Hair Throughout The Ages
From infancy up, our hair can go through many changes. It's said that our hair actually changes, on average, every seven years. Just as our body ages and can go through different phases due to hormonal changes, so does our hair.
We all know that hair is mainly comprised of protein, and that this building block is critical in order to maintain the health and strength of each strand. Well, according to the article, "Mighty Mane," which was published in the May 2011 issue of More magazine, our hair loses protein over time. "'As we age, new hair growth contains less protein,' says Jeni Thomas, a scientist in the research-and-development labs at Proctor and Gamble. The effect of this dip: Fat strands get thinner, and their vigor diminishes" (page 56).
In addition to hair thinning, which can also lead to hair loss if one isn't careful in how one cares for the delicate strands, graying can also change the look and feel of one's hair. If you've ever had the chance to examine a gray hair (which, by the way, isn't always a result of aging, as many youngsters can gray prematurely due to genetics and or stress) then you know that those strands tend to be a completely different texture than the non-gray hairs.Despite the changes our hair goes through, there are steps we can take to ensure that our hair stays healthy and strong throughout the ages. They are:
- Eat a diet rich in protein (i.e. eggs, chicken, fish, as well as other non-meat sources).
- Use protein-rich shampoos and or conditioners (Paul Mitchell and Aphogee are two brands that carry some).
- Refrain from harsh styling methods. Although it's debatable what type of toll chemical processes, such as relaxers and color can have on the hair over time, minimizing their use can help keep the hair strong. It is also beneficial to minimize the use of heat and do away with any rough brushing and or combing.
1 comment:
Oh my goodness let me tell you the seven year thing has been true for me. I've been natural for about 9 years. About 2 years ago, I started to notice that my hair texture was softer/less coarse than before. I think a tiny bit of that was due to my use of heat on my hair, but also b/c of hormonal changes and the like. And I swear that ever since I turned 30 back in January, my body, hair, skin, etc. react to EVERYTHING I do to it. As a result I've become a lot more health conscious (check out the The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno <--AMAZING). Seems to be helping.
-V
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