You know bad hair days? Yeah, we do too: those mornings where your hair is inexplicably limp, or frizzy, or dull, or just...blech. We've considered that maybe it's all in our head, but the concerned look on the faces of our roommates/significant others/random strangers would suggest otherwise. The truth? It's not you, it's your shower. The key to your lank locks may be lurking in your tap water — and causing your hair to become thoroughly and utterly depressed (cue tiny violin).
According to recent research, copper is the proverbial invisible gremlin that's terrorizing every aspect of your hair. According to a research fellow at Procter & Gamble, when copper is present in the hair, strands are less able to stand up to damage from brushing, heat styling, and the like. As the metal builds up in the hair, it can gradually cause split ends, flyaways, dullness — it can even exacerbate UV damage. Plus, if you dye your hair, the effects can be even worse.
Happily, researchers are using this information to develop shampoos and hair dyes that remove copper from hair, therefore lessening its ability to damage our strands. We're intrigued by whether or not these products will really mean the end to bad hair days forever — don't worry, we'll keep our eye on it for you.
(The Telegraph)
Photographed by Sara Haile