Tackling ageing hair

As you age, it goes without saying, so does your hair. Ageing hair is a problem for women over the age of 30, and the more we colour, style and over heat our hair, the worse the problem.

According to Marie Claire, there’s an axiom in the beauty industry that hair-care trends follow skin-care trends. So it was probably only a matter of time before words like antiaging and renewal started turning up on shampoos, conditioners, and stylers. Beyond being trendy, however, there happens to be a real reason that hair-care companies are choosing to bring age-proofing products to market. Put simply: We’re living longer, and we’re torturing our hair like never before. Combine that with increased environmental insult and basic chronological aging, and you’ve got an epidemic of parched, brittle, and frayed “old lady” hair. The good news is that you don’t have to take extreme measures to score instantly younger-looking strands.

“Anyone older than 30 will eventually have finer, thinner hair,” says Michael Lorin Reed, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. That said, 50 percent of women at some point in their post-puberty lives will suffer female-pattern hair loss, a genetic and hormonal condition causing sparseness around the crown. The most common treatment: topical Minoxidil products. Estrogen-dominant birth-control pills also often help slow shedding, as does estrogen-replacement therapy (for post-menopausal women). If you don’t suffer from female-pattern hair loss, telogen effluvium (dramatic shedding triggered by a stressful event such as pregnancy, surgery, significant weight loss, or an illness with a high fever), or alopecia areata (patchy thinning caused by an immune-system imbalance) — which are treatable in the hands of a dermatologist — the best way to retain your locks is to treat them with love. Chemically process as infrequently as possible, and avoid anything that pulls on hair, such as tight rollers, ponytails, weaves, and braids. “Not only can they cause breakage, but they can destroy your roots permanently, rendering them unable to produce hair,” says Dr. Reed. In addition, don’t underestimate the power of proper nutrition. “If you want to keep your hair, control your weight by exercising, not dieting,” says Dr. Reed.

Roucou oil helps as well, and this is found in products like Davines Essential Haircare OI / Shampoo – Absolute Beautifying Shampoo which can be used on all types of hair. Roucou oil has a strong anti0oxidant action, and an ideal tool in the fight against ageing hair.