Tips to maintain proper hair care

Hair care plays an important role in how your hair looks as it ages. Many of us partake in damaging practices. In order to prevent premature aging, follow these best practices: By Jennifer T Trent, on March 14th 2023 https://healthnews.com/beauty/hair/how-to-take-care-of-aging-hair/

1. Avoid dyeing your hair. Hair dye is damaging to the hair, making it dry, brittle, and prone to breaking and frizzing.

2. Sparingly use hair treatments. Like dyeing, straightening and perms do a lot of damage to your hair.

3. Avoid using heat. Air drying your hair is best.

4. Do not brush your hair while wet. When your hair is wet, it is weakest and easy to damage. If you must brush it when it is wet, use a special brush or wide tooth comb.

5. Be gentle when you wash your hair. Do not scrub at your scalp.

6. Pat your hair dry. Do not rub it with a towel, which causes frizz and breakage.

7. Do not wash with hot water. Only use cold or lukewarm water to wash your hair.

8. Avoid products with alcohol. Sparingly use hair spray, which contains alcohol. Alcohol dries out hair and causes it to break.

9. Use gentle hairstyles. Tight buns and ponytails pull at your hair and cause breakage.

10. Get frequent haircuts. Haircuts keep your hair healthy by removing dead ends to help it grow.

11. Wear a hat. Hats protect your hair from sun damage.

12. Certain shampoos can help restore volume to the hair and may even prevent it from falling out. Shampoos with minoxidil can help regrow hair. Zinc shampoos can calm and soothe the scalp. Gentle scalp massage may increase blood flow to keep hair nourished.

Sustain a healthy dietDiet has a considerable impact on hair. Protein and antioxidant-rich diets nourish and protect the hair. Protein will help hair grow. Antioxidants will protect the hair from destruction by free radicals released by the sun. Vitamins, such as omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, B, C, D, and iron, may help hair grow and stay healthy. Avoid smoking and excess alcohol intake. 

Try medications for hair healthYour doctor may suggest certain topical or oral medications to help aging hair grow. Always check with your doctor before starting any of these. Rogaine (minoxidil) is an FDA-approved, over-the-counter topical solution or foam to help grow hair in men and women who experience patterned hair loss. Propecia (finasteride) is an FDA-approved prescription pill to treat patterned hair loss in men. Both of these medications have side effects, so it is best to discuss them with your doctor.

Do professional hair treatmentsOther professional treatments can help improve the appearance of hair and help it grow. Laser therapy increases blood flow to help grow hair and keep it healthy. PRP/PRF injections deliver growth factors from your blood to the hair to help it grow. It can be combined with micro-needling or used by itself. Finally, if you are losing hair, a hair transplant can remove hair from one area of your scalp and implant it into the area you are losing it. Hair serves important medical and aesthetic purposes. As with all our organs, hair is subject to the aging process. However, there are ways to help slow it down or prevent premature aging. See your doctor right away if you notice changes in your hair. While these changes could be normal, they may be caused by medical issues or medications that need to be addressed.