The Better Blog

What is it about healthy hair that we love so much? Maybe it’s the fullness, the elasticity, or the strength. After all, there are more than 100,000 strands on a healthy head of hair, each can stretch nearly 30% longer when wet, and a hearty fiber can support three ounces in weight.

Color treatments, poor nutrition, lack of sunlight, too much sunlight, aging — it can all play a part in causing your dry and brittle hair. As you grow older, moisture-depleted dullness replaces the shine and volume that once came so naturally to your hair.

You thought you were having a good hair day — but a quick glimpse in a mirror or car window reflection can be more than enough to ruin your day. Since you hit your 40s, age has not been a friend to your tresses, leaving them dry and even a bit scrawny.

To achieve healthier, stronger, and thicker hair, you need a thriving scalp. Oil, dirt, sweat, and bulky hair products can leave residue behind that builds up on your scalp. This buildup causes dryness, itching, flakes, and ultimately leads to thinner and weaker hair.

Maybe you color your hair to cover up your grays or to express your individuality. A fresh new shade or even a root touch-up can boost your self-esteem and help you feel like you can take on the world.

You love and boldly embrace your gray hair as a celebration of a new you. Then one morning, a glance in the mirror lets you know the celebration is over — your silvery strands have become brassy and dull. Lack of shine is one of the most common complaints women make about their gray hair. Shine and texture are both affected by internal and external factors, and your slate locks can quickly lose luster without the proper care.

Over the years, we witness our bodies changing — sagging, wrinkles, age spots, menopause. Hopefully, we have come to accept and love our evolving bodies; however, our aging hair may be a different story. Thinner hair can leave you feeling older than your years. Many women try to fix this problem by pulling out the hairspray or mousse to “pump up the volume,” which may have worked 25 years ago, but your locks have matured. Hairspray and mousse can stiffen and damage your hair, leaving you frustrated and sapping your self-esteem.

We have all heard the idiom, "fake it till you make it." But as our hair ages, we find ourselves experiencing more faking than making. Our follicles shrink as they age, making fewer or thinner hairs. Nearly 55% of women face hair loss by the time they reach 70 years old; the most common is called female pattern hair loss. In your 40s and beyond, your hair biology is more vulnerable than ever; therefore, it is crucial to find thickening products that work and are good for your hair and scalp.

Whether you feel your grays are the new blonde, stripes of earned wisdom, or an appreciation of your natural beauty, your gray hairs are a powerful expression of a new you — and with this great power comes great responsibility.

Social distancing and stay-at-home orders have caused a lot of us to slack off. But as life returns to normal, it may be time shape-up — and shaping-up includes our hair. Slacking on exercise and proper nutrition can weaken our bodies, so why should it be any different for our tresses? Unfortunately, with some stylists and salons closed up, it can be problematic to receive the deep conditioning or keratin treatments your hair may need.

Maybe you have practiced social distancing for too long and are skipping regular shampoos — or you have been experimenting with bolder styling products trying new looks before a return to society. Changes to your routine can lead to flakes and an itchy head from sticky scalp buildup. Over time dry shampoos, hairsprays, mousses, gels, oils, sweat, and dead skin cause residue accumulation clogging pores and blocking new follicle development. When this happens, your hair thins and can grow at a snail’s pace.

You are not the person you were at 20, and why would you want to be? Beauty brands spend billions of dollars researching and developing ways for you to turn back the clock when all you want are products that work and are tailored for your hair today. Beauty aisles are crowded with products to disguise your grays and care for color-treated hair; however, little is available for the increasing number of women like you only want to nurture your silvery locks.