10 Myths and Facts About Water in Your Shower

The water looks simple, yet it’s the most essential element of our lives. From drinking to showering, one thing for sure is that without water, life’s concept seems incomplete. But for something so basic, there is a plethora of misconceptions and myths surrounding the existence of water.

These myths are not only related to the drinking water filters, but the same is the case with showering water and water filtration benefits. These “health professionals” and corporate companies have been a significant source of spreading false information in the name of “knowledge.”

Various Amazon marketplaces and Blogs today are flooded with unscientific data regarding the water issues. Among those myths exists tap water-related issues to your hair, skin, and health problems. Therefore, we will re-visit 10 Myths and Facts about Water in Your Shower,and whether to use a shower filter for hard water so we could learn to separate the truth from the false.

1. Chlorine Water Causes Severe Hair Loss (False)

Hair loss is not caused by regular chlorine absorption. This misconception has been disproved by research published in the journal of dermatologists recently.

The hair of 67 elite swimmers compared to the hair of 54 people who spent hardly any time in the water in the study. Despite the fact that swimmers’ hair showed indications of chlorine impairment (harshness and dryness), they were not substantially more prone to losing hair.

There seem to be indications that excessive chlorine causes severe effects on the scalp to become irritated, dry, and flaking. Shrinking or shredding may happen as a consequence. Still, it’s crucial to remember that the amount of chlorine required to cause such adverse effects is considerably greater than that found in a typical swimming pool.

2. KDF Shower Filters eliminate Chlorine Effectively (True)

Under atmospheric temperatures and with warm water, KDF eliminates “free chlorine” (chlorine that has not interacted with other components in water).

Carbon filters are almost worthless when you’re taking a shower since they do not operate when the water is hot and under high pressure, and they block the trappings easily. It’s a little more difficult with the idea that Vitamin C filters eliminate chlorine.

We’ve looked for independent studies that prove the usefulness but haven’t been able to discover any. However, vitamin C works in the shower because there is enough time for the water and vitamin C to combine.

During an interaction with Bloomberg, Neal Langerman, Division of Chemical Health and Safety, American Chemical Society, said that “Vitamin C reacts with chlorine and consumes it from a chemical viewpoint. The United States Department of Agriculture has even validated the notion. The filters, on the other hand, are all a gimmick. To begin with, neither chloramine and chlorine nor vitamin C pass through the epidermal barrier. … [Also], I don’t believe the reaction—or, to put it another way, the neutralization—would be finished by the time the water reaches your head or goes down the drain.”

3. Showering with Chlorinated Water is Risky for Pregnant Women and Kids (Maybe)

CBPs have been shown to alter rigorous development, and your genetics may play a role in how big of an impact CBPs have throughout pregnancy.

Women who consumed or went swimming in unfiltered water infused with chloramine contamination and chlorine experienced a variety of pregnancy-related problems, along with premature births, stillbirths, premature births, low birth weight, and a variety of genetic abnormalities varying from neurological damage to lackluster hearts, according to a study conducted by a team in Russia.

A hot shower or bath with untreated city water can be harmful to children’s growth. The research was carried out in Brussels to see if there was a link connecting children in schools inhaling the air in an indoor swimming pool and increased lung permeability and the formation of asthma.

Kids who spent a lot of time at the pool had a higher chance of developing juvenile asthma, which may be severe in certain circumstances. They had much more impaired epithelial tissue, which would be the tissue that lines the internal organs of the lungs and compensates the outer layer of skin.

This research verifies the dangers of chlorine fumes to a child’s circulatory tract, not just in public pools but also at home in baths and tubs.

The few research cannot be used to draw accurate conclusions, mainly as no research focused on the effects of bathing on pregnancies has been conducted. However, given the additional health risks, it might be preferable to be cautious than sorry. Invest in a shower filter like the TAPP 1s.

4. Chlorine Absolves Inside the Skin During Showering (Mostly False)

According to several sites and blogs, a 10-minute bath allows your body to consume the equivalent of 8 cups of chlorinated water.

In a study written by the Michigan Department of Community Health, the health effects associated with chlorine diffusion are described as follows

“There are no such pieces of evidence that the human body can conveniently absorb chlorine in large amounts. However, the skin can absorb chlorine in small amounts. And not just chlorine; water, soil, bleach, and other similar substances are able to smuggle themselves inside the skin with ease. But even if a small amount of chlorine can go inside the human body, they are immediately eliminated. In the short time, the chlorine is inside the skin, and it can cause inflammation and irritation to those areas of skin where it is moist.”

5. Showering in Chlorinated Water Produces Chloroform (True)

THMs can be inhaled through chlorinated water from the tap, according to lots of data and studies. 

After a 10-minute bath, researchers discovered a 2.7ppb rise in chloroform in the participants in the study’s lungs, according to Science News. Skin absorbance and lung intake after a 10-minute shower were shown to be larger than the quantity absorbed by consuming eight glasses of the very same water when coupled with warm water reopening pores.

Numerous investigations released lately by the EU demonstrate that increased amounts of chlorine by-products like THMs (chloroform) enhance the risk of bladder cancer, which leads to thousands of fatalities each year in Europe. As a result, total THMs in tap water over the peak point (100 ppm) should be avoided. 

Because of the higher high-water pressure, conventional shower filters do not eliminate THMs. Independent testing has shown that TAPP 1s, which mixes KDF 55 with activated carbon, reduces THMs and VOCs.

6. Shower Filters Eliminates Chlorine (False)

There are a lot of misconceptions about chlorine and shower filters. The majority of today believe that shower filters eliminate chlorine when the reality may not agree with the majority. The truth is that while you can use good quality filters to get rid of 90% of chlorine from the water, but there exist filters that are not capable of removing chlorine at all.

You’ll see many blogs claiming 99% chlorine removal, but these are most probably made-up results. You take Amazon’s example with a gazillion of inferior and cheap quality Korean and Chinese showers that would only remove a small portion of chlorine despite having 5-star reviews.

Even with NSF #177, Standard certified filters are only capable of removing 50% of free chlorine from the water. Therefore, when purchasing, ensure that the company or the manufacturer offers independent test results for the products they are offering.

7. Filters with Vitamin C Infusion Promotes Better Skin (False Mostly)

“Vitamin C has several skin-beneficial properties. If correctly prepared, it can be inhaled via the skin. Vitamin C boosts collagen synthesis, lightens hyperpigmentation, and protects the skin from UV exposure, which helps to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.” This was stated by Patricia Farris, a doctor who specializes in dermatology.

But the million-dollar question that arises is – will it be functional with a shower filter? “Most probably, no. Although a vitamin C-infused bath may seem appealing in principle, it is unlikely to deliver significant health advantages, according to Farris.

“Vitamin C should be manufactured and packed with extreme caution in order to maintain its stability and avoid getting oxidized [that renders it unsuccessful].” If it’s merely poured out of the showerhead, the bulk of it will deactivate as soon as it comes into contact with air.”

8. Shower Filters Are Functional for 12 Months (False)

This is another misconception that has commonly grown among people over the years. There is high uncertainty regarding the shower filters, and people are significantly unsure. Based on a couple of two-minute showers per day, a typical shower filter will have the capacity to last for a full 4-6 months. At best, seven months.

However, the majority of the shower filters today only last 2-3 months. Some are even significantly shorter than the mentioned timeframe. Therefore, experts advise always ask the manufacturers to obtain a report on the capacity of filter showers.

Unfortunately, it’s still hard to analyze the distinction between a partially and fully active filter shower. And at this point, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. But you can alter the shower filters on the advice of the manufacturer.

9. Shower Filters Moderate the Water Pressure? (False)

That is another growing misconception among the majority today. Shower Filters are not supposed to moderate the water pressure – or soften it, in simple terms. The only way water coming from a shower can be softened via a traditional softener.

 So, to be sure, shower filters only eliminate chemical components and the chlorine present inside the water. They ensure the water to be less harmful and hap hazardous. It will not only make your hair significantly softer, but it also leaves your skin fresh and moderate. Moreover, shower filters with KDF have the ability to lower the limescale formation from the skin significantly.

10. Shower Filters Have Bacteria Residing Inside Them (Mostly True)

You obviously don’t think about what’s pouring out of your shower head when you turn on the system and start lathering your loofah. Thousands of viruses and bacteria are piled up within your unfiltered shower head, waiting to spill down on you the minute you flip the valve open, according to Norman Pace, a biology professor at the University of Colorado.

Pace conducted a study that looked at 50 showerheads from throughout the region to see how much muck (called a biofilm) was building within and what exactly was crawling about in it.

In 60 percent of the shower heads studied, he discovered bacteria and organisms, with Mycobacterium avium, a condition that can cause lung sickness, being the most frequent. Carcinogenic bacteria have been discovered in your shower head.

Conclusion

There is not a shadow of a doubt that water is fundamental to survival, and still – much more. But for something that is a necessity, “experts” of today have fueled a relatively large number of false misconceptions regarding water, particularly tap water or showering water. That has led to a massive number of people believing in these myths with little to no substance.

But with the above information provided, it’s up to you to figure out where you were misled. Share with your friends and relative if you feel the need to do so.