Is hard water damaging my hair?

I have very long curly hair. Since moving into my new flat a couple of months ago, I've found the water to be particularly harsh to my hair. I am assuming it's hard because even when I've just got out of the shower, my hair is extremely dried out at the ends and very knotty. I wash it just about every day and use both a moisturising shampoo and conditioner. I had a trim recently so it's not that I need a haircut. After I brush out the knots and put my regular hair products in, it looks fine but I feel like I'm doing a lot of damage to it with the amount of work it takes just to take out the tangles.

answer

One sure sign that you have hard water in your area is if you don't get a lot of lather when you shampoo. If you really are worried, it might be worth checking with your local water board to find out what exactly is coming out of your tap. If the water is as hard as you suspect and you really can't bear it, then you might consider investing in a water softener.

However, I'm not sure the water is causing your hair problems. As your hair is dry, you could try washing it less often. Naturally curly hair is a lot drier by nature than straight hair, so unless you have some reason to wash your hair (such as a party) there's absolutely no need to shampoo it every day. Not only will you give it a chance to produce its own natural oils, but you'll also avoid stressing the hair shafts if you don't have to comb them out every day.

You say that both your shampoo and conditioner are moisturising - which is good. I recommend the whole John Frieda Frizz Ease range for hair that is dry and knotty. Make sure that when combing conditioner through your hair you spread it evenly and that you use a wide tooth comb so as not to break the shafts as you untangle the knots.

Why not chat to other iVillagers about hair on the Hair Care message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:

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Is hard water damaging my hair?