I’ve been dyeing my hair for over a decade now. What started as a once-a-year blonde balayage to add dimension to my otherwise mousy brown hair has evolved into a monthly ritual that includes root touch-ups to cover my increasingly prevalent grays. And let’s be real—just like eggs, the cost of hair color has gone up significantly.

Everything is à la carte: the single process, the shampoo with gloss. Half the time, I skip the blowout because that’s another $50 I’d rather not spend. All in, my “maintenance color” every four to six-ish weeks regularly hits the $300 mark.

But what really got me was the lack of return on investment: mere days after leaving the salon, my hair would start to look brassy. I went from having fresh, vibrant blonde to orange-tinged disappointment. I was frustrated. At first, I couldn’t figure out what was going on. But when my colorist mentioned my water might be to blame (possibly hard, likely full of chlorine), I went down a Google rabbit hole desperate for solutions.

That’s when I came across a showerhead that billed itself as the "#1 dermatologist-recommended filtered shower head to improve skin and hair." According to the brand, 98% of our shower water has high levels of chlorine, harmful chemicals, and heavy metals, which can cause brittle hair and dry skin.

That might be a bit of a stretch, according to Kim Nichols, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of NicholsMD in Greenwich, Connecticut. She points out that chlorine is indeed present in nearly all municipal water systems because it’s used as a disinfectant, “however, the presence of heavy metals like lead or mercury is more likely tied to your home’s plumbing than the water supply itself," she says. “So while chlorine exposure is common, heavy metals aren’t necessarily a universal issue.”

That said, the concern isn’t unfounded. Dr. Nichols confirms that chlorine and certain heavy metals can strip skin and hair of natural oils, causing dryness, irritation, eczema flare-ups, and even changes in hair texture—especially for those with sensitive or compromised skin barriers.

Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist based in New York City, echoed this sentiment, adding that these chemicals "can make hair brittle and more prone to breakage, and even change the pigment of color-treated hair.”