Leaky Pipes & Dripping Taps

Posted on: 26 April 2018

Australian men and women spend huge amounts of money on shampoos, conditioners and hair styling products to keep their hair silky soft, smooth and easy to style, but many people underestimate the effects of the water they use for hair washing. If you wash your hair regularly in hard water, it could end up looking lank and losing its shine. Here are a few of the effects that hard water can have on your hair.

Hard Water Does Not Form a Good Lather

Hard water contains very high levels of calcium and magnesium salts. These natural minerals are harmless to consume, but they prevent water from forming a good lather with soap. This means you have to use large amounts of shampoo every time you wash your hair, which can lead to product remaining behind after rinsing and making your hair look heavy and lank.

Hard Water Stops Hair Feeling Smooth

Every strand of your hair is coated with a layer of tiny scales. When these tiny scales lie flat along the length of the hair, your locks will feel wonderfully smooth and silky. On the other hand, when the scales stand up, hair feels rough and the strands cannot easily slide over each other, leading to tangles that can be very hard to tease out. Washing hair in hard water leads to hair scales standing up, which might be why your hair is difficult to style if you live in a hard water area.

Hard Water Leaves a Film on Hair

The minerals in hard water react with the cleansing ingredients in shampoo to form a greasy film of magnesium and calcium salts. This film can remain in hair even after rinsing, which weights it down. If you want to experiment with this season's stylish up-dos, you will probably need to start washing your hair in soft water to remove the build-up of calcium and magnesium salts.

How to Solve the Problem of Hard Water

Many homes in the Adelaide area have a hard water supply. If you reside in this region, or in another hard water area, you do not have to accept having lank, lifeless hair. An experienced local plumber can install a water softening system in your home to remove excess minerals from your water supply. A water softener could improve the quality of your water, making it easier to get your hair beautifully clean.

For more information, contact a local plumber.