Tap Water and Hair Dye: Do Chemicals Remove Fresh Color?

If you love your fresh, salon-perfect hair color (and who doesn't?), you probably know it needs protection to stay vibrant. UV rays can yellow the color, sulfate-containing shampoos can fade it, and citrus-containing products can diminish its vibrancy.

One of the biggest, yet lesser-known, causes of color fading is minerals in the water. Even though tap water looks clear, it can contain metals and minerals that accumulate in the hair, changing its color and the quality of its structure.

Hard water is the worst culprit, but all water contains minerals that can damage hair color and structure.

How do minerals affect hair?

Mineral buildup can cause:

• Color fading and yellowing

• Dullness, roughness, and loss of shine

• Loosening of curls

• Hair feeling heavy and dull

Minerals can also affect the outcome of salon treatments; for example, copper can accelerate coloring and lead to unexpected results.

Which minerals are the most harmful?

• Calcium: Dries out hair, removes elasticity from curls, and can cause dandruff.

• Magnesium and aluminum: Dull hair color and make hair lifeless.

• Copper: Turns light hair greenish and dark hair darker. Accelerates the coloring process.

• Iron and manganese: Turn light hair orange-toned and dark hair reddish. Dry and roughen hair.

• Lead: Leaves a gray tint in hair, although it only appears in small residues nowadays.