How to properly care for aging hair?

Sergey Zaranko , hairdresser-stylist, author of seminars and show programs, author of collections published in a number of publications in Ukraine and around the world

Most specialists know that hair needs comprehensive care, and many use professional products for this. This article is primarily for hairdressers who, like me, work with clients in a salon. The material will also be useful for those who want to know how to properly care for their hair.

Age and hair. So, it’s no secret that we are growing up, and with us the skin of the face, hands, neck, etc. And if everyone is used to caring for the skin, taking into account its age-related changes, then what about the hair? Our hair grows up with us, and sometimes even a little faster (I’ll explain why this is a little lower).

And if you are a little over 40 years old or even 35, then you probably remember your beautiful shiny curls at 20... And now we are not talking about what they were like in structure or nature. We are talking about how your hair looked and felt at 20. If at 20–25 years old you could sometimes even neglect some care products (as they say, youth forgives everything), then at 30 the situation is already different. And at 35–40 – even more so. Let's figure out what this means and what needs to be done.

Delicate nuances. The older we get, the less various hormones that provide natural nutrition and hydration to hair are produced by our body. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, not to mention other nuances of the female body and a smaller amount of the female sex hormone progesterone and estrogens that affect our hair. But we won’t spend much time understanding what, unfortunately, happens during the aging of the body - biological laws cannot be abolished. But we can influence the visible effect!

By the way, hair is one of the first visual indicators of the state of the body, that is, its youth and beauty. And if, as I already said, we have learned to cope and care for the skin, then the situation with hair is different. Let's remember the main thing: hair care at 20 and at 40 should be different. Let's consider its features.

Let's fix problems!

As a rule, our hair thins with age, but sometimes the opposite happens: gray hair causes the strands to become coarse, and the more it is, the greater the coarseness. The next stage is the lack of natural hydration, which the body loses with age. The hair scales are slightly open, because of this, the already scarce moisture is lost, the strands look dull, mobile and resistant to various manipulations - styling, curling, etc. The main problem is gray hair.

As you know, gray hair is an empty hair that lives its own separate life. I think you have noticed this with men's haircuts. When it is perfect, but 2-3 hairs stick out, I give 200% that they are gray hairs. What is the way out of this situation? Never neglect hair care, either in the salon or at home.

Recommend home care to your clients. The older the client, the less he needs to buy mass market products and the more it costs to increase the time for the product to work. If at the age of 20 life is in full swing and it is difficult for us to sit with conditioner for 4 minutes, then closer to 30–35 it is advisable to keep it on our hair for 5 or even 7 minutes. The older you are, the longer. After 35 years, you should definitely use a hair mask.

If you haven't used it before, you can add additional products such as sprays, oils and two-phase agents. By the age of 40 this is a must! You already understand that with age, hair becomes dry, thin and gray, and this indicates a lack of hydration. The situation can be corrected with care. A little styling tip: try to avoid voluminous styling after 40 years, as the hair is no longer as soft and elastic. Prefer the most natural, non-volume styling.

And most importantly, polish your hair with a brush or styler, as you prefer. This will add shine and provide a well-groomed look to any hair, and even more so, this procedure is needed for aging strands. As for haircuts, it is not necessary to make it shorter as you age. If your hair allows, you can play with its length.

Previously, the article was published in the first issue of PROHair&MakeUP, which can be purchased via the link here .