Can Soft Water Cause Hair Loss?'

Name: Rick

Question: I moved house a couple of months ago and my hair's been looking thinner since we moved and the only difference I can think of is that we moved from a hard water area to a soft water one. Can soft water cause hair loss? If it does, what can I do about it because I'm not moving house again!!

Answer: Hi Rick. This is an interesting question as there are a few possible reasons why this move may have caused your hair to look thinner, not all of which involve actual hair loss.

Firstly, moving house - as I'm sure you're aware - can be an incredibly stressful experience, not just on the day of the move but all during the negotiations beforehand and the unpacking afterwards.

This type of stress can cause a temporary hair loss condition known as Telogen Effluvium which tends to occur around three months after the trigger incident. It presents as thinning hair all over the scalp and tends to last up to 12 months. Time-wise and in relation to the thinning, this would fit in with what you describe. If you do have this, your hair should regrow naturally although there is Telogen Effluvium treatment available to help promote regrowth.

Male pattern hair loss can also be exacerbated by stress so, if you are predisposed to this hereditary condition, it could be as straightforward as that. It is important to note that, if you are already genetically prone to Male Pattern Baldness, Telogen Effluvium can either bring this on or make any existing signs of hair loss worse.

In order to deal with this type of shedding - either from male hair loss on its own or with Telogen Effluvium affecting you simultaneously - a bespoke hair loss treatment plan can be tailored to prevent further hair fall and boost regrowth.

You mention moving from an area with hard water to one where the water is soft. Believe it or not, this change may well be making your hair look thinner without actually causing any hair loss at all! Soft water is better at penetrating the hair shaft than hard water, which means hair washed in soft water tends to be shinier and softer as the water helps the hair shaft to remold itself properly. In contrast, hard water can be drying to the hair, making it appear dull and potentially more brittle as the shafts cannot remold in the same way, leaving them with a rougher exterior.

The softer hair will lie differently to coarser, hard water hair. So, particularly if you were experiencing even a hint of thinning hair before you moved, the difference to your hair's texture caused by washing it in soft water, could be making this more obvious. If this is the case it is most likely that only you will notice this difference as it is fairly minimal, and can easily be remedied by adding some volumising styling product to your hair. Far less drastic than moving house!

If you are concerned, have a hair loss specialist assess your situation. They can diagnose the condition(s) you are facing and recommend a course of appropriate treatments and hair growth boosters to help thicken your hair back up.

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