Does Soft Water Cause Hair Loss? | Culligan of Indio (2024)

Most of us probably don’t think too muchabout how our water, and its quality, impacts our hair. The fact is, however, that whether your wateris on the harder end of the spectrum, or the softer, you’ll generally noticesome pretty obvious results once you start paying attention.

We’ve also seen our share of myths circulate about soft water hair loss, so it’s time to set the record straight about how your hair reacts to softened water. One of the most common questions we’ve come across is:

Is Soft Water Good For Your Hair?

The short answer is, yes. Soft water penetrates the hair shaft more easily than hard water, which means it can most often leave your hair feeling shinier and softer. People can mistake this difference for their hair feeling thinner, and this is what most often contributes to concerns about hair loss when shampooing with soft water.

Many people may notice a change in their hair if they move from a location with hard water to a location with soft water, however this change is generally unrelated to the amount of hair you have (or whether it’s falling out)— rather it has to do with the quality of your hair. In general, other changes in your environment are likely causing any hair loss, specifically changes to your diet and stress levels. If you’ve begun eating more poorly than you’re used to, or recently experienced a stressful event like moving homes or starting a new job, the hair loss culprit is more likely that than your water quality.

How Your Hair Reacts to Soft Water

The texture difference also helps soft water hair lie more smoothly, so that can also make hair seem more thin or slightly less voluminous than hair washed in hard water.

Your Hair On Hard Water

In contrast, the high mineral count inhard water can aggravate your hair – leaving it brittle and dry. And while thisisn’t always the healthiest thing for hair, it can often give the appearance ofhaving more structure or volume. Hard water also has a tendency to make hairappear dull, and minerals like magnesium and calcium typically build up on hairand hair follicles, drying it out and causing splitting and breaking.

Benefits of Hair Washing with Soft Water

Soft water has long been preferred byhair professionals and beauty experts for a variety of reasons. Most notably,soft water lacks the heavy minerals that can damage hair and make it lessresilient to other changes (like stress or diet). Because soft water canpenetrate the hair follicle more fully, it generally helps hair look shinier,softer, and less damaged.

In addition to being gentler on yourhair, soft water lathers more quickly and easily so you don’t need to use asmuch product as you would with hard water.

Home Hair Loss Remedies and Soft Water

Dissolved minerals and metals in watercan make it more difficult for hair to rinse fully, and can leach nutrientsfrom your hair. So whether you’re trying to stop hair loss with herbal ornatural remedies, it’s likely you’ll need more of whatever remedy you’ve chosenbecause hard water will be working against you when it comes time to later,rinse, repeat.

Looking for a way to help your hair stay healthy and look its best? A whole-home water softener provides high quality, soft water at every faucet and tap in your home so you can experience the benefits no matter where you wash. And the benefits don’t stop with your hair – from added skin benefits to other perks like lower utility bills and longer-lasting appliances, a home water softener can make life a little easier all over the home. Looking to learn more? Visit Culligan of Indio today!

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