Anti-age your hair: From frazzled ends to thinning, how to solve the hair horrors that come with each decade
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THIRTIES: POST-NATAL HAIR LOSS
On average, women have 100,000 to 120,000 hair follicles and we lose about 80 to 100 hairs a day, which is perfectly normal, says Zoe Passam, consultant trichologist at the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic in Mayfair, London.
'However, during pregnancy, women have a much higher level of oestrogen and hair stops falling out. Then, after your baby is born, or when you finish breastfeeding, oestrogen levels drop and the hair you didn't lose during pregnancy falls out. It can seem quite alarming, but 50 per cent of women suffer from it.'
Hair loss may also be related to low levels of ferritin — the stored iron in your body, says Zoe. 'Menstruating women are most likely to be affected, as blood loss depletes iron stores. New mums will likely also have little time to eat well and look after themselves and, as hair is non-essential, the body always prioritises iron and energy to the more essential organs.'
Natalie Ahmed, 32, (pictured) lives in Nottingham, works in marketing and has a 15-month-old son, Lucas. Seven months after giving birth her hair began to fall out in clumps
THE SOLUTION: Ask your GP for a blood test to check your ferritin levels and make sure you eat a balanced diet including iron-rich foods such as red meat, fish, eggs, dark green vegetables and dried apricots. Don't reduce your carbohydrate intake — depriving your body of the energy that carbs provide means energy resources are diverted away from benefiting your hair.
If your hair knots easily, dry the ends first to prevent tangling and strands being pulled out.
YOUR VERDICT: Natalie Ahmed, 32, lives in Nottingham, works in marketing and has a 15-month-old son, Lucas.
'Pregnancy made my hair lovely and thick. However, seven months after giving birth, it fell out in clumps, and now, it's thinner than ever. Thickening treatments haven't really helped.
'I will start with a visit to my GP for tests. The trichologist also recommended I always use the correct products for my hair type: a volumising shampoo and moisturising conditioner. It sounds obvious, but I don't always do that.'
FORTIES: PATTERN HAIR LOSS
Female pattern hair loss (FPHL), or androgenetic alopecia, is the most common cause of hair loss, affecting one in four of us. 'In post-menopausal women, it is often down to the reduction of oestrogen, which protects hair follicles from the impact of testosterone, but it can affect women of any age,' says Zoe.
Gill Dineen, 48, (pictured) from Loughton, Essex, is married with one daughter. In the last couple of years she has began to increasingly notice her hair thinning
'Testosterone causes the follicles to shrink until, eventually, they give up producing hair altogether. Even some types of contraception can affect hair loss. For example, the Mirena coil releases levonorgestrel, a derivative of testosterone.'
THE SOLUTION: Make sure you're getting enough zinc and vitamin B12 in your diet from liver, shellfish, eggs or red meat. Zinc is an anti-androgen — countering the damaging effects of the testosterone. Vitamin B12 is also known to be beneficial for hair growth.
A common treatment for FPHL is a scalp solution containing minoxidil, which dilates the blood capillaries and has been found to regrow hair. � ��We have developed Topical Hormone Drops (£58-£60) [in clinics only], which contain three types of anti-male hormones combined with minoxidil,' says Zoe. 'It's been shown to be extremely effective in preventing further depletion of the hair follicles if applied daily.'
YOUR VERDICT: Gill Dineen, 48, from Loughton, Essex, is married with one daughter.
'People always used to tell me what lovely, thick hair I had, but I'd abuse it with highlights, perms and straighteners. As a young woman, I didn't appreciate it. Now, there are big clumps of hair in the plughole when I wash it and strands on my pillow in the morning.
Lizzie Bailey, 53, (pictured) works in retail, is single and lives in Islington. She has noticed a loss in hair density at the top of her head since her menopause began
'In the past couple of years, the thinning has been i ncreasingly noticeable. It's very depressing. The trichologist gave me some good, practical advice, mainly about my diet, which needs to include more protein. I was also reassured that what's happening to me is fairly normal in my age group. To help me feel more positive, I'm going to treat my hair to a luxurious mask weekly.'
FIFTIES: THE MENOPAUSE MAKES IT BRITTLE
'A decline in oestrogen during the menopause will leave hair follicles vulnerable in those with a genetic predisposition to thinning,' says Glenn Lyons, consultant trichologist and clinical director at the clinic.
'Sleep deprivation can also have an impact as energy is directed towards keeping your body and essential organs functioning and your hair will be left wanting.
'There are six or seven hair-friendly HRT treatments — the rest contain too much testosterone, or testo sterone derivatives — so a chat with your GP about which HRT to go on is advisable.'
THE SOLUTION: In addition to seeing a GP to deal with any fundamental sleep or hormone issues, it's worth taking a multi-vitamin, particularly if you're not getting enough hair-boosting vitamin B12, iron and zinc. Washing hair daily will help improve the texture and make it less dry, but it will also keep your scalp clean — a better environment for natural skin cell turnover.
Shelley Veeder-Goldman, 60, from North London, is married with three daughters. She says her hair has become frizzy and dry since going through the menopause
YOUR VERDICT: Lizzie Bailey, 53, works in retail, is single and lives in Islington.
'I'm going through the menopause and have just started HRT. I'm exhausted all the time — at night I get up every two to three hours — and I've lost hair density at the top of my head. It's a harsh reminder that I'm losing my youth.
'One of the most encouraging things the trichologist told me was that I should be washing my hair daily. As I started to lose my hair, I reasoned that washing it so often must be part of the problem. Having fresh hair is such a great pick-me-up and I'm thrilled it's helping my hair, rather than aggravating the problem.'
SIXTIES: DRY AND THINNING
Haircare and scalp health at this age are so important because you want to encourage the best environment for hair to grow. Many women will go to a salon for a weekly wash and blow-dry, but Glenn says this isn't optimal for good hair.
'The only way to get rid of scalp cells is to wash them and once a week just isn't enough. Salon drying won't help the condition of the hair either — salons often use hairdryers with high wattage and tight bristle brushes to achieve the best effect, but it's brutal and strips out the moisture.'
Lupi Kokni, 70, is a retired medical receptionist from Mitcham in South-West London. She is married with two daughters. She began dying her grey hair in her late 40s but more alarming has recently noticed that her scalp has become visible at the top of her head
THE SOLUTION: Wash your hair at least three times a week and try to leave it to dry naturally.
If you have eczema on your scalp, minimise your dairy intake as it is known to have an adverse effect on this skin condition.
YOUR VERDICT: Shelley Veeder-Goldman, 60, from North London, is married with three daughters.
'My hair is definitely thinner since I went through the menopause and it's become frizzy and dry.
ESSENTIAL TIPS WHATEVER YOUR AGE'I never dry it myself as it's so hard to do — instead, I go to the hairdresser's once a week for a blow-dry. I've also got bad eczema on my scalp which can leave flakes in my hair.
'Despite the advice, I can't give up my blow-dries; my appearance is important to me and I can't get my hair looking as good without them. But on holiday I'll try treating it to a mask and letting it dry naturally.
'I'm happy to give up dairy if it will help improve the condition of my scalp.'
SEVENTIES: VISIBLE SCALP
'NHS England estimates around 50 per cent of women over the age of 65 experience female pattern hair loss,' says Glenn.
'At this post-menopausal stage of life, levels of oestrogen are very low. Oestrogen protects hair follicles from the impact of testosterone, so when the levels decrease, hair grows thinner and the scalp is more visible.
'Ageing has an impact on texture, too; by age 35, most of us will have some white hairs which are drier than coloured hair.
'Sebum (oil) production also slows down as we age, which coarsens the hair strands further.'
THE SOLUTION: Keep colouring the grey.
Grey or white hair blends more into your scalp, making any thin patches look wider, so colour will make it look thicker, even if it does having a drying effect.
Wash your hair at least three times a week — daily if you can — so it receives as much moisture as possible, and spend a bit more on premium shampoos with protein-rich, moisturising ingredients that will help to improve the hair's condition.
For an instant fix, use a root-covering spray in between colourings.
YOUR VERDICT: Lupi Kokni, 70, is a retired medical receptionist from Mitcham in South-West London. She is married with two daughters.
'In my youth I had thick hair down to below my waist and people would always comment on it. But over the past few years, I have had to cut more and more off because it has got thinner with an increasingly dry texture.
'I started going grey in my late 40s and have been dyeing it ever since. But the most upsetting change of all has happened in the last year or so — I can now see my scalp showing through at the top of my head.
'I can see it happening to my friends' hair, too, but it's still a shock.
'The trichologist has made me realise that keeping on top of my roots has to be a priority moving forwards.'
If you would like a trichologist consultation for your hair, contact the Philip Kingsley clinic on 0207 629 4004. Appointments last an hour and start at £300. philipkingsley.co.uk
Source: Anti-age your hair: From frazzled ends to thinning, how to solve the hair horrors that come with each decade
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