What Are The Characteristics Of Aging Hair?

Healthy hair is easier to preserve than it is to revive. Taking proactive steps can help delay and prevent these signs of aging hair. 

As we age, our hair changes. You may more easily notice the appearance of grey hair and hair loss, but your hair can also change in texture and density. When we started studying aging hair, we found that genetics account for only 30% of why our hair goes grey (there is 1 gene, IR4F, that causes grey hair), leaving 70% to other factors including diet, exercise, environmental exposure and other oxidative stress, as well as acute stress. Let’s discuss what you can do once you start to notice these changes in your hair.

Coarse hair texture, most commonly reported as a sign of aging hair, is when the hair strands feel dry or unruly. This texture change can be frustrating when you've been used to your hair acting one way, and now it seems different. An easy fix for this texture change would be to focus on a new shampoo and conditioner. The texture you are feeling is likely a result of the lack of hair color molecules in the hair strand. A hair strand without color is similar to a balloon without air, it lacks density and structure.

Using a gentle shampoo like Arey Wash will help retain the natural oils in the hair, which can help limit dryness post shampoo. Look for conditioners like Arey Smooth with ingredients focused on the inside of the hair strand and nourishing oils to strengthen and protect the cuticle. Panthenol and hydrolyzed barley protein help retain moisture and add strength to the inside of the hair strand. Jojoba oil, shea butter and coconut oil are excellent to seal and protect the outermost layer of your hair strand, the cuticle.

Thinning hair can mean that there is less hair growing, and it can also mean that the individual strand feels depleted. This is a factor of aging hair that is best addressed by using ingestible and topical solutions to help stimulate cell production near the hair follicle. Our daily supplement Not Today, Grey is formulated to provide vitamins and minerals to support this cell production along with antioxidants that remove free radicals caused by oxidative stress. Our topical serum To The Root contains a clinically efficacious peptide, antioxidants and extracts that when applied topically, absorb into the skin and give life to keratin, elastin and collagen. Each of these proteins is responsible for density, strength and color.

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Once you start to experience hair thinning overall or in the individual hair strand, it's time to look for a new shampoo and conditioner that will be complementary to these characteristics. Arey Wash was developed with skincare in mind, meaning gentle cleansers and ingredients are designed to penetrate the scalp and work with the hair follicle. Over-cleansing can lead to using more styling products that over time will make the hair feel greasy or weighed down. Arey Smooth conditions hair from the inside out with ingredients that retain moisture and build strength internally. Shea Butter and jojoba oil work externally to fill in space in the cuticle and protection from heat styling or environmental factors.

Scalp dryness can be most frustrating. It can feel itchy or leave an unsightly residue. This a result of a decrease in sebum production, which is oil our bodies produce to nourish our hair strands. This dryness on the scalp can also lead to blockages in the scalp that can prohibit healthy hair growth. Using exfoliants to remove buildup on the scalp can offer immediate relief, while using antioxidants like selenium can help internally support the sebaceous gland. Shampooing every other day can help bring balance to the scalp. While in between washes, be sure to rinse with water daily. Rinsing with water can remove subtle build up and help reduce clogging of the pores on the scalp.

The most common sign of aging hair is seeing it turn grey. Grey hair is the result of decreased melanin production, which arises from nutrient deficiencies and exposure to oxidative stressors. Instead of seeing your first grey as a curse, consider it a message from the body. Keep in mind that in the early stages of going grey, there is much that can be delayed or even re-pigmented. Re-pigmentation is when a hair strand has not gone fully white but is starting to lose color and appearing grey. Each hair strand has many molecules of color, if any of this color is left, cell stimulation is possible and can result in reviving your hair’s pigment.

Healthy hair is easier to preserve than it is to revive. Taking proactive steps can help delay and prevent these characteristics of aging hair. By age 30 it is likely that you will start to see or feel changes in your hair. Similar to reaching for wrinkle cream when your skin needs to be revived, Arey offers an approach to aging hair that will help provide your body with what it needs to preserve cell production, and help your hair age gracefully.