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Got hard water? Water that comes from limestone or sandstone aquifers in particular tends to contain minerals which cause it to be "hard." Primarily calcium and magnesium. These minerals interfere with many detergents, including soap. They can deposit on your skin, your shower, in plumbing. People with itchy skin or eczema and dermatitis often try (or at least wonder about) water softeners to relieve their symptoms. First off, a shower-head water filter does nothing to remove minerals from water. These filters can remove chlorine and some "heavy" metals, but do not soften. That's another story. ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013 A study in England tested 336 children, ages 6 to 16 years of age. All had eczema. All were treated for eczema with medication, but half were also given an ion-exchange water softener to test for 12 weeks. Nurses evaluated the physical eczema symptoms and found no difference in measurable indicators of disease  between the group which used soften...

Itchy (and dry) scalp is often accompanied by flaking skin Also see this newer post for some new ideas ! Itchy Scalp can have lots of causes. "Dandruff" refers only to the flakes, not the cause of the flakes. Seborrheic dermatitis, also known as Seborrheic eczema is eczema, or a recurring inflammation (causing itching, rashes, scaling or "flaking") of the skin on oilier parts of the skin such as your scalp, eyebrows, face, chest. Most often associated with allergies, you can develop Seborrheic dermatitis as a result of contact with chemicals or friction on the skin. Once your skin has become inflamed and irritated, it's "waterproof" barrier has broken down - tiny cracks open up and allow chemicals through where they can cause further irritation. Elsewhere on your body, eczema usually looks like dry, red, flaky patches that don't become smooth or soft no matter how much skin lotion you apply. They may crack and bleed or get "weepy" and bli...

I work outdoors, sometimes all day for a week at a time in spring, summer or autumn. So I know a thing or two about what makes an ideal hat. What does this have to do with hair, skin and the meaning of life? Bear with me, please. 1) A proper hat protects your eyes. Shading the eyes prevents migraines, cataracts and squinting which can cause headaches. ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013 2) A good hat keeps the sun off your scalp and hair. Hair protects the scalp. Hats protect the hair and scalp.  When hair is exposed to 200 hours of ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, the cuticle edges begin to fuse as the cuticle “shrinks.” As it shrinks, tiny openings are created and these are known as "porosities." After 400 hours, porosity continues to increase with further cuticle damage, and after 1200 hours, the cuticle becomes rigid, brittle, and may crack, leading to even further increases in porosity. If your hair grows the "average" of up to 6 inches per year (15 cm) and you get s...