When Caitlyn Vasey started her freshmen year at the University of Central Florida, her hair became dry and brittle, and her acne returned, despite her skin care regimen — which she’s had since high school — staying the same. She immediately suspected the water in her dorm bathroom and shower was causing her issues.
The second semester of her freshmen year, Vasey became an RA and moved to a different dorm community. She was hopeful the water quality would be better and her skin and hair woes would improve, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. “I was told that it was safe to drink the water from the tap,” Vasey says, “but I noticed that I was sick all the time and my skin was continuing to break out.”
Vasey’s story isn’t unique. Across the country, college students experience problems associated with — and often caused by — poor water quality on campus. Of course, not all college campuses have poor water quality, but the issue is prevalent enough to have been researched and widely discussed among both students and scientists alike.
Addilyn Branson, a sophomore at the University of Missouri, described the water in her dorm as “not completely clear” and a “foggy white” color. Branson says her hair is thinner than it was in high school, and she experienced bad acne during one of the semesters she lived in a dorm. “I spent a lot of money on skin care. Pimple patches, scrubs, face wash, lotions,” Branson says. “I even considered getting a prescription.”
At The New School in New York City, senior Kea Humilde’s dorm water isn’t clear, either — there’s a similar white tint to it — though Humilde has been told it’s safe. She’s conscious of the impacts her water is having on her hair. “I notice that [my school’s water] has made my hair significantly more dry compared to when I’m at home,” Humilde says. “I’ve had to use more product in my hair, and I specifically look for more moisturizing products, since I have curly hair that already errs on the drier side.”
These skin and hair problems may not have a singular cause for each of these students, but their experiences do point to hard water as the culprit. A study by Home Water 101 showed that 85% of the U.S. has hard water — ranging in severity from “slightly hard” to “extremely hard.” But what is hard water?
“Hard water is typically rich in minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These minerals can build up on the hair, nails and skin, causing them to be dry, brittle, and problematic,” says Dr. Nicole Hayre, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of medical-grade skin care brand Cutocin. “When this happens, hair can turn dull, and nails can break easily. People may experience more breakouts, dryness, irritation, and flares of eczema, psoriasis, or other forms of dermatitis.”
Aging pipes and plumbing infrastructure can exacerbate these problems — water passing through the pipes erodes the metal and takes up more minerals, like iron, into the water stream. It then becomes a feedback cycle: Hard water corrodes pipes, which then deposit more minerals into the water. The water becomes harder, and the corrosion occurs at a faster rate. Colleges and universities — particularly older institutions — are likelier to have this older infrastructure, and by default, likelier to experience issues associated with old pipes.
The easiest way to address hard water is to install a water softener. Water softeners are appliances that filter minerals — specifically calcium and magnesium — out of water via chemical exchange. Unfortunately, though, college students can’t install (huge and expensive) water softeners in their dorm rooms. So, how do we fix hard water in dorm rooms?
Now a junior in college, Vasey’s current solution to poor water quality is less about treating the cause than it is about remedying the symptoms. “I’ve invested in higher end skin care, which has helped,” Vasey says. “I’m using a million and one hair products to [protect] my hair from damage, and [I] switched out the showerhead at my old place.” Some shower filters can be attached over pre-existing showerheads, so there won’t be any long-term alterations to your dorm, and there’s low risk of incurring damage charges. (Always make sure to check with your RA or your building’s management first, though.)
Still, new shower filters still aren’t a solution for everyone — particularly, students with communal bathrooms who can’t install a fixture. For those students, paying careful attention to your skin, hair, and nail health is especially important in order to stay ahead of potential damage. “Using a clarifying shampoo will help to rid the hair of mineral buildup. Regularly applying quality moisturizers to the body will help to alleviate dry skin and can prevent flares of skin conditions. Remembering to moisturize the nails, especially at bedtime, can help them from becoming too brittle,” Dr. Hayre says. “Some of the best moisturizers for the body are eczema products containing ceramides. Facial cleansers in this case should be gentle, sulfate-free, and hydrating.”
For Vasey, though, even after her hair, nails, and skin recover, a sense of frustration lingers — frustration about the campus conditions that led to her struggles in the first place. “It’s ridiculous how these schools charge so much to live on campus [and then give us] hard water,” Vasey says. “Even as an RA, I still deal with these issues, and have to tell residents that it’s normal. They just have to live with it.”