Are You the Only One Losing Hair in your Family? Read to Know the Secret Cause of Hair Loss

Losing approximately 100 strands of hair a day is quite normal. The problem arises when you have excessive hair fall even if no one in your family has a history of hair fall. In such a scenario, you need to check the water quality, which is something that many people don’t check when they face hair fall problems. Hard water is loaded with excess calcium and magnesium that is quite damaging for your hair. Hard water leaves slime and heavy residue build-up, which can’t be removed easily, even after using the expensive hair care products. The reason is hard water leaves residue on your scalp, thereby causing harm to your hair. The question is, how will you know that hard water is the main reason for your dry, lifeless hair and excessive hair fall causes.

Excessive Hair Fall and Common Signs of Hard Water

Excessive hair fall can be caused by a number of factors, including poor nutrition, hormonal imbalances, certain medications, stress, and environmental factors such as hard water. Here are some common signs of hard water:

1. Dry and dull hair

Hard water contains high levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which can make your hair dry, brittle and lifeless.

2. Hair breakage

Hard water can cause hair to become weak and brittle, leading to breakage and split ends.

3. Scalp irritation

The minerals in hard water can irritate your scalp, leading to itching and flaking.

4. Buildup on hair

Hard water can leave mineral buildup on your hair, making it feel heavy and greasy.

5. Fading hair color

Hard water can cause hair color to fade quickly, especially if you have dyed hair.

Here are some of the common signs on hair that you need to check to find out whether you are using hard water.

• Itchy and dry scalp
• Dandruff
• Excessive hair fall
• Dull and frizzy hair

How does Hard Water Harm your Hair?

The excess amount of calcium and magnesium in water form a coating on your hair strands. This dries out your hair making it look dull, weighed down and leads to excessive hair fall. The residue accumulates on your scalp, thereby causing dandruff, which blocks the hair follicles and leads to breakage. The blocked follicles, if not cleared, prevent hair growth and cause hair thinning. Hard water also has copper and iron, which affect the texture and color of your hair. While copper affects your hair color, iron makes your hair dry and gives it a reddish tint.

How Does Hard Water Affect the pH Level of Hair?

Hard water also has a high scalp pH level, which makes it alkaline. The excessive level of difference between the pH levels of your hair and hard water has a negative impact on your hair. The high pH level of hard water negatively charges your hair, which leads to friction and hair breakage. Your hair has a pH level of approximately 3.5 whereas the pH level of hard water is almost 8.5. In short, the pH level of hard water is approximately 50 times higher than the hair pH level of your hair.

How can you Deal with this Problem?

An effective and hassle-free way of dealing with hard water and reduce hair fall is to use a home water softener. The compact appliance uses an ion exchange process to enhance the water quality and make it suitable for use. The hard water softener exchanges minerals such as calcium and magnesium with sodium to make hard water soft. Installing a water softener ensures that you get a continuous supply of soft water for all purposes, thereby saving your hair from damage. Depending on the space available, you can use a whole house or point-of-use water softener. The whole-house water softener is connected with an overhead storage tank, whereas point-of-use water softener is connected to a washing machine, geyser or shower depending on your convenience. Before installing a water softener, get the water quality tested.