To be frank, the hair industry can churn out a bevy of sparkling new products to purchase along the journey to achieve our lustrous hair goals. Consumerism — and never ending hair routines — can feel like the price we pay for the hair we love. The latest fad in hair health care? Filtered shower heads.
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Across TikTok, the product appears as the panacea to every hair problem imaginable. Filtered shower heads are said to not only elevate shower routines (and decor) but also reduce the contaminants that settle in water. After a simple do-it-yourself installation, all your brittle hair worries are supposedly washed down the drain.
How Does It Work?
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While the anecdotes across our For You Pages are pretty convincing, weighing out the pros and busting a few myths is necessary ahead of adding filtered shower heads to your shopping cart.
The number one selling point of filtered shower heads is the ability to eliminate water quality issues. Many popular brands cite that their filters target chemicals through a redox process. While the filters can mitigate the amount of chlorine in the water, it requires a bit more enhanced science to remove calcium and magnesium that cause hard water.
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“Hard water is not treated through redox reactions. It’s treated through ion exchange, and the best devices for ion exchange are water softening systems,” Javon Ford, an LA-based cosmetic chemist, says via TikTok.
Can Filtered Shower Heads Elevate Your Hair Routine?
Filtered shower heads do, however, address chlorine. Chlorine is a key agent in stripping the hair of natural oils, fading hair color, and especially increasing hair porosity.
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It not only dissolves hair lipids that maintain sheen but its oxidizing nature can disrupt hair’s ability to reject excess moisture — ultimately leading to breakage and split ends.
Ultimately, filtered shower heads can amplify your natural hair routine if enhanced maximum product efficiency is the goal. First, the hydrating properties of water can penetrate the hair shaft easily when chlorine is no longer present.
The removal of chlorine-catalyzed chemical reactions will also allow for products to penetrate deeper as well. Shampoos and deep conditioners can access respective target areas sans the hassle of bypassing chlorine build-up.
Over time, your hair should adjust to a deeper cleanse and present more hydration, sheen, and production retention.
How to Maintain Filtered Shower Heads
The influencer hype seems to wane when the lifespan of filtered shower heads is considered. According to Culligan, the lifespan of filtered shower heads is up to six months, depending on water usage. Like any other filter, shower heads need replacements to ensure maximum efficiency.
Over time, the cost of filter replacements may not be a fair trade-off for consumers attempting to decrease their hair expenses. Some filtered companies, like Jolie, do offer a subscription-based service to avoid replacement days slipping your mind.
Ready To Test Out The Trend?
If you’re still joining the filtered shower head tread, all things considered, ahead are some of the fan favorites to test — in no particular order.
1. Jolie Filtered Shower Head
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It’s all the rave on TikTok with a cult following on the app constantly posting visual reviews to. Jolie reports that over 80% of its consumers “experienced reduced hair shedding with 46% less hair shedding on average.”
2. Canopy Filtered Shower Head
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What girl doesn’t love a detachable showerhead on shampoo days? If you hate cricks in your neck while lathering your hair, Canopy offers a detachable version.
3. Cobbe Filtered Shower Head
While the virality of filtered shower heads has resulted in an uptick in prices, this affordable version still offers all the perks of chlorine-reduced water for a fraction of the price.
4. Afina A-01 Filtered Shower Head
This derivative offers high pressure and focuses on aiding those of us who experience scalp conditions such as eczema.
5. Act+Acre Shower Head Filter
This viral shower head filter brings you closer to scalp health.
If you’re looking for more insight on the latest hair trends, be sure to follow Naturally Curly on Instagram.
