As we age there a range of changes we might experience with our hair, but there are a few aspects which apply to pretty much everyone as we enter each new decade. We look closer at what to expect from hair as we age.
Everyone Has Their Own Hair Journey
While we are going to take a closer look at some shared features, the fact is that everyone has their own unique hair journey. Even a pair of identical twins will take different paths. While much of what governs our hair is genetic, there are lifestyle choices around diet and exercise that will make differences from an early age. Then, on life’s journey, there will be other choices around employment and leisure activities that will also influence the condition of our hair. Levels of stress, alcohol or drug use, styling and hair product choices. Exposure to sunlight. We could go on, but you get the picture.
What we are concentrating on here are a few simple truths, rules that apply to everybody. Understanding them can help us make better choices for the benefit of our hair, giving it the best chance of staying in great condition, and on your head, for as long as possible.
The Roaring Twenties
As we enter our third decade, in our twenties, most of use will enjoy healthy growth. The scalp and hair will tend towards being oily, which is simply a legacy of our teen years. So it is probably the decade during which you will get through the most anti-dandruff shampoo. It is also the decade when are most likely to experiment with our look and in particular our hair. Avant-garde styles, especially any where the hair is pulled, and bold use of colour, frequent blow-drys and the applications of chemicals all feature.
The generally good levels of health at this age usually mean the hair can withstand all but the most vigorous of assaults without too much trouble.
Thrilling Thirties
As attitudes have changed during the last few decades, going out and enjoying yourself is no longer the domain of what used to be called “the young”. In those more conventional times, married couples would settle down and look to build a home and family. Today, we are unwilling to trade our single lifestyle for the life our parents or grandparents chose. This process has extended the period of our lives during which we might aggressively style and treat our hair.
By the time we reach out thirties, we will start to see the appearance of grey hairs and a thinning of each strand. This contributes, even for those who keep a full head of hair, to a general lowering in the overall quality of the hair. For women, many of whom will have experienced childbirth, the resulting hormonal changes will have an effect, mostly temporary.
The Forties
This is the standout decade for hair loss. The one where, if it hasn’t already, it is statistically very likely it will now. For women, it is when the general hair thinning can become quite pronounced, enabling the scalp to be seen on the top of the head. It is also the decade a significant minority of women can become perimenopausal, where the lowered hormone levels will reduce hair quality still further.
For men, the process of thinning strands will also continue. It concentrates in particular areas like the temples and tip of the crown, from where it can accelerate at a pace of its own liking, to possibly reduce the whole head of hair to a small strip of linking the ears behind the head.
HIS Hair Clinic
There are outliers at both ends of this journey. The unfortunate who start their hair loss journey before they get out of school, and for them there has never been more help available. Others who live to a ripe age and exit with a full head of unruly hair.
The rest of us will lie somewhere on the huge curve in between. But there are generalities that apply to all, knowing what to expect from our hair as we age will help us make better decisions. For example, if you are in your forties you probably need to be making more careful choices about the colour you are using… hiding grey hair is not the same as prepping for a big night out in your twenties. For more information on how our hair ages, please click here to visit the excellent Medline website and their famous medical encyclopedia.
If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.
