Water Woes: Hard water and its adverse effects
Rough skin, dull complexion, brittle hair – the unholy trinity of exoskeletal woes is a pressing concern to many, especially if they live in the dust, grime and pollution of the modern Indian city. Apart from Kolkata and many such urban centres, Bengaluru has garnered a reputation for being a regular offender, with residents complaining daily of their skin or scalp issues being exacerbated. The culprit? Most point to the city's water supply.
But what makes Bengaluru's water supply so notorious? 'In Bengaluru, many households, especially in newer residential areas, depend heavily on borewell water, which tends to have higher mineral content due to the city's rocky terrain,' explains Dr Sweta Sridhar, medical director at Dr Swetha's Skin Sutra Clinic, Basaveshwaranagar. This, aggravated by the rapid expansion of Bengaluru as a city, houses or buildings built after 2010 do not have access to Cauvery water, depending entirely on borewell supply. The rising population – concurrent with the rising quantity of traffic – makes the situation worse on ground as well; as Dr Sridhar continues, 'Additionally, the dry and often polluted environment can compound the impact of hard water on skin and hair, making it a more noticeable problem in urban settings like Bengaluru.'
But it's just water for cleaning, and not drinking, right? How bad could it be? As Dr Shobha Sudeep, dermatology and cosmetology consultant at Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, explains, quite bad. 'It takes a minimum of two to three months to notice the effect. The short-term effects on skin will normally be dryness and irritation, paired with exaggeration of underlying disorders of the skin. Short-term impacts on hair are dryness, brittleness, and dullness. Long-term impacts on skin include premature skin ageing and higher rates of eczema and irritant dermatitis. Long-term impacts of hard water on hair include primarily telogen effluvium (hair loss) and premature greying,' she says.
For people in Bengaluru, or in any other city that suffers a reputation for brackish water, much of this must have been experientially proven. The next question surely lies in prognosis: is this it, or is there a way out? Fortunately, the answer tilts towards the positive. As Dr Sudeep assures, 'Reversibility of effects caused by hard water is contingent upon the exposure. If it is someone who is experiencing hard water-related effects on hair and skin for approximately two to three years, it can be virtually reversed through proper measures and treatment. If it is well over five years, it can still be reversed to some extent based on the amount of damage caused, by checking with a doctor at this juncture. Tap or shower filters can certainly help to a great extent in fighting against problems related to hard water.'
Dr Archana Lakshman, dermatologist at GVG Invivo Hospital, adds, 'However, if hard water has triggered inflammatory conditions like eczema, acne, or seborrheic dermatitis, medical management with topical treatments or oral medication may be necessary to control symptoms. Prolonged mineral buildup can alter hair shaft structure, and recovery may require clarifying treatments and protein-moisture balancing regimens.'
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