Hair Loss as We Age

As we age, it is common to begin to notice several changes that occur within our body. Hair loss is one of the changes that both males and females may experience.

If you notice that your hair is thinning gradually, you may attribute it to a natural condition that comes with aging. Understanding why this occurs with age and how to prevent problems can help you fight hair loss as you grow older. This problem is especially prominent in aging men, although women also suffer from it. 

Hair is made up of a protein called keratinand grows through hair follicles, or openings of the skin that are in the scalp. While follicles produce new hair cells, the old cells are being pushed out through the skin at rate of approximately six inches per year.  The hair we see is in fact a string of dead keratin cells.  Usually, one individual hair strand will last for four to five years then naturally fall out. When it falls out, it will be replaced with a new growth of hair, which will then take over that particular follicle. When you are younger, it is easier to take in the proper amounts of protein and produce more hair. However, if you are aging, there will be a difference in the hair growth because of the amount of protein that you need to produce the hair.  Learning some general facts about your hair and hair loss may help you prevent further hair loss. 

A typical adult head has about 100,000 hairs and loses up to 50-100 of them a day. When you begin to age, the replacement of hair in the follicle of the scalp begins to slow down. This is because of the slowing down of the body as you age. Less protein is produced because there is not as much growth or change that is occurring throughout one’s system. This lack of protein can causes hair to fall out and not to be replaced as quickly, which causes baldness, as well as thinning of hair.

Another aspect of this hair loss is that many people will also begin to lose pigment from the hair that is already in place. One may notice that as they age, that their hair may not only fall out and not be replaced, but may also result in hair strands being smaller and thinner. This is attributed to the loss of thickness that is produced and needed for hair as one ages.

Aging and hair loss will affect men and women differently when it begins to happen. With women, hair loss will mean that the hair will simply become thinner as it is not producing as much pigmentation. In men, however, this hair will be lost from the front of the scalp to the back. It is not only attributed with the changes in protein and pigment, but also to the hormone of testosterone. This causes the protein and pigmentation to react in a different way and not produce as much for the body and head, which leads to hair loss.

Treatments that promise to restore hair to balding heads have been around for centuries, however most men and women with thinning hair can do little to reverse the process.  You can add more protein to your diet in order to help with this, or find a variety of supplements that can help you age gracefully.  You can also protect your hair from damage that as it progresses may result in thinning. 

For the sake of fashion and beauty, many people, especially women in particular put their hair under tremendous stress.  The use of hair dryers, hot curlers, dyes, permanent waves, etc. will in due time lead to dry, broken and thinning hair.  By leaving your hair its natural color and texture you will end up having a healthier hair. Instead of using a hot curler, you could use sponge rollers and let it air-dry whenever possible. 

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