Melbourne Water & Hair: Why Showers Leave Hair Feeling Dry or Frizzy

Melbourne Water & Hair: Why Showers Leave Hair Feeling Dry or Frizzy

If you’ve ever stepped out of the shower in Melbourne only for your hair to feel frizzy, flat, or difficult to style, you’re not imagining it. Many people think it's their shampoo, routine, or humidity — but a major factor is actually the shower water itself.

Melbourne’s water is considered high-quality and generally soft, but the way it’s treated, chlorinated, and carried through the water network can subtly affect how your hair and scalp feel after showering. The changes happen gradually, so most people don’t realise the water is the cause, not the products.

Let’s break this down simply.

If you'd like a deeper look at how water quality affects skin and hair across Australia, see our full guide here:

→ What’s In Australian Shower Water?

Is Melbourne Water Hard or Soft?

Melbourne’s water mostly comes from protected mountain catchments in the Yarra Ranges, meaning it is naturally low in minerals (soft water). However, to keep the water safe while traveling long distances through pipes, chlorine or chloramine is added.

This combination matters because:

  • Soft water + chlorine = hair that can feel light but fragile, lacking grip or volume

  • Soft water + slight alkalinity = conditioner doesn’t absorb as well

  • Over time, hair may feel dry, frizzy, flat, or hard to style

So even though Melbourne water hardness is generally low, the chlorine content and pH balance are what most people actually feel on their hair.

Why Hair Feels Frizzy or Flat After Showering in Melbourne

Your hair has a natural protective barrier — the cuticle — which helps maintain softness and moisture. Chlorine in Melbourne water can disrupt this barrier by:

  • Stripping away natural oils

  • Leaving hair more porous

  • Making hair feel rough once dry

  • Reducing conditioner absorption

This is why you may notice:

  • Frizzy hair after showering

  • Hair feels dry after shower

  • Flat, limp roots but dry ends

  • Hair losing volume or bounce

  • Products “not working like they used to”

If you’ve ever said:

“My hair feels fine when wet, but frizzy when dry.”

That’s the water interacting with your cuticle layer, not your shampoo.

How Melbourne Water Can Affect Your Scalp

Many people in Melbourne also report:

  • Scalp itch after showering

  • Flakiness or dryness

  • Over-oily roots paired with dry lengths

This happens because the skin barrier on the scalp responds similarly to hair — chlorine can strip away natural moisture faster than it can be replenished.

If your scalp feels:

  • Tight

  • Itchy

  • Dry

  • Or like shampoo never fully rinses out

This is likely connected to water treatment, not your haircare routine.

Melbourne Water by Region (General Feel)

Region

Typical Water Experience

Hair Impact

Inner Suburbs (CBD, Fitzroy, Carlton)

Soft water with noticeable chlorine

Hair can feel light but hard to style

North & West (Brunswick, Essendon, Footscray)

Chloramine-treated water

Hair may feel flat at the roots

Eastern Suburbs (Kew, Doncaster, Box Hill)

Longer water travel → higher disinfectant levels

More dryness + frizz in the ends

Even small differences in chlorine or pH can change hair texture and scalp comfort.

Common Signs Melbourne Water Is Affecting Your Hair

If any of these feel familiar:

  • Hair dries puffy or frizzy

  • Hair feels coated or dull

  • Conditioner doesn’t “sink in”

  • You need more product to manage your hair

  • Your hair has lost natural softness and movement

Then the water is likely the underlying cause.

This isn’t your fault, and it’s not your products — your hair is trying to compensate for something it meets every day.

Short-Term Fixes (That Help, But Only Temporarily)

These can offer relief but don’t address the source:

  • Sulfate-free shampoos

  • Heavier conditioners

  • Hair oils or leave-ins

  • Deep conditioning masks

  • Clarifying shampoo (occasionally)

They help, but the water stays the same — so the cycle repeats.

The Long-Term Fix: Make Shower Water Feel Gentler

Instead of constantly repairing the effects, improving the water at the shower is the simplest and most lasting change.

A filtered shower head designed for Melbourne water conditions can:

  • Reduce chlorine harshness

  • Support the hair moisture barrier

  • Make water feel softer and smoother

  • Help conditioner work more effectively

  • Reduce frizz, dryness, and scalp irritation

Over time, many people notice:

  • Hair feels silkier and easier to style

  • Ends look healthier and less brittle

  • Scalp becomes calmer and less reactive

  • Hair regains bounce, softness, and shine

Your products start working the way you always thought they should.

See How Flowy Helps

The Flowy Filtered Showerhead was designed specifically for Australian water, including Melbourne’s soft water + chlorine treatment profile.

It makes your shower feel gentler on both scalp and hair, without any plumbing changes.

→ See how Flowy works

Not Sure How Your Area Rates?

Take the 60-second Flowy Water Type Quiz to learn how your suburb’s water affects your hair & scalp.

→ Take the Skin & Hair Quiz

Clear, simple, personalised — no pressure.

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