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5 ways age affects your hair and scalp

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Growing older is not something most of us look forward to. Thanks to fine lines, wrinkles, hair loss and so much more.

Our skin cells become sluggish and cell turnover slows down but how does this affect our hair and scalp? Are there things we can do to combat the effects of aging?

We consulted experts from some of Singapore’s top salons to understand how age can affect hair and scalp.

1. White hair is normally the first sign of ageing (hair) we notice

The exact process of going grey is not well understood; hair is known to turn grey when melanin – the pigment that gives our hair and skin colour – stops being produced. Scalp hair often starts graying at the temples and extends to the top of the scalp. Hair color becomes lighter, eventually turning white.

Greying of hair appears to be largely determined by genetics but stress and lifestyle can give a variation of 10 years. Generally the lighter your skin, the sooner your hair will turn grey. Caucasians typically start to grey in the early 30s. It often occurs 10 years later for those with darker skin.

Oxidative stress is another factor – if you face a lot of stress in your daily life, you may experience something called oxidative stress. This refers to the production of excess free radicals that damages the pigment-creating cellular structures within the follicle, making your hair turn grey!

Serene Tan from Chez Vous Hair Salon recommends the use of scalp serums as they contain large amounts of antioxidants that can help to fight free radicals and preserve melanin producing cells. One recommended scalp serum is the Kerastase Densifique Serum Jeunesse Potion, packed with multiple antioxidants to protect scalp and Stemoxydine that targets stem cells to promote hair growth and rejuvenate scalp.


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2. Thinning hair is the next ageing monster to combat

You may not initially see the hair loss but you may one day wake up to find your hair becoming much thinner over time. This is because the process of hair replacement has slowed down due to ageing.

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Hair is made of many protein strands. A single hair has a normal life between 2 and 7 years. That hair then falls out and is replaced with a new hair. As you get older, the hair replacement process slows down, causing your hair to start thinning. Typically for men, hair is first lost on the top of the head or at the temples and by age 60, two-thirds of males experience significant hair loss.

Ladies experience thinning hair as well. During menopause, your hormones go through a lot of changes, some of which may result in hair loss.

  • Androgenetic alopecia is caused by an increase in male hormones. You also may see facial breakouts as well as an increase in facial hair loss.

  • Telogen shedding, in which women lose a lot of hair over a short period of time due to dramatic hormonal changes. Fortunately, hair usually grows back once hormones level out.

  • Alopecia areata, in which hair falls out in patches during a short period of time. This hair loss tends to recur and the hair doesn’t always grow back.

To combat this type of hair loss, it may be better to go to a trichologist to diagnose what the issue is.

For most ladies who don’t have serious hair loss, Serene from Chez Vous Hair Salon mentions that a healthy diet and a change in lifestyle may be able to help! This is because menopause often causes collagen production to drop, causing dry scalp and therefore hair loss issues. Going for regular scalp treatments (e.g. the Chez Vous Scalp Treats) and replenishing the body’s natural collagen will keep the hair moisturized and minimize the problem of thinning hair.

3. Did you know that ageing also causes hair breakage?

A single hair lives approximately 4 to 5 years. Given that hair grows on average of a little less than half an inch per month, hair that is 12 inches in length has seen almost 3 year’s worth of ultraviolet light, friction from brushing, heat from blow dryers, curling irons and flat irons, and chemical exposure through coloring, perming or straightening.

It’s no wonder that hair wear and tear, or “weathering,” results. Cuticle cells become raised and softened, making the hair appear rougher and more prone to breakage. Over time, hair follicles themselves gradually produce thinner, smaller hairs, or none at all. This is referred to as senescent alopecia, although it may simply be a part of the natural aging process.

Going for a shorter cut is one way to keep the hair looking healthy, this is probably one of the reasons why you see more ladies above 35 opting for shorter cuts!

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Haircut by Chez Vous Hair Salon

4. Many ladies find that perms and colours don’t last as long as before

For those of you in your 40s, do you find that perms that may have lasted 6 months while you are in your 30s last only 3-4 months now?

Well, that’s not because your stylist skills are becoming worse. Instead, the process of ageing plays a part.

Patrick from Juz Salon mentions that many of his older customers find that their hair texture becomes finer and less dense over time as hair strands become smaller and have less pigment. This makes it difficult for the hair to sustain the curls and colour for a long time!

Of course, not everyone ages the same way as there are some customers whose hair are still as thick as before.

If perms are an issue, you may want to consider doing a shorter perm or going for more regular cuts rather than using chemicals to texturize your hair!

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Colour and Highlights by Juz Salon @ Mandarin Gallery

5. Your scalp becomes more sensitive over time

Some ladies also report that their scalp becomes more sensitive with age. A routine hair colour that may not have felt much in their 20s may cause irritation and redness on the scalp as they reach their 40s and 50s.

This may not be directly because of aging; numerous exposure to hair chemicals for colours, perms and rebonding may also have weakened your scalp over time.

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AVEDA Hair and Scalp Treatment @ Gene Salon

Other than going for scalp treatments that clarify and fortify your scalp (such as the AVEDA Scalp Treatments), Dawn from Gene Salon @ Wisma Atria recommends customers to go for ammonia-free or organic alternatives that causes less irritation. This applies for both younger and older customers because early prevention can minimize any scalp issues when you get older!

Some natural colour alternatives to consider:

1. AVEDA Hair Colour offered by Gene Salon @ Wisma Atria

2. Redken Chromatics Hair Colour offered by Kenaris Hair Salon @ Wheelock Place

3. INOA Hair Colour by Salon Vim @ 313 Somerset

4. Original & Minerals Hair Colour by Focus Hairdressing @ Cuppage Plaza

5. Color Herbe by Koinonia Hair Salon @ Pacific Plaza in Orchard

6. Nature Organics Sense by J7Image @ Far East Plaza

If you are not sure which to get, you can also consult the hairstylists at Chez Vous Hair Salon which carries L’Oreal INOA, Goldwell NECTAYA and Redken Chromatics.

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Visit beautyundercover.sg for hair and beauty tips!