Hair care tips

Hair Care Tips

Effects of water on your hair

Everybody wants healthier & better-looking hair. But, sometimes we get a bad hair
day with dull & lifeless hair. This could be because of water we use to wash our hair.

So, what is the relation between water & hair?

ardness of water is due

to the presence of calcium,

magnesium and other

minerals.

When

wash

our hair,

these

minerals are

absorbed into

the hair and

change the

look & feel of

hair. So,

type of water

used for hair

wash can

have a powerful

effect on

your hair &

scalp. Amount

of minerals

absorbed by

the hair

depends on acidity

hardness of the

water.

What is hard water?
Rainwater is naturally soft & mineral free. When it falls on the ground, it seeps through
the soil and rocks & picks up the minerals & become hard water. The degree of
hardness increases as mineral content increases.

Higher the hardness or ph level of water, the greater is the absorption of minerals in the
hair. These characteristics of your water can determine the amount of dye that is
absorbed into the hair, how your shampoo and conditioning will work on your hair,
look & feel of hair after drying.

A study published in ‘Sci Total Environ. 1999 Oct 1;239(1-3):189-93’ has mentioned
that uptake of minerals by the hair varies depending on the initial total hardness and pH
of the water. The study was conducted to see the uptake of minerals like calcium &
magnesium by human hair from waters of 24 different locations throughout the world.
The findings have shown that water of high initial total hardness or high initial pH
resulted in more absorption of minerals.

Acidity or mineral content varies in local water supply from day to day. Chlorinated,
mineralized or fluoridated house water can also affect your hair. Because of these
variable factors, your hair looks great one day & shabby & limp on the other day.

Salt water & chlorine can dry & discolor your hair. The chemicals that are used in pool
water can damage your hair. These chemicals can attach with hair and give it a grayish
or green cast.

So, condition of your hair & scalp depend on type of water used for hair wash

For products for hair care, please visit section - hair loss

Tips for hair care:

To protect your hair from effects of pool water or sea water, wet your hair
completely with tap water and apply conditioner before going to pool. It will
help your hair to soak up the normal water instead of the chemicals &
chlorinated water of the swimming pool. Rinse your hair immediately after
coming out of the pool.