Your Hair Ages Just Like the Rest of You

You've probably obsessively considered the ways you will prevent your skin from aging poorly. Maybe you already use serums and anti-aging creams to preempt the worst of it. But chances are you haven't given a second thought to what happens to your hair as you age, beyond going grey. That's right — your hair gets old, too .

According to a New York Times article, your hair might undero a series of changes that throwing on a coat of dye won't fix. In fact, embracing the loss of pigmentation is becoming more common of late. Rather, women are beginning to worry about their hair thinning and drying out after the age of 40, a concern formerly attributed to middle-aged men. But aging hair "cannot be treated, as complexions can, with moisturizers and trips to the spa."

I know, it's weird. As if we didn't have enough to worry about, now we're concerned that our hair is going to fall out too. Dr. Alan J. Bauman told the Times that we worsen the issue by over-styling our hair at the first signs of trouble. But that response simply puts a bandaid over the real problem, which starts at the hair follicle. The follicle, which encases the root of each strand of hair, may weaken over time, causing thinning, brittle texture, and dryness. Hair transplants and other procedures are available for extreme cases, but you can prevent it from getting that far with some forethought.

There are plenty of ways to ward off or treat the onslaught of hair damage, starting with your diet. Bauman suggests lots of protein from eggs, beans, and poultry, as well as foods rich in Vitamins A and C. Other eats to munch on with hair as the excuse? Pomegranate, avocado, pumpkin, olive oil, rosemary, and mint. If you've let it go too long, or already suffer these effects from over-styling, try taking a Biotin supplement. Biotin has long been used as a nail-and-hair strengthener.

So relax! There's no need to hit that boutique wig store just yet.