Author Topic: ISO haircare advice - living with hard water.  (Read 2485 times)

Bo-rrific G

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ISO haircare advice - living with hard water.
« on: November 06, 2016, 01:30:48 PM »
I recently moved from a soft to a hard water place and, for the first time in my life, my hair is an absolute mess.  It tangles easily, looks brassy, and it is dry dry dry!  I can't figure out how to manage my hair and need advice.

My current routine - 

Washing: I wash my hair 2 times per week with sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner (Sunday and Wednesday night).  Once I run out of my current shampoo, I will be experimenting with local options.

Drying: When it is cold, I blow dry my hair on low heat.  If it is not cold outside, I air dry my hair.

Styling: This depends on how dirty my hair is, but this is minimal.  Day one after washing, I typically don't do anything.  Day 2, french braid, side braid, or ponytail.  Day 3, I will use hot-rollers and wear it down.  If there is a Day 4, I usually do a bun or something else that keeps it out of my face.

Hair type -
I have long (2 inches past my bra strap), untreated, brownish hair with long layers.  I typically cut my hair all one length, but I'm trying to grow out an experiment with layers.  I've been told my hair is on the fine side, but that I have a lot of it.  It is pretty straight and doesn't normally hold a curl or anything for that matter. 

Since moving, I tried washing with vinegar, lemon, and just water -- all feel fantastic until I rinse.  Rinsing makes my hair feel tangled and dry again.  Interestingly, one positive of hard water has been that my hair keeps curls a lot better. 

I should note that my skin is also struggling with the change, but it has been manageable for the time being.  I added a toner to my routine and that seemed to do the trick.

I welcome any and all advice at this point! 

anotherAlias

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Re: ISO haircare advice - living with hard water.
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2016, 03:17:20 PM »
Lol, I'm struggling with the reverse problem.  I used to have hard water and now I have soft.  Now my hair is a limp stringy mess.  When I had hard water I bought shampoo conditioner and styling creme for dry hair.  Ive always done well with Garnier fructus products...but I don't care about sulfites in my products.  You could try a leave in conditioner or even a bit of coconut oil.  Unfortunately for me it has been three months of trial and error.  although I think I'm closing in on my own solution.

Bo-rrific G

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Re: ISO haircare advice - living with hard water.
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2016, 11:33:58 AM »
I guess our bodies adapt to our local environment!

I will try the leave in conditioner.  Did you ever have issues with build up? My scalp feels similar to when I "do my hair" with product and hairspray (special occasions only).

Good luck on finding a solution!

anotherAlias

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Re: ISO haircare advice - living with hard water.
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2016, 12:07:46 PM »
No I never had a problem with build up but I only use shampoo, conditioner and a light straightening cream

Mel70

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Re: ISO haircare advice - living with hard water.
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2016, 08:57:44 AM »
We lived in a similar situation and a water softener was a great solution. They are reasonably priced. Otherwise, yes, conditioners help but you have to find one that works with your hair.

marielle

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Re: ISO haircare advice - living with hard water.
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2016, 11:16:20 AM »
Try a shower filter like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Handheld-Showers-Filtration-Cartridge/dp/B01M1DKSW8/

Might be cheaper than buying different hair care products that may or may not work. I used to have one because I was trying to go 100% shampoo free, but decided to ditch that idea after a few months. Definitely helped though. This one says it can last up to a year, but maybe a bit less depending on how bad your water is and usage.

sonjak

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Re: ISO haircare advice - living with hard water.
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2016, 07:43:44 PM »
When I lived in IN, we had hard water and I used a somewhat harsh shampoo to strip build-up and then a serious conditioner (as others suggested).  I have fine/straight hair and without it, my hair felt really thick and coarse.  It worked alright (made living there bearable).

I no longer live there so I can't test this personally but my current suggestion would be to use a vinegar rinse ( apple cider diluted with water).  We used white vinegar to clean the hard water buildup/stains off the toilet and sink and it worked great.  Someone here suggested vinegar as a hair rinse and I now do that a few times a week and it works great (other than having a faint smell of vinegar when I exercise because my scalp/hair gets damp). 

So putting two and two together, you might try it.