Aging Hair 101

Does hair really age? If you’re over 40, you’ve probably noticed subtle, and maybe not so subtle, changes in your hair’s color, thickness, luster and texture. Just as time takes a toll on our skin, it also affects our tresses. You may take great care to protect and moisturize your skin but what about your hair? As it turns out, our hair needs its own special care as we get older.

Hair actually ages in two ways: chronologically and hormonally. Caused by external factors, chronological hair aging affects hair from the mid-lengths to the ends. Years of brushing, blow drying, coloring, heat styling and environmental factors, such as sun, wind and pollution, leave hair dry, damaged and porous. Hormonal hair aging relates to the physical changes we go through as we get older. Signs of hormonal aging hair includes dryness, dullness, thinning, graying, fragility and changes in texture. What exactly is going on in our body to cause these changes in our hair?

Dryness and Dullness

Our hair peaks at age 30. It’s around this time that our scalp begins to slowly decrease sebum production–the natural oil that makes our hair so shiny and silky. You may experience dryness and dullness as the first signs of aging hair. Around menopause, sebum production drops further and hair feels less manageable without sebum to protect the hair, eliminate flyaways and control static build-up.

Thinning

If your hair feels less full, you’re not imagining it. The actual number of hairs on our heads starts decreasing in our 20s. By age 60, almost 40 percent of women will experience thinning hair, mostly around the crown. Aside from simply having less hair, the hair that’s left experiences changes. Beginning in our early 40s, the actual diameter of each hair strand  starts to shrink. Researchers believe that this is linked to hormonal changes related to perimenopause and menopause.

Graying

By age 50, most women are 50 percent gray. As we grow older, we experience the decreased production of melanin which gives hair its color. Melanin also protects our hair from the sun’s UV rays; without it our hair’s protein absorbs the rays making hair weaker.

Texture Changes

New research has found that hair texture does change with age. Most of us will experience more texture in our hair but unfortunately not as waves or curls. Instead, hair becomes more wiry, kinky and less manageable.

Fragility

Hair weakens as we age for several reasons. Less sebum means our hair experiences more friction from combing and brushing and even contact with neighboring hair. The sun damages and weakens hair that lacks melanin and kinks lead to weak spots in the hair strand. Also, chronically aged hair is often fragile due to chronic environmental, chemical and mechanical stress.

Until recently, we didn’t see much information on aging hair when flipping through beauty magazines. Kasia is committed to specifically address our guests "anti-aging" hair and skin needs.

 

ANT-AGING HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Kasia Organic Salon is a leading pioneer in healthy beauty to fit your lifestyle. Follow us to ammonia-free /MEA/PPD Color, organic facials, and natural and organic products that support your life.   Learn how diet, products and environmental factors can rob us of our radiance and how to easily incorporate an "Informed Beauty" lifestyle to restore our outward beauty from within.

 

 

 

Reference:  http://hairover40.com
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