The Effects of Hard Water on Your Health

Posted on July 15, 2020 by oozle

Hard water is not a health hazard. In fact, the minerals that make your tap water hard, usually calcium and magnesium, are good for your health. However, just because hard water isn’t bad for you doesn’t mean it can’t create irritating side effects. Here’s an inside look at what hard water may actually be doing to your body, more specifically, your hair and skin.

How Does Hard Water Affect The Skin?

Depending on how hard your water is, hard water can be damaging to your skin. There are a number of other problems your skin could have because of your water, including:

• Acne and breakouts
• Dry, irritated skin
• Aggravated eczema
• Itchy scalp
• Mineral residue

Why Does This Happen?

Can hard water really cause acne? While it may not be the only cause of an unwanted breakout, hard water can actually be part of the reason. This is because the minerals in your water can leave a soapy film over your face, blocking pores and causing breakouts. This film can also dry out your skin and scalp, leaving you with itchy, irritated skin.

If you know you have sensitive skin, eczema or psoriasis psoriasis, skin conditions where your skin often becomes red, dry, and/or itchy, , you may find your skin irritated more often than usual. This is because the calcium and magnesium not only prevent your soap from cleaning your skin, but stick to your skin even after a nice, long shower.

How Does Hard Water Affect Hair?

Much like on your skin, hard water can be hard on your hair, too. Without a water softener, you could be faced with:

• Dull, lifeless hair
• Frizzy hair
• Split ends
• Hair discoloration

Why Does This Happen?

There are a number of reasons why your hair feels damaged, itchy, or dry. While the type of shampoo and your current washing routine could be affecting the health of your hair, your water could also be the cause of mysterious damage and split ends.

Hard water does more than just prevent your shampoo to lather correctly. The hard minerals often stay in your hair, leaving you with heavy, dull hair. If you have colored hair, the hard minerals found in hard water can build up and interfere with color such as fading and even changing the color.

How Does Hard Water Affect Your Home?

Hard water has a number of effects on your home, not just the health of your skin and hair. Some of these effects are purely cosmetic, while others could be wasting your money. If you have really hard water in your home, you could be dealing with:

• Shorter life-span of large appliances (such as your water heater)
• Hard water stains throughout your home
• Scale and mineral buildup in your pipes
• Unpleasant tasting water
• Lowered water pressure

What’s the Solution For Hard Water?

While there are a number of DIY options to take care of problems caused by hard water, the best way to fix hard water is to get a water softener. A water softener can save your skin and hair making them softer and more shiny. It can also save you money on soaps and shampoos and prevent annoying hard water stains. Unlike hard water, soft water doesn’t react with soaps and shampoos, leaving your skin and hair softer and cleaner than before!

Every place is different and has varying levels of mineral content in the water. Some places might be worse than others. Knowing how much mineral content is in your area can help you better understand the impacts hard water could have on your home. Check out our Las Vegas Hard Water Checker where you can plug in your zip code and see what your water quality is!

How Does A Water Softener Work?

A water softener works by replacing the hard minerals in your water with softer minerals, like sodium or potassium. These minerals do not react with your soap like calcium and magnesium do, leaving your skin and hair smooth and clean. Some people describe soft water as feeling “slimy,” but that’s not the case! It’s actually just the water removing the layer of soap scum you normally would have with hard water, leaving you with clean skin and hair.

Even better, soft water can actually save you money! Soft water doesn’t create scale in your pipes, which keeps your water heater, dishwasher, and washing machine lasting longer. You can also save money on soap and shampoo because it takes less product to keep yourself and your home clean if you have soft water.

Find Out More About Water Softeners Today!

Wondering how to get soft water in your home? Give ProServ Las Vegas a call at 702-425-5512. We are happy to answer any plumbing questions you might have about hard water and our plumbing services!