Causes and prevention for women over 70

As you get older, your body goes through many changes and your hair is no exception. Hair color and texture naturally change over time, which leads to hair loss. For your hair to stay beautiful as you age, it needs special attention.

Hair is made up of protein filaments. A single strand of hair has a normal lifespan of around 2-7 years. Hair grows an average of 0.5 inch a month and six inches a year. Factors like age, diet, genetics, and overall health determine how fast your hair grows and overall health.

With age, the hair’s life cycle shortens and the shorter, finer hair falls out. This hair is usually replaced by new, finer hair. However, over time, almost everyone experiences hair loss as they age. Women and men lose their hair for a variety of reasons as they age, such as inherited traits, endocrine disorders, thyroid disorders, decreased hormonal support, and nutritional deficiencies. In women, menopause plays a big role in the early forties. The sex hormones that help stimulate the follicular fibers decrease and there is often a slight dominance of testosterone. Due to aging and environmental changes, some hair follicles stop producing new hair completely. Over time, hair fibers thin and fall out; unfortunately, they never respawn.

Wash your hair less often to fight hair loss:

The frequency of washing depends on the type of hair you have. But regardless of your hair type, in general, washing your hair too often can make it dry and brittle and lead to hair loss. Don’t overuse shampoo, but you should wash your scalp at least twice a week. Use the type of shampoo indicated for your specific hair type: normal, oily or dry.

Don’t forget conditioners and volumizers:

Applying conditioner after shampooing is key to keeping your hair healthy. Conditioner is an essential hair care step that adds moisture to help replenish hair’s shine and natural oils lost during shampooing. And volumizers work like a brace to strengthen each strand of hair, plumping it up for more volume.

Choose the right hair loss products:

If you decide to color your hair, it’s best to hire a stylist. A professional can help you determine the safest dye to use for your hair type and give you recommendations on shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products made specifically for colored hair.

It is also advisable not to use heated styling tools, such as hair dryers, curling irons and straighteners, on a daily basis. We all want to look our best, but reducing the use of high-heat styling tools to one or two days a week will help your hair recover from the damage it inflicts.

If you must use heat styling products, apply heat protectant to hair before use. This product forms a protective layer between heated styling products and hair and adds moisture to protect against heat damage.

Avoid hair products that contain hormone-disrupting chemicals such as parabens and phthalates that are commonly found in many hair products. That said, science does not support the claim that these cosmetic chemicals present any risk, as the natural environment and food pose a greater risk.

Adopt a complete, protein-rich diet to avoid hair loss:

You can’t control healthy locks based on genetics or age, but you can help your hair by eating a healthy diet. The old adage says “you are what you eat” and that definitely holds true when it comes to your hair. First, make sure you’re eating enough to combat hair loss. As you get older, you start eating smaller portions because your taste level decreases and you become nutritionally deficient. Typically, when a person says, “I’m on a healthy diet,” he’s on a restricted diet. Include a variety of foods in your diet.

Hair follicles are made up mostly of protein, so don’t miss out on this vital nutrient. A lack of protein has been linked to hair loss. It is suggested that women eat low-fat red meat several times a week. This captures your protein and other vital nutrients. Also, as we age, the thyroid slows down. The patients are a little tired and think it is old age, but they have mild anemia due to iron accumulation. Consuming low-fat red meat alleviates this iron deficiency.