Showering is essential to grooming — and hygiene, really. You also likely know to wash your scalp and locks with a shampoo and conditioner that helps you meet your goals. However, you can follow all the “good pair day” best practices, like not heat styling too much, and still find that your mane feels gunky, dull, and brittle.
There’s a chance hard water is raining on your parade and making bad hair days a daily event. Luckily, some hard water hair care tips can help you treat — and better yet, prevent — hard water. Yet, backing up, you may not think of water as “hard” or “soft.” If you do think about it, you might consider the essential liquid “soft.” Having a baseline for what hard water even means is the first step to determining whether or not it’s an issue for your hair.
“Hard water is the result of harsher chemicals and minerals found in our water supply,” said Dr. Anna Chacon, MD, a dermatologist.
Dr. Chacon says it can weaken strands and lead to buildup, but you can nix hard-water-related hair issues with some practical, expert-backed steps. These hard water hair care tips will let you tell mineral-laden H2O to “follicle off.”
Hard water hair care: How do you get rid of hard water hair buildup in your hair?
Dermatologists and other hair care experts share that preventing hard water is better than treating it. However, if it’s too late for that, you can take steps to reduce the damage hard water is currently having on your hair (and then pivot to preventing it from being a problem for you in the future).
“You can use a clarifying shampoo specifically made to remove buildup,” explained Dr. Viktoryia Kazlouskaya, MD, Ph.D., a dermatologist. “It helps to lift the residue off your scalp and strands. Sometimes a double wash or thorough rinse is needed, especially since hard water makes it harder to remove all the product or minerals from the hair.”
However, Dr. Chacon cautioned that it’s possible to overdo these clarifying shampoos, which can cause new issues with hair. A California-based master stylist shares similar concerns.
“Just don’t overuse them because they can be drying if used daily,” warned Nikki Corzine, a master stylist and the owner of The Canyon Salon, Westlake Village, Calif.
Does apple cider vinegar remove hard water from hair?
Perhaps surprisingly, apple cider vinegar might help get hard water (and its effects) out of your hair. While apple cider vinegar is also the name of a Netflix series about early wellness social media influencers who make false claims — and is a favorite of today’s wellness influencers who make similarly misinformed promises — it could have a use with hard water hair care. “Apple cider vinegar can help remove buildup,” Dr. Kazlouskaya said. “Because it’s acidic, it helps dissolve mineral deposits on the hair and scalp. It’s a simple and natural way to deal with residue.”
That said, Dr. Chacon doesn’t want to overpromise results.
“Apple cider vinegar can help, but not as well as a shampoo intended for this purpose,” Dr. Chacon said. “ACV is acidic and can be incredibly powerful when applied directly to the hair. If you opt for this DIY method, I would dilute and rinse well after use.
However, if you’re going to try apple cider vinegar, Dr. Kazlouskaya shared that you don’t have to use what’s in your kitchen.
“There are cosmetic products that include vinegar with a more pleasant scent and better texture,” she said. “I personally like Aveeno and Pura D’Or. Some shampoos and conditioners already include vinegar as an ingredient.”
How can I protect my hair from hard water?
The old adage “prevention is the best medicine” holds true in hard water hair care. Experts say stopping hard water at the source is more effective than working backward with treatments like shampoos and apple cider vinegar. Their No. 1 tip is to find a product you won’t find in the hair care aisle: a filter.
“My first recommendation is to stop it at the source if possible by either using a home water filtration and soft water treatment system as a whole or a filter on your shower head that can remove some of those compounds before they come in contact with your body,” Dr. Chacon said. “Both will help eliminate the issue as opposed to just re-treating the problem over and over.”
However, a few more standard hair care tips — including products — might assist with issues related to hard water. Hair pros recommend preventing hard water-related matters by:
- Limiting the number of times you shower. Sweat sessions, hot weather, and more can cause you to shower more than once daily. However, the exposure to hard water can have a ripple effect on hair health. “If possible, don’t shower too often and not more than once a day for sure,” Dr. Chacon said. “Try every other day if you are experiencing hard water symptoms from everyday showering and exposure to the minerals in your water supply.
- Pre-rinse with bottled or filtered water. An extra step before turning on the faucet serves as TLC for hair that’s about to get exposed to hard water. “Wetting your hair with clean water before showering helps saturate the strands so they absorb less of the hard water while you wash your hair,” Corzine said.
- Gentle shampoo and once-weekly clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos do more than treat buildup — they can help prevent it. “Clarifying shampoos break down mineral buildup and help reset your scalp,” Corzine said.
- Deep condition. Give hair some extra love post-shampoo. “Treating the hair with a deep conditioner can protect it from hard water,” said Darrius Peace, a salon owner, master barber, and natural haircare expert at Hayah Beauty. Dr. Kazlouskaya agreed, saying deep conditioners can hydrate and restore softness to damaged strands.
- Avoid overwashing your hair. While it’s tempting to think that more washing will mean less buildup, Corzine advises against it. “Washing too often with hard water strips your hair of natural oils and increases mineral buildup,” Corzine said.
Why does hard water damage hair?
Hard water contains minerals like calcium and magnesium that can damage hair. “The higher concentration of minerals is not easily absorbed by hair strands, leading to dryness and breakage,” Peace said.
Dr. Kazlouskaya added, “Water hardness depends on where the water comes from. Some soils naturally have higher mineral content and what kind of purification system is used. People who live in areas with hard water may notice buildup on kettles or coffee machines, have their clothes feel stiff after washing, or experience skin breakouts and hair damage.”
Where is hard water prevalent? It’s not limited to just one type of town or region. Corzine said people in rural areas may have hard water because of well water, but pointed out that, “it also happens in cities with harsh city water or old plumbing.”
Dr. Kazlouskaya said pipes, appliances, and yes, your hair, can pay the price. The tricky part about hard water hair damage is that the signs can sneak up on you.
“Honestly, you may not even realize it at first. But just like it leaves buildup in pipes, hard water can leave a film on your hair,” Dr. Kazlouskaya said. “That buildup can make your hair feel dry, brittle, and more prone to breakage. The scalp may also feel dry and sensitive.”
Dr. Chacon notes you might notice flakes and dandruff, too, and Dr. Kazlouskaya said you might even see color changes from the minerals.
“Chlorine, for example, may give it a greenish tint, while others, like magnesium, can dull or lighten the color,” she said. “This might be more noticeable if you recently moved and your hair started reacting differently.”
If so, investing in a filter system and using clarifying shampoos once weekly are good ways to reduce and prevent further damage.
Bottom line on hard water hair care
Water is sustaining, life-giving, and cleansing. However, if you’re experiencing buildup, discoloration, dullness, and breakage, you may want to investigate another hard, potential truth: You may have hard water damage. Many people across the United States — including those who live in cities and rural areas — are at risk for hard water hair damage. Hard water is water with certain minerals, like calcium and magnesium. It can make it more difficult for your hair to absorb minerals, leading to issues like breakage, flaking, buildup, and dandruff. Hard water hair care products, like cleansing shampoos and even apple cider vinegar, can treat damaged locks. However, hair care experts stress that the best way to treat hard water is to ward it off in the first place. The first line of defense? A water filtration system can remove some of the minerals before they hit your hair. Avoid showering more than once per day, and limit use of clarifying shampoos to once weekly. Too much showering can increase your hard water exposure, and clarifying shampoos can dry out the hair (and make it more brittle in the process).
