How Does Aging Affect Hair? | Tips for Hair Care

The hair texture can change as a person, ages. Hair gets thinner and they start falling out. Hair changes in different ways for different people. Hair follicles are the unique structures that grow hair and these follicles change over time.^{(1, 2)} Changes in hair can also occur with environmental exposure and physical stress.

As a person, ages the hair lose their thickness and there is a change in the texture.

1. Weathered Hair

   With age, the age becomes weathered, which means they get damaged and lose their shine and elasticity. They are not as strong as before. There are numerous environmental factors that may be responsible for these changes, which include:⁽³⁾

   • Ultraviolet light
   • Chemical hair care products and treatments
   • Humidity
   • Wind

   These factors are responsible for changes in the growth and texture of hair. They also lead to a natural decrease in hair density.

   People with curly hair often use the products recommended to keep the hair managed and straight. These products contain chemicals and can cause hair damage. ⁽⁴⁾ Over time these products damage the hair fibers making them prone to breakage.

2. Reduced Hair Diameter

   With age the hair diameter decreases which further decreases the tensile strength of hair making them prone to breakage.⁽⁵⁾ The rate at which the diameter decrease varies from people to people.

   A review found that in white people the hair diameter grows till 40 years, and then there is a plateau in the early 40s, and later 40s onward it starts decreasing.⁽²⁾

3. Reduced Hair Density

   It is normal to have a hair fall of 50-100 hair per day and these generally grow back. As a person, ages, some of the follicles stop growing hair. This can lead to a decrease in hair density. The hair all over starts appearing thinner. This continuous thinning of hair can lead to baldness. A person’s hair density peaks at the age of 35 years and then starts declining.⁽⁵⁾

The changes in hair texture are natural as a person ages. But hair loss and reduced density can be taken care of with the help of medications.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves minoxidil and finasteride to treat hair loss.

Hair weathering can be prevented in the following ways:

• Reducing UV exposure
• Preventing exposure to wind and humidity
• Avoiding using chemical hair products and treatments
• Washing hair with the recommended amount of shampoo
• Conditioning the hair regularly
• Hair quality can be improved by caring for them.

There are a few steps that can be followed to take care of hair and protect them from damage. The steps include:

Wash Hair Regularly: For those with oily scalp regular cleaning is needed. It can also be daily. With age, oil production decreases, and the need to wash hair can also decrease.

While cleaning hair, concentrate on cleaning the scalp rather than the length of hair.

Condition hair after every wash. It can improve the look of hair and also protect it from harmful UV rays.

Whenever going swimming, make sure to cover the scalp and hair. The chlorine present in pool water can damage hair.

With age the color of the hair also gets gray. Melanin, a pigment-producing component produces melanocytes. These cells are responsible for imparting hair color. With age, the melanin gets low and also the melanocytes. This causes the hair to turn gray as a person gets older.⁽⁶⁾

Smoking contributes to gray hair and a person should stop smoking to reduce the chances of getting gray hair. The other causes of gray hair include vitamin b12 deficiency and hypothyroidism.⁽⁷⁾

There are changes in hair as a person ages. There are changes in color, texture, and quantity of hair. The hair starts appearing thinner and this leads to baldness. To prevent the hair from weathering, it is important to take proper care of hair with hair care products and diet. After all, everybody desire a head full of hair, whatever the age be.