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How does your hair age? Frost on the head is not the only sign that the hair is already old. The numerous changes in the follicles and strands begin long before the appearance of gray hair.

Contents:

  1. How your hair ages: it becomes different to the touch
  2. As hair grows older: less and less of it
  3. Hair aging: lose color
  4. How to stop hair aging?

How does hair age?To clarify this, it's worth going back to the beginning.

It's hard to remember, but most of us went bald within a few weeks of birth, losing our first fetal hairs on our heads. The right ones usually sprout right after them, but it happens that you have to wait up to two years for the hair. We console ourselves with the thought that the later they grow, the stronger they will be.

In fact, genes are responsible for the condition of the hair. In turn, color depends on many pigment cells which are activated with age.

Most often, the hair darkens during adolescence. Then, under the influence of hormonal changes, the shape of the hair may change, e.g. curly hair becomes wavy.

During their long life, which in the case of a single hair is 2-6 years, and in the case of hair follicles - as many years as their owner has, they will undergo many changes related to the natural aging process at the cellular level and the influence of external factors.

Most of us at some point - sometimes after our 30th birthday and sometimes as late as our 50th - notice that the hair has become weaker and more and more are left on the comb.

How your hair ages: it becomes different to the touch

Theoretically, each hair follicle has a nipple and a hair bulb that has a root and a stem from which to style the hair. Connected to the bellows are the sebaceous gland, paranasal muscle and blood vessels. This whole bundle is hidden in the dermis, we only see the stem, but its appearance can tell a lot about what is happening at the base.

The cells of the hair matrix divide faster than other cells of the body - thanks to this, we have a haircut 1-1.5 cm longer every month. The fact that hair really starts to age at the age of 25, when the first destructive processes begin to dominate the renewal processes, may be disturbing.

  • Reduction of the growth rate

With time, the process of cell division in the matrix becomes slower and slower. This means that hair does not grow as fast as when it was young (its length only increases by 2-4 mm per month). Their growth phases are shorter and each hair becomes smaller in diameter.

Estrogen levels drop sharply in postmenopausal women, prolonging the growth phase of hair. The number of hair follicles in the kenogen (resting phase) phase increases when they are empty and do not produce new hair. Additionally, the hair follicle outlets can be miniaturized, which makes the hair grow thinner and weaker.

  • Weaker and weaker bulbs

The aging process results in impaired microcirculation in the skin. It, in turn, causes weaker blood supply to the bulbs that are poorly nourished. That is why it is worth spending some time not only on hair care, but also on the scalp. Daily massage will stimulate circulation and allow better nourishment of the hair roots.

  • Qualitative change

The sebaceous glands next to the hair follicles may work less and less efficiently. The production of sebum deteriorates and the scalp may be less moisturized as a result. With age, the level of cystine, the amino acid responsible for the mechanical and chemical resistance of hair, also decreases. Already around 30 years of age many people begin to complain about weakness of the hair - their number often remains the same, but the poorer quality makes it appear thinner and thinner.

Slower processes in the body, changes in hormone levels can lead to less efficient production of keratin - the basic building block of hair. Its fibers are linked by cross sulfide bonds, thanks to which the hair is flexible and bouncy.

Keratin is also part of the outer hair shells, where it is responsible for their shine. Keratin deficiency leads, among others, to for opening the hair cuticles and splitting ends. Scientists have found that by providing the bulbs with the right ingredients, you can stimulate them to re-produce keratin. The substance that stimulates this process most is coenzyme Q10, often used in cosmetics for scalp care.

As hair grows older: less and less of it

Man has from 80,000 on his head up to 150 thousand hair. There is usually less red hair (up to about 95,000). Blondes and blondes have 130-140 thousand, brunettes 110 thousand, and locker rooms 100 thousand. We lose 30-100 hairs every day, it is a very individual process. After the old hair falls out, a new one grows out of the same hair follicle.

The hair cycle is genetically determined andindividual for each hair follicle. An important piece of information is that the cycles in the adjacent hair follicles are shifted in time relative to each other, thanks to which, although the hair falls out regularly, we are not periodically bald. This phenomenon is called asynchronous hair production. The hair growth cycle consists of three phases.

Anagen is the growth phase and contains 80-90% of the hair on the head.

Catagen is a transitional phase in which the hair no longer grows (1-3% of the hair).

In turn, telogen is the phase of hair loss - the bulb protrudes from the follicle (12-15% of the hair).

Different periods in life mean that the duration of individual phases changes, e.g. in pregnant women, the amount of hair in the growth phase (anagen) increases, it is lengthened, which gives us the impression that they fall out much less and are denser.

Hair loss is also associated with hormonal changes, such as they are a consequence of aging. The main cause of hair thinning is androgenetic alopecia, which accounts for 90% of all types of hair loss. It affects approximately 50% of men and 15% of premenopausal women. In the case of women over 65, it may be 75% of them.

In men, hair usually starts to thin at the base of the forehead and in the middle of the head. Over time, the area affected by hair loss widens. In women, it rarely leads to complete baldness, rather, the hair becomes thinner and thinning all over the head, although we notice it especially at the top of the head, when the part is widened, which shows too much skin.

Androgenetic alopecia is associated with testosterone, which is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the enzyme (5-alpha reductase). It causes hair loss by shortening the anagen (growth) phase. It also makes the hair follicles smaller and smaller, making the hair shorter and thinner. The bellows can even disappear completely.

The process of conversion of testosterone into DHT is genetically determined (inherited from parents, grandparents), and may also correlate with a high level of this hormone in the blood.

Hair aging: lose color

The natural color of the hair is caused by the melanocytes in the hair follicles, pigment-producing cells, the so-called melanin. There are two types of pigments in the hair: eumelanin (brown and black) and pheomelanin (yellow, orange and red). The shade of the hair depends on the proportion of these dyes.

As long as melanin is produced in the hair follicle, we can enjoy the natural color of the hair. When the production stops, the hair turns gray and has no pigment.

The frosting of the hair usually starts at the temples, then goes to the sides of the head, to the top, and finally to the back of the head. The last ones are the pubic and armpit hairs that turn gray, as well as the eyebrows and eyelashes.

We inherit the tendency to early or late gray hair from our parents. Usually, physiologically, the first gray hair appears after the age of 30, although more and more people suffer from premature graying (in men it is a characteristic "frost" on the temples), between the ages of 20 and 30. This could be due to severe stress, a debilitating disease.

Where does this gray hair come from?

Studies have confirmed that premature graying is influenced by smoking, exposure to UV radiation and a diet low in vitamins, mainly from group B, biotin and minerals (zinc, copper, iron). There are known cases where, as a result of severe stress, people turn gray overnight, although theoretically this is not possible - even if melanin production is stopped abruptly, only the newly growing hair will be completely gray. Science does not fully know the explanation for this phenomenon. Gray hair is dye-free, i.e. empty inside, therefore it changes its structure, it is less flexible, stiff, coarse.

How to stop hair aging?

We often do not realize how many mistakes we make during our daily care treatments, and they usually cause problems with our hair.

  • Washing technique

Cosmetics cleansing the skin and hair should be matched to their needs. Before applying the shampoo, mix it with water on your hand. Rinse with water at body temperature or cooler. It's also important to gently comb wet hair with a wide brush and squeeze it into an absorbent towel, rather than rubbing it.

  • Choosing a hairstyle

Few women are also aware of the fact that often pinning up a bun or brushing a "ponytail" harm their hair. Hair follicles under tension gradually weaken, and as a result, bends appear.

  • Treatments

Dyeing, perm, straightening, curling … the list of aggressive treatments that damage your hair is long. It is worth balancing them with something that will strengthen the bulbs. They will be helped by mesotherapy or carboxytherapy of the scalp, and platelet-rich plasma. In turn, the condition of the hair shaft will be improved by moisturizing or keratin treatments that will smooth the cuticles.

He alth barometer

Even the flu can make your strands look worse. The more serious the disease, the more visible the changes will be. The tumors that are at the top in terms of negative impact on hairtreatment is based on aggressive chemotherapy.

The list of diseases that worsen the condition of the hair and even cause permanent alopecia are: hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, lupus, seborrheic dermatitis, mycosis, anemia. The condition of the hair is worsened by infectious diseases such as: high fever, treated with antibiotics. Medications for diabetes, rheumatism, blood clotting disorders, gout or high blood pressure can also aggravate hair problems.

About the authorJoanna Karwat A journalist specializing in he alth matters. For over 25 years, she has been following trends in medicine and meets doctors to talk about new treatments. She received two distinctions in the "Medical Journalist of the Year 2022" competition in the press journalism category. He spends every free moment playing volleyball. She won gold in the Beach Volleyball Journalists Championship in 2016.

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Category:

Geriatrics