Your Hair Changes Over Time: 5 Contributing Factors

Do your once thick locks seem a little limper and duller? You’re not imagining it. Hair changes as we get older, and your hair may see major shifts in color, texture, and thickness over time.

 

While some of these transformations are inevitable, others can be slowed or offset – especially by diet! And knowing why, when, and how these changes happen can help you make the most of your evolving locks.

5 reasons hair changes over time

Genetic Link

 

The color, texture, and shape of your hair are decided even before birth, but there are other genetic factors at play with hair changes in your adult life, too. Some men and women are genetically predisposed to be more or less sensitive to the elements that affect hair changes over time.

 

It’s not always apparent what your genetic makeup means for your hair, but taking a look at your family history may provide a few clues. If family members have noticed significant hair changes  – especially thinning – throughout their adult life, it’s more likely you could as well.

 

Everyone’s hair is impacted differently depending on your age, your nutrition, your hair care routines, and your genes – they all impact your hair’s sensitivity or resilience to what life brings your way.

 

Hormones

 

Hair growth in both women and men follows a predictable pattern of growth, stimulated largely by androgenic hormones and hormones produced by the adrenal glands. When supplies of any of hair-boosting hormones decline, hair growth slows, and follicles don’t quickly replace the hairs you’ve lost.

 

Women and men see a lot of hormonal changes during their lifetimes. From puberty – when our hiar is usually at its peak thickness – and through aduthood, hormone levels rise and fall during the different seasons of life. In women, use of some birth controls, child birth, and menopause all have a huge effect on hormones and hair: surges of hair-nurturing hormones during pregnancy, for example, tend to boost and extend a woman’s hair’s growth cycle, and then there can be excessive shedding just after childbirth. Many men start losing hair in their early twenties thanks to genetic disposition to be highly sensitive to a hormone called DHT. With age, hormone levels drop altogether, and for many and even most if us, hair looks a lot different than it did in our teenage years.

 

Chemicals

 

Chemical treatments like hair dye or bleach give you a fresh new look but weaken hair strands in the process. No matter how slowly you approach chemical hair changes, they inevitably leave hair a little drier and more brittle than if you’d backed away from the bleach in the first place.

 

Chemical treatments themselves can change over time as well. As they sit on your hair, they begin to oxidize and can change colors or lose their sheen. Luckily, treating chemically damaged hair with nourishing products can help to maintain a healthy appearance and restore shine.

 

Aging

 

Scientists believe that graying hair is caused by a build-up of hydrogen peroxide, removing color from within the shaft. Hydrogen peroxide destroys hair pigment, which is why it’s an effective ingredient in many blonde hair dyes.

 

Aging hair will also become less dense. A decline in circulation as our bodies age means less productive hair growth overall, caused by naturally weakened blood vessels near hair follicles. As your hair evolves, so should your hair care routine in order to keep hair looking shiny and healthy at any age.

 

Health and Nutrition

 

Your hair is highly responsive to the internal changes of your body. Medicines like chemotherapy, for example, can cause complete hair loss for those in treatment. Hair changes can be attributed to less dramatic internal changes, too. Without a healthy balance of vitamins and minerals, the hair growth cycle can slow down or even come to a screeching halt.

 

Long term or restrictive diets can also slow the hair growth cycle, as your body is deprived of necessary nutrients. An unexpected change in hair density or texture, however, should signal that something inside your body is out of balance. It’s worth consulting a doctor to ensure everything is functioning as it should.

 

Hair stress is common, but you don’t have to fret about losing your beloved locks. Almost no matter what the cause is of hair changes, Phyllotex can help. Phyllotex uses a blend of science-backed nutrients to prevent hair loss, promote regrowth, and keep your hair strong and healthy.