Fact: Grey, thinning, and losing hair is a normal part of the aging process. Whether it’s due to life transitions (such as delivery and menopause), stress, or traumatic hair styling in your 20s and 30s, there’s a laundry list of reasons why you may be seeing a dramatic shift in your once-lustrous hair.
While there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with aging (or the hair changes that come with it), many individuals seek for ways to revitalize their strands. Fortunately, there are methods for restoring your locks to their full capability.
We spoke with doctor of medicine Sophia Kogan, celebrity hairstylist Irinel de Leon, and professional hairdresser Nate Rosenkranz about what causes age-related hair changes and what we can do to assist our strands. If you’ve turned 40 and are experiencing more post-shower hair losing, thinner ponytails, and overall unimpressive strands, we’ve compiled a list of seven solutions for you.
Maintain Your Scalp to Promote Hair Growth
We’ll confess that we pay more attention to the rest of our hair than we do to our scalp (namely, our split ends). Having said that, Kogan believes that pampering your scalp is an excellent strategy to avoid the reasons of hair loss and encourage hair growth.
“Scalp health is determined by internal elements such as sex and stress hormone balance, as well as oxidative stress and intestinal health,” she explains. “However, not over-washing your hair, avoiding color, harsh processing, and chemicals, and massaging your scalp can all assist to accelerate growth.”
To avoid hair damage, use ammonia-free hair color.
You’ve probably heard of ammonia in hair dyes (it’s used to open up the cuticle in preparation for color deposit). However, it has a higher pH, which, according to Kogan, might harm your scalp and hair follicles as well as undermine the structural integrity of your hair.
“When chatting to your hairdresser, inquire about natural, organic hair colors and avoid hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, ethanolamines, and paraphenylenediamine (PPD),” says Kogan. Fortunately, many hair color companies have changed their formulas to be ammonia-free and less damaging to your hair, resulting in shinier, softer locks after coloring.
Avoiding Stress Can Help You Lose Hair
We realize it’s easier said than done, but because the hair follicle isn’t distinct from your body, how you treat the rest of your body has a direct impact on your hair health. According to Kogan, hair damage caused by prolonged stress can build up over time and lead to a sluggish process of stealthy hair shedding. Acute stress, on the other hand, is not the same.
“When a severe acute stressor happens, it can induce a huge shift in our hormonal and neurochemical balance, signaling a considerable percentage of hair follicles to prematurely transition from the growing phase (anagen) to the resting phase (telogen”),” Kogan adds.
“During the telogen phase, hair stops growing and prepares to shed. As a result, three to six months after the stressful incident, you may notice increased shedding, thinning around the temples, or hair falling out in huge clumps.”
To avoid breakage, use gentle styling techniques.
Those too-tight braids, extensions, and mile-high ponytails you wore as a 20-year-old might be the source of your present unimpressive locks. “Because your scalp is fragile and prone to injury over time,” explains de Leon, “over rubbing, stretching, and brushing can all damage your hair follicles and cause irreparable hair loss.”
“Tight hairstyles in your twenties and thirties can also lead to traction alopecia, which is completely avoidable.” Bottom line: be gentle with your strands today to avoid more harm later in life.
For Shiny Hair, Use Moisture-Rich Products.
Textural changes (think dryness and brittleness) are common as we age, especially after menopause. To prevent this, de Leon suggests using moisture-rich products and avoiding anything too drying, such as clarifying shampoos.
Furthermore, our experts believe that harsh chemicals found in regular hair care products, as well as over-styling caused by excessive heat, can all lead to hair damage. Choose a biotin-infused serum to combat dull strands and restore your hair to its healthy, frizz-free state.
Volume Can Be Attained With the Right Products
“The best way to develop volume for fine or thinning hair is to begin with the correct products that are intended to fit your unique requirements,” Rosenkranz says.
To generate volume, he recommends bathing with Alterna Haircare’s Caviar Anti-Aging Clinical Densifying Shampoo ($38), making careful to thoroughly clean the hair closest to the scalp, where the volume should come from. Rinse and apply a tiny quantity of Alterna Haircare’s Caviar Anti-Aging Multiplying Volume Conditioner ($35) to the hair, avoiding the root to prevent adding more weight.
Then, using a drier with a nozzle or “concentrator” to regulate the airflow, blow-dry your hair. “The concentrator is the attachment that virtually all hairdryers come with, but very few people use while blow drying their hair at home,” he explains.
“A concentrator concentrates a stream of hot air and airflow into a relatively tiny portion rather than allowing it to spread out.” First, dry the root in the opposite direction that you want it to lie after your style is complete. “This will give your hair maximum volume and make styling the rest of your hair easy because the root will be dry already,” Rosenkranz advises.
Heal Yourself From Within
While it may be tempting to use lotions and oils in the hopes of achieving thicker, stronger hair, both de Leon and Kogan stress that most of what makes hair healthy comes from inside.
“It’s critical to recognize that the health of the scalp and hair is impacted not just by exterior elements, but also by the interior environment of the entire body—this is why a holistic approach to healthy hair is essential,” adds Kogan.
“Nutrafol Women and Women’s Balance Supplements ($88) contain saw palmetto to counter DHT (the hormone responsible for thinning hair), ashwagandha for increased stress, astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant to battle environmental oxidative stress, and curcumin for immunological balance.”
