If you or a loved one has psoriasis, you may have looked into some of the environmental factors that can cause a flare-up. In your research or discussions with other people, you might have heard about the negative effects of hard water on people prone to skin irritation.

What exactly is hard water, and is it linked to psoriasis? Read on to learn more about water hardness and how it could affect your sensitive skin.

What Is Hard Water?

Hard water refers to water that contains dissolved minerals — mainly, calcium and magnesium. The harder water is, the more minerals it has. Many people have hard water running from the sink faucets and showerheads in their homes. You may feel a filmy soap buildup on your skin or see white scaling on your shower surfaces if you have particularly hard water.

Hard water is defined as having more than 120 milligrams per liter of dissolved minerals. Water with 60 to 120 milligrams per liter is considered moderately hard and probably won’t cause filmy soap buildup or major scaling. Water with less than 60 milligrams of dissolved minerals per liter is soft.

It’s not harmful to drink hard water — in fact, we need to consume minerals to stay healthy. However, some evidence suggests that washing with hard water can damage your skin barrier and dry out your hair.

Does Hard Water Affect Psoriasis?

There’s a lack of research about any strong link between hard water and psoriasis. However, if your symptoms seem to flare when you’re exposed to harder water, you may want to keep a few factors in mind.

Hard water can cause buildup in your water pipes, damage your water heater, and even make soap or laundry detergent less effective. A vast majority of research about hard water and skin conditions relates to eczema instead of psoriasis. Some studies suggest that ongoing use of hard water in childhood is a risk factor for developing atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema.

Consider the effects of hard water if you’re concerned about the usefulness of your soaps and cleansers. You should also check with your health care professional to see if they think your water supply could be a cause of any worsening psoriasis symptoms. Water hardness varies in different regions of the United States.

Apart from affecting specific skin conditions, hard water may have unwanted effects on hair and skin. A study of blood donors without certain skin conditions, including psoriasis, found that water hardness was associated with xerosis, or dry skin. No studies have done about the specific impact of hard water on skin dryness for people with psoriasis.

How To Tell the Difference Between Hard and Soft Water

Hard water may leave behind a slimy or chalky residue on your hands after washing. Soft water can make your hands seem more slippery because the soap lathers better. When you use hard water, you’ll likely need more soap to achieve the same kind of lather. The slippery feeling will go away sooner with hard water than with soft water, but that doesn’t mean all the soap has been rinsed off your hands.

Does Soft Water Help With Skin Conditions?

Some people choose to minimize their skin’s exposure to hard water by installing a water softener in their home. This can be an expensive option, but some people find it helpful. “I had a water softener installed, and it worked wonders,” shared one MyPsoriasisTeam member.

Another member reported that softening their water helped them manage psoriasis symptoms on their scalp, head, and neck. “We replaced our water softener (our old one stopped working a few years ago),” they said. “I find now the stinging and burning have gone when I wash my hair. I have psoriasis on my scalp, forehead, ears, and back of neck.”

Keep in mind that much of the evidence supporting water softening for skin conditions is anecdotal. The same review article that suggested a link between hard water and eczema did not find that using water softeners reduced eczema symptoms.

Even though there’s no similar research about hard water and psoriasis, you may want to keep those findings in mind when weighing the pros and cons of installing an expensive water filtration system in the hopes of alleviating psoriasis symptoms.

How To Soften Your Water

If you choose to get a water softener, it will likely come in the form of an ion exchange unit. The unit uses resin (a material coated with positively charged sodium ions) to physically and chemically filter out the calcium and magnesium from your water.

To recharge or reset your ion exchange unit, you’ll need to run it on an alternate cycle called regeneration. Some machines do this automatically, whereas others have a manual switch. Timed model units regenerate after a set period, and demand-control models do so after softening a certain amount of water.

Check With Your Doctor

Remember that every person’s skin may react differently to environmental triggers. There’s limited research around the idea that the higher mineral content in hard water triggers or worsens symptoms of psoriasis. Talk with your dermatologist to get the best advice for you regarding hard water and psoriasis — or anytime if you have concerns about new or worsening skin issues.

Talk With People Who Understand

MyPsoriasisTeam is the social network for people with psoriasis and their loved ones. On MyPsoriasisTeam, more than 126,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with psoriasis.

Have you noticed a link between hard water use and psoriasis symptoms? Do you use a water softener, and do you feel it helps reduce dry scalp and skin issues? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.