Hair ageing is just as real as skin ageing

While we’ve been conditioned to focus on early signs of skin ageing, your hair is equally prone to senescence 

“As soon as you turn 30, your skin’s cell renewal begins to slow down”

“Early signs of ageing can appear as early as at the age of 25”

“Your body starts losing collagen as soon as you turn 30”

We’ve come across the aforementioned statements multiple times, whether it’s through marketing-first communications by beauty brands or social media posts by beauty content creators. Skin ageing has been under the spotlight forever, so much so that the global anti-ageing products’ market wallowed in a whopping CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 8.1 per cent between 2017 and 2022 and is poised to grow from $64 billion in 2023 to $109.8 billion in 2033, according to a Future Marketing Insights report. However, with skincare being at the helm of the anti-ageing beauty products market, haircare has been nugatory. At the most, consumers have had temporary hair colour boxes at their disposal but that’s about it. Apart from the appearance of the occasional grey strands, there’s a lot more that your mane goes through during  your lifetime. 

What causes hair ageing?

Upon being asked if hair really ages, Dr Renita Rajan, dermatologist, says, “Of course! Just like any other part of the body.” She furthers, “Hair follicles have an excellent reserve of stem cells and can regenerate themselves over a long period. However, they also undergo ageing due to factors like growing old, and extrinsic factors like smoking, poor sleep hygiene, sun exposure and pollution.” 

Increased damage and dryness and the changing colour of your hair strands are not the only kinds of changes that take place; the scalp is an important part of the conversation too. “Your scalp ages too,” says Dr Jaishree Sharad, Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist and author of The Skincare Answer Book: Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Skincare Questions. According to her, the skin on the scalp gets thinner with time which adversely impacts the hair follicles, thereby decreasing them in number. “Some hair follicles stop growing new hair; hair density and hair diameter decrease (which makes the strand thinner) and scalp elasticity also decreases, making it dry. Studies have shown decreased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced thickness of the scalp epidermis makes the scalp more dry and sensitive,” says Sharad.

Indicators of hair ageing

1. Hair loss

Any and every hormonal change or imbalance in your body can result in hair loss and thinning—from a phase of illness and pregnancy to menopause and PCOD/PCOS. “However, the level of hair loss with age is not the same for everyone and is strongly influenced by genetics,” says Rajan. Explaining the know-how, Sharad says, “Hair follicles go through the anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen stages of the hair cycle. Our scalp sheds hair in the exogen cycle once in 2 to 6 years and new hair grows back. With age, the old hair falls and some hair follicles may even stop producing new hair and hair growth.” She adds, “With age, thick coarse hair also becomes thinner, there is the miniaturisation of the hair follicle, the hair diameter reduces leading to thinning of hair. Studies have also shown evidence of microinflammation and fibrosis in the hair follicle, leading to male pattern balding. Additionally, stress and poor nutrition can aggravate hair loss.” Rajan shares that microscopically, the blood supply to individual hair roots may also reduce over time, limiting the hair follicle to the resting phase.

2. Greying of hair

We might blow a gasket when we spot our first grey strand; however, it’s important to understand what triggers it. “The colour of the hair comes from a pigment called melanin,” cites Sharad. “And with time, the pigment cells in the hair follicle produce less melanin or, perhaps, stop producing sufficient pigment, turning the hair grey. Additionally, sun exposure over years causes degradation and loss of hair proteins, making the hair weak.”

3. Dry and brittle hair

Just like the skin becomes drier as you grow older, your hair also becomes increasingly susceptible to dryness, damage and breakage. While lack of moisture and a weak barrier is responsible for the excessive skin dryness that comes along with age, explaining what transpires with the hair, Sharad says, “As we age, especially after we cross 45, the oil or sebaceous glands produce lesser and lesser sebum. As the natural oil production decreases, the hair becomes dry and brittle.” She highlights that the decline is greater in females than in males due to peri- and post-menopausal hormonal changes.

4. Slowed down hair cycle

According to Rajan, the length of the hair differs from one individual to the other based on genetics. “This depends on the duration of the time that the hair spends in the anagen phase. With time, this duration comes down very gradually. In an oversimplified way, we can compare this with nail growth. If you have had babies at home, you would remember how often their nails needed to be cut–almost every other day, or at least twice a week. Over time, the frequency of nail cutting comes down, and with the elderly, we can visibly notice the slowness of nail growth. Very loosely compared, something similar happens with the hair as well.” The drop in the frequency of hair growth also leads to hair thinning since the hair sheds at a faster rate than new hair grows back.

What can you do?

Rajan says that hair ages six times faster than the skin does. “Anything to do with the hair is generally more evident than the skin. It is not so much a different timescale, but just that hair fall can happen overnight and takes months or years to show. It is just the timeline of the hair cycle.”

While ageing is inevitable and inescapable, there are ways to ensure your hair remains healthy.Start by revisiting your diet and analysing your daily nutritional intake as immediate steps. “Hair is made of the protein keratin and amino acids. Bitoin, iron, selenium and vitamin B also comprise the hair shaft. So you must consume food rich in all of them, like chicken, fish, bok choy, spinach, carrots, sprouts, walnuts, almonds and eggs,” suggests Sharad, who does not recommend crash diets at all. Rajan advises tackling lifestyle pressures including poor sleep cycle, smoking and stress.

Speaking of preventive care, it’s a good idea to include supplements like vitamins A, B, C, D and E, minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium and chromium, essential fatty acids and calcium, recommends Sharad. “Get tested for hormonal imbalance, thyroid and PCOS and consult an endocrinologist if you have any issues. Check your vitamin B12, vitamin D3 and iron levels regularly. Avoid frequent heat and chemical treatments and indulge in meditation and yoga,” concludes Sharad.

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