:) Hello all... before my question, I'd just like to say that I've learned alot from this site so far and I hope to learn a lot more!  Thanks so much for the info!  And now...

About hard water... just how much damage could it be doing to my hair?  We have well water that's hard enough to leave marks on our dishes and build up on our faucets over time.  My hair seems fairly healthy (2 feet long now and shiny! ;D) but if my water supply ~is~ damaging it, what could I do to remedy the situation?  

Hard water can be drying of the hair.  But the most significant issue with hard water is the residue it can cause to be left behind.  When I lived in the country and had hard well water to contend with, I found vinegar rinses to be the best thing for my hair.  It removed the product and water film that would try to cling to my hair.

How does one go about doing a vinegar rinse?

Mix vinegar and water (the ratio is not exact, you could start with 1 to 4).    Pour this over your hair after shampooing.  Then condition as usual.

Thanks! ;D

I should add:

Many people believe in using distilled water to rinse their hair.  This would leave the minimum amount of deposits on the hair.

If you feel the vinegar does not enough, you might try the distilled water.  If distilled water is too "over the top" for you, you might also consider using spring water or other purchased water (like you can get in the grocery store).  When we lived in the country with a well, we always kept 15 - 20 gallons of water in reserve in case we lost power, which would mean no water.  I would then regularly use that water and replace it with fresh.  You could do the same thing and rinse your hair with the softer water).

Sounds like a good idea, but I have no cash, and my parents already have to buy distilled water for our dog (health troubles)... maybe I can bum some off of her though :P

Even using tap water from an area that has softer water would be better than the well water.