If you’re not happy with the appearance of your hair, skin and nails, there might be a culprit that you haven’t even considered. Hard water can turn your hair dull, cause problems for your skin health and render your nails brittle. We’ll explain how hard water can harm your health and your appearance. In addition, we’ll let you know how you can fix the issue with the help of a professional plumbing team in Denver, CO.
What Is Hard Water?
Even if you’ve heard of hard water, you might not be sure what exactly “hard” means when you apply it to a liquid. While the water isn’t literally hard, it is full of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. While these minerals can benefit our internal health, they’re not so ideal for our external appearance. That’s because they tend to accumulate, building up over time.
When water is soft, it has fewer of these minerals, meaning that you won’t experience buildup on your hair and skin. When you have a professional water softening system installed in your home, your soaps and shampoos lather easier, improving your overall hygiene and ability to get truly clean.
How Soft Water Improves Your Hair
Your hair is perhaps the most affected by hard water buildup. When calcium and magnesium cling to the roots of your hair and dry out your scalp, the effects aren’t as noticeable as the effects of hard water on your skin. This means that you might experience some serious damage to your hair and scalp before you even realize there’s a problem. Here’s why soft water is essential for healthy hair.
Enhanced Cleanliness and Shine
Healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp. One of the benefits of soft water is that the foaming agents in shampoos are able to lather better. That means you’ll get better and more thorough results from your shampoo. Without the accumulation of minerals on the lengths of your hair, you’ll enjoy enhanced shine and manageability.
Better Natural Texture
Curly and textured hair types tend to suffer the worst from hard water. This is because the buildup of minerals can pull the hair down and make it heavy, resulting in lackluster curls and frizz. When you care for your curly hair with soft water, you’ll notice less buildup and springier, bouncier curls.
Reduced Damage and Breakage
Damage, breakage and split ends don’t only affect the appearance of your hair — they can also prevent your hair’s ability to properly grow to its desired length. When you wash your hair with soft water, you’ll notice less damage and breakage over time. When you combine soft water with the right products for your hair, you can prevent split ends and enjoy long, healthy locks.
Soft Water for Glowing, Healthy Skin
Just as soft water benefits your hair, it can help you to improve the texture, health and appearance of your complexion. Here’s why soft water is a must for glowing skin.
Better Cleansing
Just as soft water allows your shampoo to better cleanse your hair, soft water can help your body and face wash to give your skin a deeper cleanse. When you don’t properly cleanse your skin of dirt, sweat and oil, you risk acne and clogged pores. When your skin is properly cleansed with soft water, you’ll experience fewer blemishes and blackheads.
Reduce Irritation
If you have sensitive skin, you probably know to stay away from certain ingredients and fragrances. However, hard water is an often overlooked culprit for irritation. Many complexions become inflamed and irritated when exposed to excess minerals. Bathing in warm water can help to reduce redness and irritation, giving you a more even complexion.
Less Dryness
When we experience hard water buildup on our skin, it can make dryness worse, especially when the buildup is preventing moisturizers from working effectively. If you suffer from dry skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema or keratosis pilaris, it’s especially important that you bathe only in soft water.
Why Soft Water Helps Nails
Believe it or not, hard water can have a damaging effect on your nails, too. Here’s why soft water might be the secret to getting your most photogenic manicure ever.
Stronger Nails With Less Breakage
Several factors determine the health and strength of your nails. They include your genetics, nutrition and lifestyle. However, hard water can create the same mineral buildup on nails that it does on your hair and skin. This is especially problematic when you consider how much more you wash your hands than you do the rest of your body. With repeated hand washing in soft water, you don’t have to worry about your nails becoming brittle or weak.
Healthier Cuticles
Much as hair health begins with scalp health, nail health begins with cuticle health. Hard water can irritate your cuticles, causing them to peel and become dry. When you cleanse in soft water, your cuticles will experience less irritation and remain healthier over time.
How to Reverse the Damage Caused by Hard Water
If you’ve been bathing in hard water, you might have experienced some of the issues we’ve mentioned. Here’s what you can do to reverse some of the damage caused by hard water.
Use the Right Hard Water Hair Products
Since hard water creates a buildup of minerals on your scalp and hair, you need a shampoo designed to strip all that buildup away. Look for a shampoo labeled “clarifying,” as these extra-duty shampoos are designed to cleanse your scalp of any mineral buildup. However, these shampoos can be quite drying, so follow up with a heavy-duty moisturizing conditioner or hair mask.
Dealing With the Effects of Hard Water on Skin
If you’re dealing with dryness and irritation caused by hard water, you need a heavy-duty moisturizer. Look for an ultra-rich formula that’s free of fragrance and alcohol, as these ingredients might irritate your skin more.
Have a Water Softening System Installed in Your Home
While there are products and techniques designed to mitigate the effects of hard water, the best solution is to eliminate the source of the problem altogether. A professional plumbing team can equip your home with a water softening system. While the effects might not be apparent right away, over time, you’ll enjoy bouncier hair, healthier skin and stronger nails. As a bonus, water softening systems require very little maintenance on the part of the homeowner.
Get the Hair, Skin and Nails of Your Dreams
At High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we’ve witnessed firsthand the dramatic difference that soft water can make when it comes to appearance and overall health. Call us today to learn more about how you can soften the water in your home. We also offer other plumbing, sewage and HVAC services to all residents of the Greater Denver Metro Area. Whether you’re looking to get bouncier hair or need emergency plumbing services, we are always here to help. Ask us about our water heater services, too!
Contact High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to schedule an appointment or get more information.
