Copper piping in house behind ‘bad hair days’

Scientists claim to have discovered the culprit behind ‘bad hair days’ — copper piping in your house! Researchers found that washing with water containing the metal from copper pipes can lead to split ends and unmanageable hair.

Scientists claim to have discovered the culprit behind ‘bad hair days’ — copper piping in your house! Researchers found that washing with water containing the metal from copper pipes can lead to split ends and unmanageable hair.

They found the metal gradually builds up in hair, helping to speed up damage caused by sunlight, causing split ends, fly-away strands and less shine, The Telegraph reported. The effect is more pronounced in those who use hair dyes, the study claims.

“Copper is not present in large amounts but it is important as it is catalytically active. The copper comes in from the tap water and the hair acts like a sponge picking it up over time,” said Dr Jennifer Marsh at P&G who led the study.

“Colouring hair can create free radicals that damage protein and the copper can catalyse that reaction. UV exposure from going out in the sun can do the same thing over a longer period of time,” Marsh said.