water in Canada, I feel this pain.

[lapushka]

It was no fun since the henna literally bled orange water all over me :D

My henna usually *stuck* to my hair pretty well! Apart from maybe the first few washes afterwards.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I live in Los Angeles, and the water here is terrible. It's better where I live but 40% of my week is spent at my boyfriends house in Echo Park and the water there is HORRIBLE. My hair feels 10x better since I used a chelator. I did it once and can totally feel a difference. Now I just need to find a balance, what to do in between using the chelator. My hair seems to like shampoo bars and an ACV rinse with every wash. Hard water does take a lot more effort to fix. Maybe see if you can afford a water filter?

[mizukitty]

Pantene ice shine is an excellent inexpensive product that clarifies and chelates due to its formula. I've added it weekly or biweekly, and it's a godsend for me. I love the easy one step process of a clean hair start. Just make sure you deeply moisturize after. :flower:

[Chromis]

And just so people know the frustration isn't just one sided, in areas with super soft water, newcomers get grumpy that they can't get soap to rinse out and that their water tastes "flat".

I should mention the soap thing though (this applies equally to detergents), if you are used to soft water, do not be alarmed if things don't lather as well as you are used to. They still work okay, but you might need to use slightly more than you would have before. Conversely, the first time I went somewhere with very, very soft water, I was super amused by how fluffy the soap went the first time I washed my hands. It felt comical! I have moved many times and literally travelled around the world, the difference the water can make really can be very dramatic.