Reason why my hair was thinning: Well water

CurlyCowgirly · 03-12-2013, 12:12 PM

I have well water, and for the longest time, I was losing a ton of hair in the shower--I'm talking +200 strands every time I showered. (I counted, then got fed up and stopped at 200). This went on for months, and my mom was having the same issue. Then my dad learned he was putting too much salt in our water softener, so he cut back. That did the trick!! I immediately start losing MUCH MUCH MUCH less hair. I went down to about 50 strands per shower.

So if you have well water -- check your softener!

WurlyLox · 03-12-2013, 01:08 PM

Hey, blame the softener and the salt, not the well water itself LOL! Plus, all water's different depending on the minerals in it in your area.

I've used well water most of my life, but I don't use the softener, thus no salt. Anyway, no problems - except for at the temple on the side where my hair wants to naturally part. Careful as I am, I thinks it just tension at that spot.

CurlyCowgirly · 03-13-2013, 09:00 PM

Yeah, I know lol...I put well water in the thread title to get the attention of people who have well water. You're correct though, it is indeed the softener and salt that were causing my and my mom's hair loss. I did a thorough test on my water with a water kit back when I had this issue, and everything came out normal except the alkalinity, which was a little high.

I have the same problem above my temples -- mainly my left temple. I believe it's because I sleep on my left side. (My hair is a little thinner in one spot on my left side.) I use a satin pillowcase, but I shuffle around a lot in my sleep.

Do you wear your hair up a lot? Do you keep a tight or loosely tied updo?

WurlyLox · 03-14-2013, 08:33 AM

Since I've gotten older and don't need it around my face visually weighing it down, I wear it up or half up quite a bit, but I'm very careful about allowing any tension there. However, my hair very definitely naturally parts right there anyway, and no matter how careful I am, even when I don't wear it up, I'm sure I get some breakage at that spot because of it. It's also quite a bit finer textured since I've gotten older which makes it more fragile.

But there's also a definite thinning there. I first noticed that after a daily med I had to start taking a few years ago - that, hormones, and everything else contributes a bit. Fortunately it's still thick enough and curly enough that no one notices except me.