What Is Aging Hair? How Your Age Affects Your Hair Type

February 19, 2024 BY JAY SMALL, HAIRSTYLIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF AREY

Is Your Hair Showing Your Age?

Aging hair sneaks up on you slowly. It can be a shock when you first notice your hair type is changing. And I don’t just mean those first silver hairs.

As a stylist, and in my training as a Trichologist (hair-health expert), I know that grey hair is only one of the characteristics of aging hair.¹ Age-related changes also show up in your hair’s texture, thickness and manageability.

Grey hair and anti-aging haircare is a hot topic in scientific research because your hair is where your body shows its age first.² At Arey, we are all about the science behind slowing and reversing the signs of aging hair. That’s why we take a whole-body, holistic approach to proactive haircare.

My clients have so many questions about the changes they see in their hair type over time. I want to share everything I’ve learned about the best ways to care for your aging and greying hair. Here’s how you can have your best hair at every stage in your hair journey.

What Aging Does to Your Hair

In my 22 years as a stylist, I’ve worked with many clients who are experiencing age-related changes to their hair.

Here are the most common changes from hair aging:

Dryness and frizz
Coarser texture
Changes in your curl pattern
Thinning and hair loss
Greying hair

Aging hair is a challenge. But it’s also an opportunity to take proactive steps towards better hair health. Whatever your stage in your aging or greying journey, a healthier you means healthier hair.

Your hair changes in unexpected ways as you age and it all depends on your hair type.

How Different Hair Types Change as You Age

Not all hair ages in the same way. Your hair ages differently according to your hair type.

The easiest way to find your particular hair type is when your hair is wet:

Type 1 – Straight: your hair lies flat with no wave.
Type 2 – Wavy: your hair has a loose, tousled structure.
Type 3 – Curly: your hair forms loose loops.
Type 4 – Coily: your hair has s-shaped coils.

As your hair ages, understanding your hair type helps you care for your hair properly.

Here’s how your hair type changes as you age:²

If Your Hair Type Is Straight:

Straight hair can be fine or thick but has no curve at all. Your straight hair experiences aging by changing texture. Grey hair is coarser than pigmented hair and so you may find silver strands sticking up all over the place.

Your scalp produces less natural moisturizers (sebum) after age 40 so your straight hair will become dryer and lose shine. Your hair may even surprise you by becoming curly during menopause – an effect of hormone changes on your hair structure.

If Your Hair Type Is Wavy:

Your wavy hair has a naturally tousled texture. You may be curlier at the ends than the roots but overall your hair has a loose, undefined wave. As you age, your hair may become more varied in its curve pattern, with some sections becoming more curly.

Your wavy hair is more vulnerable to age-related dryness than straight hair. You may notice more frizz and breakage as your sebum production reduces.

If Your Hair Type Is Curly:

Your curl type is a result of the shape of your hair follicles – flat or oval hair follicles create curly hair.³ Your actual curl pattern is created by how your strands wind around each other.

As your hair ages, your curls may get looser. They may even form new curl patterns as hormonal changes from menopause weaken your curl structure.

Curly hair is bad at retaining moisture because of the structure of your hair shaft. As you age your curls get even dryer and more thirsty. The result is your hair can look more frizzy and dry, and be more vulnerable to damage.

If Your Hair Type Is Coily:

Your coily hair has a zig-zag curl pattern and lots of volume. It also struggles to retain moisture and is prone to frizz and breakage. As you age, coily hair types get weaker and more prone to frizz.

Hormonal changes can cause your hair follicles to shrink and produce thinner, weaker strands. Your coils may lose elasticity and bounce and your curl pattern can loosen.

Aging Hair Solutions for All Hair Types

At Arey, we believe in a proactive approach to aging and greying hair. That’s why we turned to science to create our system of grey hair solutions.

Here’s what our research and experience showed to be the best proactive haircare for all hair types.

1. Aging Hair Needs Moisture

Changes in texture are the most common characteristic of aging hair. And it’s not just the greys. Even your pigmented hair will become dryer and frizzier as your sebum levels drop.

The solution – replace the moisture that aging is taking away. Look for a shampoo and conditioner like Wash & Smooth with ingredients that replenish your hair’s lost moisture.

One of our anti-aging moisturizing ingredients is shea butter. We use it in our Smooth conditioner and our leave-in conditioner Mend (The Care and Repair Set).

Shea butter will:

✅ Protect your aging hair from the sun: the sun can yellow grey hair and add to dryness and breakage. Shea butter is a natural sunscreen for your hair⁵ that absorbs the sun’s damaging rays.

✅ Moisturize and smooth your hair: Shea butter seals your hair shaft for smoother, silkier strands. It also protects it from heat-styling.

✅ Reduce dryness and frizz: Shea butter is rich in vitamins B and E to restore shine and strength to aging hair.

✅ Increase hair growth: Shea butter is packed with minerals that boost hair growth.⁶

Moisture is vital for aging hair. Make sure your shampoo and conditioner do not contain harsh cleansers like sulfates. We never use sulfates in Arey products because they can over cleanse your hair and scalp and leave it even dryer.

2. Reduce Aging Hair Loss and Thinning

According to a recent Japanese⁴ study, at around age 35 your hair becomes finer and less full. This is because as you age, your hair growth slows and you start to shed more hair.

Hair thinning can be distressing. But there are ways to help your hair stay full and healthy:

✅ Avoid backcombing: it might be tempting, but boosting volume this way causes hair breakage.

✅ Use a wide comb: always detangle your wet or dry hair with a wide comb to avoid damage.

✅ Switch to weightless conditioners: many silicones weigh down your aging hair. We use Amodimethicone in Smooth because it smooths and softens your hair without weighing it down.

✅ Boost hair growth and thickness: healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. Hair experts recommend exfoliating with a scalp scrub regularly to keep your follicles clear of debris.

It’s normal to lose about 50-100 hairs a day. If you are losing more hair or it is coming out in patches, then make sure to consult a medical professional.

3. Look for Effective Grey Hair Treatments

As you age, your hair follicles stop producing pigment. That’s why your hair starts to go silver and even white. The good news is that only 30% of why you go grey is genetics. The rest is down to your lifestyle and environment. That means there are many better ways to slow, delay and even reverse grey hair.

We launched Arey with our supplement Not Today, Grey as a preventive grey hair solution. Combined with our topical serum To The Root, Not Today, Grey provides your hair with science-backed nutrients and minerals to prevent new grey hair growth.

Here are some easy anti-aging steps you can take to get control of your greying process:

✅ Get your antioxidants: antioxidants are molecules that defend your hair follicles against environmental aggressors. Taking an antioxidant-rich supplement like Not Today, Grey delivers the vitamins and minerals your hair needs for slowing and repigmenting greys, and improving hair thickness.

✅ Stop smoking: Smokers are two and a half times more likely to go grey prematurely.⁵

✅ Prevent oxidative stress: oxidative stress is a chemical reaction in your hair follicles that damages your pigment-producing cells. Treat your roots with a protective, growth-boosting topical serum like To The Root.

✅ Avoid sun damage: the sun acts like bleach on your hair and can permanently destroy pigment in your strands. Protecting your hair with a natural sunscreen like Live In Mist slows greying from sun damage.

✅ Reduce your stress: yes, stress can make you go grey prematurely. Don’t skip your stress-hormone-reducing meditations.⁶

Whether you decide to embrace your greys, slow or delay them naturally, or cover your grey hair, you need products that are gentle enough for aging hair.

Arey, Science-Backed Solutions for Aging Hair

Arey’s products are all designed to deliver clean haircare that is healthy for your scalp and your aging hair. We are committed to clean beauty so our products are always vegan, cruelty-free, and free from gluten, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde and artificial colors or fragrances.

Our shampoo, supplement, scrub and serum all contain our patent-pending Mela-9™ complex – a cocktail of clinically-effective ingredients that slow and delay your grey hair.

It takes 3-5 months to see results so we offer 25% off on all subscriptions to help you stay on track with your hair goals. We know that science + consistency = results.

We are Arey.

Aging is beautiful – but if you’re looking for proactive solutions for aging hair issues, we are here for you with science-backed, effective grey hair solutions. Whatever your hair type, we want you to have your best hair at any age. Questions? Check out our FAQ page or email us at hey@areygrey.com.

Jay Small with customer

AuthorJay SmallJay Small is a sought-after hair stylist and Trichologist in Los Angeles with over 22 years of experience. His clients consist of high-profile business and creative leaders. He trained as an apprentice to the owner of Paul Mitchell and worked in education and product development for Paul Mitchell Systems. Jay is incredibly passionate about the creative process both in terms of styling hair and developing effective products.

REFERENCES:

When Will Your Hair Go Grey? Why Your Ethnicity Matters

Why Is Your Hair Turning Grey? Here’s What the Science Says

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