Is your crowning glory looking lacklustre? From grey hairs and thinning, to loss of volume and wiry texture, your locks will naturally change as you get older.
But there’s plenty you can do to get younger-looking hair...
Grey hair
"Our hair gets its natural colour from the pigment melanin. As we age, melanin levels reduce, which results in hair turning grey and eventually white," explains Laura Brown from Touch of Silver, a haircare range designed for grey hair.
It will happen to us all in the end but limiting stress, stopping smoking, and eating and drinking healthily (which help direct nutrients to the hair follicles) can help slow the process, although you cannot stop it.
How to deal with it: Look for specialist products that help brighten grey hair and prevent it looking yellow and brassy, and choose conditioners with keratin to help smooth and nourish.
"Because white hair has no pigment, it’s also more vulnerable to sun damage," says trichologist Anabel Kingsley. So apply a product containing UV filters to protect the hair from environmental damage.
Hair thinning
As we get older, our hair growth cycle gradually diminishes, causing thinner.
"We are born with approximately 100,000-150,000 hair follicles and we are never able to produce more," explains trichologist Trisha Buller."
"As we age, the mass of these follicles decreases and this causes your hair to appear finer and thinner, particularly around the front hairline and crown areas."
How to deal with it: Just like you nourish your skin with creams as you age, do the same for your hair with weekly conditioning masks and daily conditioning protein sprays to hydrate and strengthen the hair. You can boost fine hair with daily volumising treatments to temporarily thicken the hair shaft. In addition, trichologist Sally-Ann Tarver suggests the following:
1. Increase your iron: "As we age, ferritin – the protein that stores iron in the body – levels can drop, and a low iron count can cause thinning."
2. Take care of your scalp: ‘A healthy scalp equals healthy hair, so use good, gentle products that will encourage growth.’
3. Loosen up: "Excessive blow-drying and pulling your hair into tight ponytails causes strain on your hair follicles, and even traction alopecia (gradual hair loss from pulling). Choose a loose hairstyle and give your hair a break from styling."
Help… I’m going bald!
One in five women can suffer from hair loss at some point in their lives, and it affects 50% of over 65s. But "total baldness is very rare in women," reassures trichologist Anabel Kingsley. You’re more likely to be suffering from female pattern hair thinning, a genetic condition that occurs when hair follicles are sensitive to changing levels of male hormones, common after we hit the menopause.
How to deal with it: Visit your GP who can arrange blood tests to check for an underactive thyroid or iron deficiency, which can cause thinning hair. They may be able to prescribe a drug called Minoxidil, which keeps hair in the growing phase for longer, making it look thicker. Or seek the help of a trichologist* who can diagnose your specific problem and recommend a course of treatment.
How can I adapt my hairstyle?
When your hair changes it’s tempting to cut it all off. "Shorter cuts are fun and liberating," says hairdresser Andrew Jose, "but make sure whatever style you have in mind will work with your features."
Want to keep your hair longer? Ask your stylist to add in choppy layers. This helps give the illusion of thicker, bouncier hair.
