Do you notice your hair turning gray and losing its luster and thickness as the years go by? You’re not alone. Your hair turning a shade of gray is among the most common changes that your hair will go through due to aging. Changes in texture and thickness, as well as where your hair grows, too abundant in some areas, and not enough in some, will also happen over time. Read on to understand why this is happening and how you can fix it below.
Changes in The Texture and Thickness of Your Hair
A strand of hair lives about four up to five years. During this time, your hair cuticles will soften and rise up, which will make your hair more susceptible to breakage and look rougher. Eventually, the follicles themselves will grow smaller and thinner hairs or stop growing hairs permanently. This might be a natural part of aging or a condition called senescent alopecia. Check with your doctor to be sure. Once you have determined that these changes are due to aging, there are plenty of products you can try to try and counteract these negative side effects. These include products with humectants that bind water to hair cuticles to ensure that they’re sufficiently moisturized, making them look smoother. You can also try hair conditioners for sealing hair cuticles and products with antioxidants to safeguard the hair against environmental stressors such as the sun and pollution.
Gray Hair Don’t Care
To this day, experts still don’t fully understand the specific process behind hair turning gray. What they do know is that it happens when the body stops producing melanin. In general, however, those with lighter skin will notice their hair turning gray much earlier than those with darker skin. If you’re not a fan of the gray hair look that’s getting more popular these days, you have tons of coloring choices. You can opt for reverse highlights to darken gray streaks of hair or have your main colored. You can choose between semi-permanent and permanent hair dyes. Do note, though, that semi-permanent formulations will only last six or 10 washes. Schedule an appointment with your local hair salon in Orem to determine the best options for you.
Balding and Thinning Hair
Usually, men lose hair at the temples and the topmost part of the head due to hormonal changes as they age. Women may likewise experience thinning hair because of genetics, certain health issues, nutritional deficiencies, and hormonal changes. Currently, baldness still isn’t curable. But there are treatments such as Finasteride and minoxidil that works to stimulate hair growth. For women, doctors usually recommend minoxidil. If you have the budget, you can also opt for a hair transplant, which is a permanent solution to baldness. This surgical procedure involves grafting of small plugs or segments of healthy scalp from thicker hair patches to the affected areas.
Just as you can’t keep yourself from aging, you also can’t keep your hair from feeling the effects of the aging process. You can, however, is to try and maintain the health of your hair so that it can better protect itself.
