How hair changes with age & what you can do about it
Hair changes as we get older, and it can creep up gradually, so one day you might look in the mirror and be surprised at how dry, frizzy or limp your hair is now.
Since peri-menopause mine has remained as fine as it’s always been, and become straighter, and greyer. It used to be slightly greasy, but now it’s dry and fluffy after washing unless I use oil or leave-in conditioner. I like Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat UV Protective Hair Primer Leave-In Conditioner (£16, 60ml) and Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil (£35, 50ml).
Keeping grey great
Around 50% of us are 50% grey by the age of 50, caused by the slowdown in melanin production. We are big fans of grey hair at That’s Not My Age but some days it can look dull and flat, and yellow tones, caused by mineral build-up and sun exposure, can give a ‘brassy’ appearance. Fortunately, there are loads of purple-toned shampoos and conditioners to offset this. Alyson recommends the violet range at White Hot Hair, and Debra Hepburn loves the Oribe Bright Blonde range as ‘it’s not as too harsh and purple-y.’
A word of warning: some purple products can stain (clothes, towels, grout…!)
Photo: Christopher Gowel for Pexels
Thinning hair and hair loss
‘Thinning hair’ is caused by declining oestrogen, and doesn’t mean, as many people think, that you have fewer hairs, but that each hair is finer, so hair seems to lack volume and body overall. Check you’re not deficient in iron or vitamin D – both are vital for hair growth.
Shampoo formulated for fine hair will help. Olaplex is highly recommended by TNMA readers – and Philip Kingsley’s Body Building Weightless Shampoo (250ml, £28) contains keratin (the protein in your hair) and is a best-seller.
Hair loss means shedding more than the average 50 to 100 hairs a day and products containing minoxidil (like these) work for many. Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo has good reviews (250m, £6.65)
Boost the volume
Use your hairdryer to add root lift and body. The official Philip Kingsley advice is, at the end of drying, to bend over and let your hair hang down towards the floor. Gently brush or comb it in this direction with the hairdryer following behind. When your hair is dry, style as normal.
The best formulation for a styling product for thinning hair is mousse: light and aerated, it lifts and holds without weighing hair down. Philip Kingsley Volumising Froth Lift Mousse (150ml, £25) has provitamin B5 to plump up the hair shaft and add moisture.
Dry shampoos and volumising sprays are a quick fix. Launched over 40 years ago, Batiste Dry Shampoo Original’s primary purpose is to absorb grease, but its rice starch adds bulk (200ml, £3.25). And if you’re grey it doesn’t show when you don’t brush it out properly.
Philip Kingsley Froth Volumising Root Lift mousse
Stay sun safe
Like your skin, your hair and scalp need SPF. UV rays cause colour fading, damage hair’s structure and make it dryer, weaker and more porous. Grey hair is even more at risk because it lacks protective melanin. Be a little gentler on your hair in the sun. Brush or comb less often, avoid heated styling tools and use a cooler hairdryer setting. Move your parting, if possible, to avoid repeated sun exposure along one line.
Might sound obvious but the simplest way to protect hair, especially between 11am and 3pm when the sun is strongest, is a hat, which also shades face, ears and neck. Or add a scarf: a triangular one tied at the nape of the neck, a wide bandeau, or pirate-style, knotted at the back of your head. (We like Seasalt Cornwall’s cotton Sailor Squares).
Protect your scalp from sunburn along the parting or where hair has become thinner, ideally with transparent spray formulations. Lightweight and water-resistant, Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil (£32, 100ml) has natural-derived UVA and UVB filters, with green tea and vitamin E. La Roche Posay Anthelios Anti-Shine Sun Protection Face Mist (£14.80, 75ml) offers broad-spectrum protection and a dry finish with no white marks.
If you prefer a sleek, wet-look finish, comb through a creamy option. The Kérastase Soleil range protects against UV, salt and chlorine. As with all suncare, re-apply after swimming or towel-drying.
Ways with water
Saltwater and swimming pools make your hair dry and brittle. The salt in seawater draws water out of the hair, and pools’ water-purifying chemicals such as chlorine and bromine can roughen the hair by lifting its outer scales.
Protect hair by soaking it with fresh water 15-minutes before swimming, in the shower, or with a bottle of water. That way, it won’t absorb chlorinated or saltwater. Rinse immediately after your swim, then shampoo as soon as possible.
Developed for the first US Olympic synchronised swimming team, Philip Kingsley Swimcap mask, applied to wet hair, protects your hair from chlorine, saltwater and UV rays. (£25, 100ml).
Treat your hair to a conditioning treatment, such as Maria Nila Colour Refresh hair mask (£24.50, 300ml) comes in several shades, including my favourite, Pearl Silver.
Try Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, a pre-shampoo deep-conditioning treatment developed for Audrey Hepburn in 1974, to hydrate, add shine and volume, and reduce breakage (£25, 75ml).
To boost shine, mix equal parts of cider vinegar and water, pour on to hair, massage in, then rinse. Using cool water for your final rinse also helps smooth hair, giving a shinier finish.
Adrienne Wyper is a health and lifestyle writer and regular TNMA contributor.
First photo: Abigail Boone for Unsplash
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Discussion (13 Comments)
Catherine says:
I highly highly recommend Hair Syrup, featured very recently on Dragon’s Den (although the Dragons’ were mightily impressed, they didn’t invest because the pitcher didn’t have an exit…and, she was doing extremely well anyway!). It really does make a difference to your hair…there are a number of formulae to choose from according to your hair’s needs. There are some unwanted side effects to Minoxidil which have always put me off trying it, along with the fact that you have to take it forever, as it only works for as long as you use it.
I have never dyed my hair but since my 60s it is much thicker, wiry, drier and often unruly; but I am resolutely keeping it longer so far! Certainly natural drying rather than hairdryer is preferable, but many of us just don’t have the time!
Hair straighteners are a game changer. I rely on my GHD classic.
I would love some recommendations for shampoos. I love Ouai conditioner for thick hair, which is the best I have found.
By the way, they do a big ‘plasma’ bag refill which is more cost effective if you use this all the time.Zoe B says:
Thank you for this article, very interesting. I have checked out Nioxin and they are not cruelty free at all. However, Olaplex are cruelty free and have the Leaping Bunny accreditation. Their website is also useful in that they have a “find a certified Olaplex stylist local to you” search, which is most useful.
I so appreciate this as I am having to come to terms with fine hair and finding someone who doesn’t think that I need to spend a minimum of five hours a week on looking after it…..
Mrs Tonia says:
As ever much helpful advice here. Thanks Adrienne. I went grey following Alyson’s example in 2018. Now it’s streaky grey not white. Texture and manageability much improved without hair dye. I don’t need the purple shampoos. I bought some, used them but found too drying. Now I use gentle frequent use shampoo and conditioner. I do swim but wear a bathing cap and rise hair in clear water afterwards.
My secret is less frequent shampooing and less heat. No hair straightening anymore. Less blow drying. All of that seems to prevent my grey hair getting dried out. Will try Elasticizer which I have.Marie says:
So happy to read this newsletter today! Almost done growing aout my colored hair to a gray dark brown mix. It has taken over 15 months at this point but all very worth it.
Planning to try several of the products you mentioned.Nancy B. says:
I’ve tried tons of purple shampoo’s & conditioners, but never like the purple/blue hue it leaves on my hair. Highly recommend Oribe Silverati shampoo and/or conditioner. Keeps my hair a really shiny silver. Also, K18 leave-in repair mask is excellent. Pricey, but really works on repairing the texture of hair.
Cindy from Canada says:
Great article, Adrienne.
My hair is salt and pepper color on top, and silver/white on the sides. My hairstylist has never colored my hair, and he said he will never do it, saying the color flatters my skin tone (besides mentioning the time and money saved). I’ve had no issues with dry, brittle hair, even when I went through cancer treatment last year.
I am in Canada, and I use a product called AG silver. It’s a Canadian brand, I use it once a week, and what I like most is there are no sulfates – gentle on the hair. I also get my hair cut every 6-8 weeks, and I keep it very short (tapered pixie fade). I don’t use a hair dryer, I use a pomade called Natulique – made with natural products and is scent free. A little goes a long way.
Mags says:
Thanks for the post. I’ve tried purple shampoos but frankly, they are all way too drying for me! Instead I add purple drops. Try Charles Worthington, Paul Mitchell or just Google “purple drops to add to shampoo/conditioner”. It allows me to use my existing products, including hair masks, that I already have that are tried and tested, saving money too. Boucleme do blue toning drops. I like Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer but just be aware of frequent use of pre shampoo products containing Dimethicone/silicones without regularly clarifying your hair. Dimethicone and other silicones are great for sealing in moisture and I use them all the time but for my hair, I have found it best to use a product with silicones as the last product I apply. These are the things that have really worked for my dry, greying wavy/curly/straight hair.
Lizzie g says:
My hair was lovely mid brown reddish strawberry blonde since I was young. Now it isn’t going white or grey, it’s going a horrible pale dirty yellow which looks even worse with pale winter skin. I don’t want to dye it to go back to my youth, it’s because of this horrible new colour. Any advice?
Have you tried any of the purple shampoos, Lizzie? ( Apologies if I am stating the obvious here!) Some are formulated for blonde hair, as well as grey hair, and tend to lift the colour. Though, I think it was Jayne Mayled from White Hot Hair (very good products) who recommended not using purple shampoo all the time as it will make your hair go purple. Best to alternate, or use every few washes.
lisbethinsydney says:
Going grey early was in my maternal family line so I have had much experience with the purple products, especially when swimming for exercise in chlorinated pool. I have silver-white hair now cut very well in a loose bob. It wasn’t until I tried Crown Affair Ritual shampoo and conditioner last year sold by Mecca in Australia that I could forget about the yellow tinge problem. A life-changing discovery! (And no, I am not associated with the brand in any way.) Highly recommend.
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My hair turned curly when I stopped having regular periods in perimenopause. The photos of me as a child show straight hair and through my 20s and 30s it had only a very gentle wave at the ends, but since age 40 it has been full on curls. It was quite startling, but I have read of other people having hair transformations due to hormonal changes (e.g. during pregnancy). I am now corkscrew-curly and menopausal at 44. I quite like the curls, but might have preferred the thinner straight hair that I expected to develop. My hair has always been very thick and I was never able to get the pixie cuts I wanted because I simply had far too much hair. No hope of pixie cuts now!