How Your Hair Changes With Age — and How to Take Care of It

If you think your hair used to be lusher or the texture feels different, it’s not just in (er, on?) your head. Similar to how our skin transforms over time, your hair changes as you get older. As we age, we might notice visible signs of aging on the complexion, and the hair is no different. Albeit subtle and sometimes harder to notice than the skin, some of the most common signs of aging hair are “[changes in] texture, loss of color, dehydration and lack of moisture, less elasticity, and overall decreases in hair vitality,” says Philip Berkovitz, founder of Philip B. Botanicals. “Hair thickness density also changes [with age],” he adds. According to Berkovitz, age can also impact the rate of hair growth, typically slowing it down as “our follicles are not as productive.” It can also result in balding, which is usually more common in men than women, but Berkovitz says it can affect anyone. “For some, especially those with genetic pattern baldness, more shedding, hair loss, and miniaturization of the follicles are commonly associated with age,” Berkovitz adds, noting that changing hormones play a key role in aging the hair. “Texture also becomes more coarse, wiry, and dehydrated, which [can] lead to damage and breakage.”