As Americans focus more on the purity of their products, food, and air, the question arises: Is hard water bad for you? Many are discovering the surprising effects of water hardness and how it can impact their health, skin, hair, and home.
Let’s explore key facts about hard water and how to improve water quality.
1. It Destroys Your Hair
Is hard water bad for your hair? Absolutely. Hard water, which contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, can leave your hair dull, straw-like, and coated with an insoluble substance.
Dissolved minerals in hard water form mineral deposits on hair, leading to dryness and limpness. Switching to a water softener or installing a water filter for hard water, like those offered by AquaBliss, can help protect your hair from these damaging effects.
By reducing mineral content, your hair follicles can regain their natural shine and health.
2. Messes Up Plumbing
Hard water doesn’t just affect your hair—it can wreak havoc on your plumbing. Mineral buildup from hard water, particularly calcium carbonate, clogs your pipes and water heaters, leading to reduced water pressure and costly repairs.
If you've noticed limescale buildup in your fixtures, you're likely dealing with high concentrations of hardness minerals like magnesium carbonates and calcium. To avoid expensive plumber visits, consider a water softening system that reduces excess minerals.
Products like AquaBliss shower filters can also prevent soap scum and mineral deposits from clogging your fixtures, keeping your water flowing smoothly.
3. Negative Skin Impacts
Is hard water bad for your skin? Yes, especially for those with sensitive skin. Hard water can leave a filmy residue that clogs pores, leading to dry skin, irritation, and even premature aging.
The calcium and magnesium in hard water make it difficult for soap to rinse away cleanly, causing skin dryness and itchiness. A shower filter designed for hard water, like those from AquaBliss, can eliminate most of the dissolved minerals, improving your skin's health and preventing dryness.
For people with sensitive skin, removing mineral buildup can also reduce irritation.
Hard Water and Human Health
So, is hard water bad for you from a health perspective? While drinking hard water contains essential minerals like calcium and magnesium, excessive consumption, especially from particularly very hard water, can have known adverse health effects.
Excess calcium may contribute to kidney stones and other health concerns. Some studies have found positive correlations between high magnesium concentrations in drinking water and certain health problems, including cardiovascular disease and pancreatic cancer.
For those with health concerns like kidney stones or on a low sodium diet, a reverse osmosis system or water softening units can reduce magnesium intake and dissolved calcium, ensuring water hardness levels are safe for consumption.
Shower Filters for Hard Water
A high-quality shower filter can help eliminate many of the issues associated with hard water. Look for filters like those from AquaBliss that reduce total calcium, magnesium, and other hardness minerals to avoid the negative effects on your skin dryness, hair, and plumbing.
A good filter can remove up to 95% of water impurities, helping to maintain your hair and skin health while protecting your home from limescale buildup.
In conclusion, addressing water hardness with a reliable water softening system or shower filter from AquaBliss not only improves your home’s plumbing but also enhances your human health by reducing the potential adverse health effects of hard water.