Hard Water (One of the Unrecognized Saboteurs of Hair Growth) Map. Take A Look!

[sareca]

I've had a water softener since September last year. My hair responds so much better to products, oils, butters, whatever. Stuff that didn't do anything to my hair before now works like a charm.

Our water softener was worth every penny. I my hair. It's short, but it's awesome.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

Bump!.......

 

[dreamer26]

wOW, I am sooo glad I read this thread.

In Florida the water is hard and that's probably why no matter what I do my ends are dry and brittle.

I will check into getting a water softner I know they're expensive but I to think it will be worth it.

Thanks for the thread.

 

[Sha76]

http://www.systemsaver.com/morton-website/education/water-facts/common-water-problems.html

Here is another map I found

 

[cocosweet]

A water softener or at least a filter is on my list of things to get. My hair hasn't acted right since I moved to FL.

 

[silverlotus]

..........

 

[Dogmd]

BUMPING!!!

Sareca...I am looking for a water softener...which system did you get for your home?

After spending the weekend at a hotel here in LA that had a water softener...I am convinced that this would make my hairlife much easier and simpler. I needed only a FEW products this weekend to make my hair behave at the hotel vs the many that I need at home with this terrible hard water. I guess they use salt to trap the hard ions in the hard water.

I also swam for the first time daily in a salt-water pool...I am hooked now. No chlorine at all.. my skin and hair remained soft. I just headed back to the hotel room and washed my hair with a gentle clarifier, then a moisturizing conditioner with a capful of oil mixed in it. My hair was soooo..soft. I gotta get a water softener installed asap!

 

[alundra]

The water is MEGA HARD where I live right now, I clarify every wash. We don't have a shower either, so it's hard to get my hair clean. erplexed

 

[growinstrong]

this explains why you see all the beautiful heads of hair in the south. Because the water is softer. I guess when they say "it must be something in the water" they're right .

 

[Royal Glory]

Thanks for this thread.

I've read that rinsing your hair with bottled water as the final rinse is helpful. I haven't tried this yet, even though I bought a couple gallon-sized containers strictly for this purpose.

I was also considering buying the Johnathan Beauty Water Shower Purification System™, but the $95 cost was out of my budget at the time. Plus I had just purchased an Oxygenics Body Spa handheld shower head that I love for the invigorating massage to my scalp. (I love it so much that I've even pictured it in my album as part of my hair care routine.)

Well, thanks to this thread, I just checked online and found the following website (http://www.showerfilterstore.com/) which offers shower filter cartridges that fit many existing shower heads. The website explains the filters this way:

• Shower filter replacement cartridges contain approximately 85% KDF™ (copper-zinc) and 15% Chlorgon™ (mineral salts) or quartz crystals that will effectively remove nearly 100% of chlorine and reduce unpleasant odors like those caused by hydrogen sulfide (sulfur smell). In addition, they will reduce iron oxides (rust water) and traces of heavy metals. The filtration media also helps to pH balance the water. The "Rainshow'r®" Filter replacement cartridge contains KDF™ and quartz crystals.
• The bath filter replacement media pouch contains KDF™ filament 73 and American-mined virgin quartz crystals. Besides removing the above contaminants, this filtration pouch will also remove chloramines (chlorine combined with ammonia). Quartz crystal filtration also reduces the surface tension of the water to form smaller clusters of water molecules that enhance soap lathering.
• KDF™ is the best chlorine-removal media for hot water. It is a non-carbon-based bacteriostatic media and is inhospitable for the growth of bacteria such as E. Coli and pseudomonas. Moreover, unlike carbon, KDF™ does not deteriorate in the presence of hot water or output trapped contaminants.

You can buy the filters alone or buy the whole unit (filtering shower head). I found the one for my Oxygenics Body Spa. So I will be ordering a pack of 4 filter cartridges for $50 soon!

 

[locabouthair]

Bumping because this is SO important.

I cant believe I'm now reading this thread. I just looked on the map and the water in NY is hard.

No wonder my hair has been soooo dry and dull, especially after I wash it. I've used so many conditioners that claim to moisturize and my hair no matter what always comes out dry and rough.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

This is why Demi Moore washes her hair in Evain water.... Totally not an option for me! LOL I'm from LA, that's some hard water!! It's better in Atlanta but not much....Thanks for this post, it's definately something worth looking into...

 

[SleekandBouncy]

What water softeners or filters are you guys using and like?

 

[BrockStar]

I should have stayed in Atlanta

 

[TaraDyan]

I can't state emphatically enough how fantastic it is to use a shower filter to combat hard water. I bought mine a few weeks from Amazon.com. Not only does my hair feel fantastic, my skin is silky smooth too (and I am extremely prone to dry skin, especially in the winter). This was by far the most worthwhile investment I've made in a while when it comes to my skin and hair. Here is a link to the one I bought (I bought it because it's both filtered and handheld):

Sprite Massaging Handheld Chlorine Shower Filter Unit with Replaceable Filter pre-installed

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E4AO9E

 

[jade998]

^^^ for the british

I knew it ... I might have to start using distilled water as a final rinse. I am as dry as anything since moving to the UK.

I was going to get a shower filter - One that used vitamin C - but it looks like I need a water softner, as a shower filter will not work.

What are the other Londoners doing?

 

[Ganjababy]

I am in London. I got a shower filter a couple weeks ago, thinking that it was enough. Though I saw an improvement in my skin and hair- less dryness- due to reduction of chlorine. I have since learnt that it does not get rid of the water hardness.

Water softeners are EXPENSIVE http://www.emwc.uk.com/products2.asp?CategoryID=2&SubcategoryID=14 to buy and the upkeep is also expensive as you have to buy a lot of salt to put in it and it takes a lot of water for the regeneration process.

I found a a cheaper alternative http://www.waterimp.co.uk/ it is a water conditioner http://www.water-treatment.org.uk/water_softeners.html Though some think that it is not as good as a water softener, http://www.water-treatment.org.uk/water_conditioners.html I think it is better than using nothing.

 

[dreamgurl]

bumping for responses

 

[LushLox]

I live in London and I think we must have the hardest water in the UK, regardless of what it says on any map. The moment I travel outside the M25 I can immediately feel the difference in the water.

I going to have to buy a filter for now as the softeners are bloody expensive, although I think I'll have to start gently advising my BF of the benefits and hope he goes with it.

Does anyone use the Vitamin C filters, are they any good?

 

[sharifeh]

hmm I live in NY.
I'm gonna try chelating and see if that does anything.

 

[LushLox]

I bought a normal filter and have been using it for a good 9/10 months. The difference in the softness of my hair is very noticeable, and I don't seem to get any breakage at all.

 

[remilaku]

I was going to talk about this in a few weeks! I am filtering my water for my hair rinses. I tell you, you should not even put hard water in your plants. They will die. I try not to drink it. Think what it may be doing to your hair if it kills plants! I know. I have a plant in my bathroom that dies when I put hard water for it to drink. I am puting filterd water and it is slowly coming back to life. When we get our new house, I am putting filted shower heads in all the bathrooms!!

 

[sharifeh]

I'm going to try a final hair rinse with bottled water tomorrow and see if it makes a difference
i'll try and buy a chelating shampoo asap
wow and good point about the plants thing
i didn't even think of that!!!

 

[Casarela]

im trying to find one for Canada my research = NOTHING If any Canadian fellows would have that please pm me or leave the link on my visitor's page.

Thank You and sorry im done hijacking this thread

 

[SweetSpirit86]

Reading this has definitely caused me to reassess some of my hair issues...the main one being porosity. I don't remember my hair ever being this resistant to moisture before I moved here...and I'm starting to think that even as a natural, this shouldn't change THAT much. My area has the white-keyed water. Not cool. Think I need to jump on that sprite filter...

 

[Sapphire_chic]

i live in a hard water area but i've never had problems with dry skin and hair. when i went to wales for 10 days the water was super soft (according to the map) and my hair just went crazy. it felt much softer but it was just acting completely wrong, i had so much frizz and fly aways when i tried to smooth my hair back, no amount of smoothing would work.
i think if i were to start using soft water via a filter i would need a whooole new set of products and techniques...it's probably worth the trouble though...

 

[Melaninme]

Bumping for DIVA_ESQ!

Hope this helps.

 

[Melaninme]

Bumping for shyekiera.

 

[cicilypayne]

I'm going to amazon now this is so helpful thanks guys.

 

[discodumpling]

Although NYC is in a soft water area. I still do ACV final rinses several times per month just incase.

I just add a capfull of ACV to a 16 oz bottle of water and pour over my hair.