Lynnette M. Booker
The various titivation of black hair is an aesthetic that other cultures constantly fail to understand. Black hair is the center piece of one’s self-confidence and self-consciousness, and either one can cause a black woman or man to make undue mistakes in avoiding the latter.
Everyone wants healthy hair that is splendid with shine and volume, but not everyone knows that one of the most insidious dangers is water. Water is a no-no to black hair whether the hair is processed or natural. Water is crucial to the cycle of life but detrimental to life of healthy hair.
But healthy hair for black people is sometimes hard to achieve when the environment incessantly seems to be working against them. Air, water, and sunlight (sometimes beneficial) are unseen problems to achieving and retaining healthy hair. Excessive heating and processing of the hair are prominent problems, of course, but hard water is much more insidious problem to reducing healthy hair.
“Hard water can affect all hair types because it leaves calcium mineral deposits along the hair shaft that cause the hair to dry, brittle, and lack shine,” says certified trichologist Sophia Emmanuel Powell.
The hair is already predisposed to buildup on the hair. Hard water minerals such as calcium carbonate (CaC03) and magnesium sulfate (MgS04) bind the hair shaft during regular washing and conditioning, and the calcium coats the hair causing shampoos and conditioners to build on the hair, Powell explains. Because the hair is dry and lacks luster, more oil-base products are applied on the hair for moisture and shine. These products weigh hair down and decrease style retention, causing a person to frequently wash his or her hair.
Shakia Humphries, hair stylist and specialist, says there are other ways to cleansing products from the hair without using water. Humphries recommends “dry shampoo between washing to preserve the hair’s natural oils.” But if you prefer washing your hair with water, Humphries suggests using a shampoo and conditioner that hydrates and moisturizes, and because water hardness tends to leave the hair dry and brittle; she recommends to get conditioner treatments. The conditioner treatments penetrate through the shaft of the hair strands while working to strengthen the strands and scalp.
For women who are extremely active throughout the week and washing their hair is required, they should add a filter to the faucet to protect their hair from hard-water damage.
Vivacity to Blog 