Is tap water damaging my hair?

Is tap water damaging my hair? - GAIA Filters

Why It's Time to Filter Chlorine & Chloramines from Your Home

Author: Jess Evans 

I have a special bond with my hairstylist. She’s been by my side guiding me through thick and thin (literally) when it comes to my hair. Recently I complained that no matter what I try, my curls always lose their lush, bouncy feel a few days after leaving the salon. She nodded knowingly and suggested I take a closer look at the water quality in my home.

Tap Water is More Than Just H2O

Tap water is full of other things besides hydrogen and oxygen. By the time tap water reaches our water main, it’s been on a long journey, collecting everything from natural minerals to potentially harmful bacteria along the way.  This is why cities treat water with chemicals like chlorine to kill off harmful contaminants. Chlorine makes tap water drinkable but there are still harsh chemicals involved. This brings me to how chlorine affects our hair.  

Tap Water is Drying Out My Hair

My hair is very curly.  Keeping my hair properly hydrated is crucial for avoiding frizz and breakage.  Chlorine is harsh on hair and strips it of natural oils.  Our hair needs those oils to help absorb and lock in moisture. With each shower or bath, the chlorine in tap water depletes our hair of natural oils, leaving it dry and brittle.  When our hair is dehydrated, it loses elasticity and shine.  Chlorine also dries out your skin and scalp, increasing the appearance of dandruff.  

Subjecting our hair to chlorine can also lead to increased hair loss. Yes, hair loss. Chlorine weakens our hair.  Thin and fragile hair is more likely to break or fall out.

Tap Water is Fading My Colour

When it comes to maintaining hair colour, let’s start with the fact that chlorine is a bleaching agent. Like any other bleach, even trace amounts of chlorine over time will have a lightning effect on your hair. The impact of chlorine on colour treatments is even more visible and annoying. You know how your hair colour goes from va-va-voom to faded and brassy? That’s chlorine.

This isn’t great news considering how much money and time we invest in our hair. It’s discouraging knowing our tap water is washing all our efforts down the drain. So stop the never-ending search for perfect colour-saving shampoos or moisturising conditioners. It’s time to do something about our water quality. 

Saving My Hair from Tap Water

Clearly, when it comes to our hair, tap water isn’t our friend.  How do we get rid of the chlorine in our water?  One way is to install a salt-free, shower filter, certified to give you clean, chemical free water. 

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Does Tap Water Cause Breakouts? - GAIA Filters
Tap Water -The Enemy To Your Skin and Hair? - GAIA Filters

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