Has Your Hair Lost Its Beauty Over The Years?
Ageing affects the body in many ways – and some of this wear and tear that comes with age is bound to affect the hair at some point. Aside from greying, ageing also causes the hair to become thinner, appear limper and dryer, and the texture usually becomes coarser and less lustrous. These are simply facts of life for which you can make little adjustments to suit your hair’s changing needs.
These problems become serious if they start to appear in your 20s and 30s. These years are supposed to be the prime years for your hair, and any sign of premature ageing on the hair is cause for concern.
Let's talk about what causes the hair to age prematurely so you can... stop doing those things?!
Culprit #1 - Bad hair habits
Everyone is guilty of some bad hair habits. These poor practices can range from the extreme –like overbleaching and chemical treatments –to the everyday ones that seem deceivingly harmless like shampooing the hair too much or excessive use of heat stylers. You’re not entirely to blame for these. Cosmetic companies pour in millions upon millions of dollars annually on marketing campaigns to convince you to believe that your hair routine is not good enough without their chemical-rich product or invasive methods, or that their products/methods/tools are suitable for use for all hair types.
Key to good hair care is knowing your hair profile. This gives you a good idea on whether or not certain products or treatments are suitable for your hair.
Culprit #2 - Poor Stress Management
Science has proven that stress can wreak havoc on the body and even contribute to the development of chronic diseases and life-threatening conditions. One of the most common effects and indicators of stress on the body is hair thinning, which happens when stress creates an interruption on the hair’s natural growth cycle by causing the follicles to close up and thereby preventing it from growing new hair. Other known effects of stress on the hair includes premature greying and scalp dryness that lead to irritation, rashes, and flakiness.
Stress is a chronic problem experienced by the majority of the world’s population. While stress is difficult to address, you can take steps to up your hair health and reinforce its defenses against the ill effects of stress.
Culprit #3 - Salon treatments
With the exception of chemical- and heat-heavy options, salon treatments are not bad on their own. A healthy dose of salon treatment can even be good for your hair every now and then. The biggest problem with salon treatments is that it creates a false sense of security and a momentary illusion of healthy hair. They are a band-aid solution that masks the hair’s underlying, long-term damage. By covering up the hair with some fleeting appearance of health, the hair’s actual problems get overlooked instead of being treated.
It is vital to understand that hair care and hair health is not achieved overnight and certainly not from sitting on a salon chair for a couple of hours. Hair care is a lifestyle – invest in long-term, sustainable routines that lead to true and lasting hair health.
Premature ageing of the hair is a real threat to your hair health but it is not a hopeless scenario. Sometimes, all it takes is making better, healthier choices.
Did you know that unmanaged split ends can also cause severe long term damage to your strands? The damage can travel upwards and rake havoc over the healthy parts of your hair. Read this post to find out how you can manage your split ends.
