About Seniors' Hair

You are officially a senior citizen, getting all of the discounts and the other perks that go along with being a baby boomer. You are perfectly content with your age but you are not happy with your hair. As you have grown older, your hair has changed--not only the color but the texture and fullness. Age takes its toll on hair just as it does on the body. Gray hair is a different texture and may require a different approach from what you are used to.

The Dish on Gray Hair

Gray hair is a coarser texture than other colors of hair because it does not have pigment. Not only does the coarse texture make it more difficult to style but the lack of pigmentation makes the gray hair color resistant. Your gray hair may require more moisturizing than your previous hair did. Avoid products that have alcohol in them because the alcohol will further dry out already dry hair. If your hair is exposed to air pollution, it can cause your hair to turn yellow. Ask your hairdresser to introduce you to shampoos that will lessen the yellow cast to your hair.

Making the Transition to Gray Hair

You've been coloring your graying hair for years and are sick of it. You've decided to forgo the color and go gray. But how does one do that gracefully?
Gradually, is the answer. There is the option of cutting your hair into a short hairstyle and then letting the gray come in, full speed ahead. This would be less drastic than letting the gray roots go untouched while the rest of your shoulder-length hair is dark brown. Adding some low lights to your hair can detract from your roots as your hair grows and transitions from a darker color to totally gray.

How Age Affects Hair, Regardless of Color

As we grow older, we lose elasticity in our hair as well as in the rest of our body. When hair loses its elasticity it is more apt to break. Most of us will notice a change in our hair as we age. Our hair becomes thinner and finer. A company called Alterna has created hair products specifically for senior hair. The products are called Age Control Complex. This formula contains pure Caviar Extract, vitamin C and Cytokines, which help eliminate the signs of aging in our hair. According to Alterna, Cytokines are compounds that revitalize and regenerate cell turnover. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which helps stop damage to the hair. Caviar extract helps infuse the scalp and hair with shine, elasticity and moisture.

What to Avoid

According to Seniorjournal.com, since the hair of senior citizens doesn't grow as fast as does youthful hair, any damage that occurs to the hair, whether it is from bleach or dye, a permanent or the styling tools that you are using, is going to be around longer than it would be on a 17-year-old's head. The teenager's hair will grow out quickly and she can trim or cut off the damaged parts. Hair's diameter lessens with age. If you are chemically processing your hair, it is apt to become thinner and break because it is not as thick as it once was. Dr Zoe Draelos, a clinical associate professor in the department of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., advises senior citizens to use weaker chemicals on their hair because the hair can't handle the strong chemicals that were applied to it when it was youthful hair. Harsh processes fracture the hair and you don't want to do that.

Kick Up Your Heels

Getting aerobic exercise on a regular basis not only keeps your heart healthy and your joints and muscles more flexible but it also wards off the male hormone DHT, which causes hair loss. According to Ezinearticles.com, aerobics increases the blood flow everywhere in your body, including in your scalp, and this can stimulate hair growth.

Resources

• Women's Health Care Topics
• Anti-aging Hair Care
• Senior Journal