How Do Minerals Sneak into Your Water?
“Minerals attach themselves to your hair like magnets, and proceed to wreak havoc on your chemical services and everyday management. This is a very huge issue, especially for those with curly hair, and having a keen understanding about what’s in your water is essential for the wellbeing of your tresses.”
Ground water is a major source of water for homes. As the name implies, ground water quite literally comes from underground. The ground is essentially rock and is comprised of limestone, calcium, magnesium and iron, which leads to mineral water. The ground is hard mineral rock, and the acidity of acid rain actually increases the dissolving effect of minerals, making it a prime culprit of the minerals in your water. The acid rain is what dissolves mineral solids in the water that is then pumped above ground and used in your shower.
Surface water is also a prime source for the water for homes. It comes from rivers or lakes, usually containing fewer minerals because the water has not filtered down through the mineral layers. While one would think this would actually be a better option for shower water, as it naturally lacks the minerals that latch onto your hair and cause problems both in and out of the salon, it is not the case.
This type of water is often highly polluted, which lends itself to an influx of bacteria. Water treatment facilities add compounds such as chlorine to kill the bacteria, and then add lime to help control the chlorine levels, and so goes the vicious cycle of additives in your water that yields mineral attachment on your hair.
Remember that minerals attach themselves to your hair like magnets, and proceed to wreak havoc on your chemical services and everyday management. This is a very huge issue, especially for those with curly hair, and having a keen understanding about what’s in your water is essential for the wellbeing of your tresses. Your hair will tell whether your water is well.
If you are unsure about what is in your water, let us send you a free test strip to test your water so that you can learn more about your water and your hair. We look forward to empowering you as together we explore customized conditions and wellness solutions in upcoming monthly articles.
City Comparisons
Keep in mind that there are myriad reasons for water variations that are not purely geographical. It is interesting to note the following examples.
Areas with copper piping have an influx of copper in their water, especially when there is calcium already present in the water, as copper leaches onto the water by means of osmosis. One such example of this is Boston. Many homes in that city have old copper and/or lead pipes. Naturally textured hair in this city is not as frizzy, and the curls are softer in appearance, however, you may note a greenish tint to the hair due to the copper build up, which creates challenges with chemical services.
You’ll also note that though San Jose and San Francisco are in the same geographical area, people with naturally curly hair in those cities experience completely different issues as a direct result of their water. Many people commute to San Francisco from San Jose for work, and hairdressers in San Francisco frequently notice they have greater challenges with their clients from San Jose, who have harder water than their local clients.
