40 plus folks (years not inches), tell me about your hair

[fluffybunny]

I was wondering what's the general experience of hair changing in midlife and beyond. Mine has changed a lot, but I have thyroid issues, so I'm not sure how much is that, and how much is just plain old aging follicles. My hair is coarser, more porous (dries a lot faster than it used to), smaller ponytail circumference, and several shades darker compared to how it was in my 20s.

In terms of care, my hair used to love protein packs, but now they don't seem to have any effect at all. In fact I haven't quite figured out what it needs at this stage.

How has your hair changed since your young adult years? What have you found you need to do differently with your hair?

[embee]

Well... I also have thyroid issues.

My hair is thinner than before (which is depressing, since it was already thin). My hair is darker, but that seems natural to me, most everyone I know has darker hair than they did, unless they "fix" it or went white/silver/grey. I don't get "the greasies" until about 10 days out, sometimes maybe 2 weeks. One winter I went for many months with WO. That could not have happened in my youth. My hairline has receded, and I'm not surprised, that's how my family is.

Now there are some silvers coming in at the temples and hairline, and they're *really* different. They're more coarse and they're very curly when the air is humid. That's kinda cool, I think. It softens my look considerably, because for my hair straight and slick has been the theme song for ever. Now maybe there will be a change? .... if I live long enough to see it! ;)

[maegquare]

Mine did get darker as I got older (but now it's getting lighter again, hee) ;) It seemed to be getting more dry and breaking more easily, and I had lost some of the thickness. But I am not sure yet if that is just effects of getting older or that I wasn't taking care of it as well as I could have been. Since starting some new habits a few months ago, it seems to be improving. I am waiting to see if I get any of the thickness back that I had lost.

[linda g]

My hair is definitely thinner than it was when I was younger, but I don't mind because it is easier to deal with now. I am not sure how much of the "thinning" was due to years of using chemical dyes?

My gray hairs came in coarser and wavier than my other hair, so I now have a lot more wave and texture than I used to. I also tend toward more frizzies than I used to!

[Shiva]

My hair is maybe a bit thicker (tho I can't really tell because of layered haircuts at one point) and I am going gray (moreso on my left side then on my right side).

[cindy58]

more porous (dries a lot faster than it used to)

If your hair was more porous, wouldn't it absorb more water, etc., and therefore be slower drying?

[Honey39]

Hmmmm, hard to say. I'm 40, but I discovered this place and my curliness when I was 39, so my hair has never looked better!

I think it's not as thick as it was, but because I'm not blow-drying/shampooing, it feels pretty luxuriant.

I'm quite lucky though - my female relatives tend to have thick, robust hair in old age, so am hoping I will take after them!

[Elvi]

My hair is slightly thinner and slight natural waves now, seems to bend some more than in youth. The blond child hair darkened to adult brown tones by the age of 20. Maybe it darkened a little even after that, but this change was small. I have also had thyroid problems but to my view no hair loss associated with them. My scalp is slightly dryer now, and washes could be less frequent.

But now I am getting lighter hair again, as whites are coming in the temples. In my hair age changes seem to appear really gradually.

[Catladyintown]

My hair got a lot thinner and less curly. My hair breaks more easily. Also my gray hairs are very stubborn and barely take to Henna and Indigo. And my right side of my hair is thinner then my left. But on the other hand my hair has never been this long in my life.:cheese: And now I know how to take care of my hair thanks to LHC. :D:D

[Elphie]

My hair is slightly thinner than it used to be, but still fairly thick which is common in my family. I do believe it's lighter than it used to be as well. Once in a while, it's a bit frizzy which I never had to deal with in my 20's but it's not a big deal. I have a couple of grays but I've always had just a couple, so I don't think there's any more than there used to be.

[Merewen]

If your hair was more porous, wouldn't it absorb more water, etc., and therefore be slower drying?

Nope. Porous hair has the cuticle lifted more than non-porous hair, meaning that in absorbs AND lets go of moisture more quickly.

[Unzadi]

The biggest thing I've noticed is that my hair has gotten darker. Not quite sure how that works, but since I'm adopted, I think I can safely hazard genetics as the most likely suspect. I've also noticed I'm a lot wavier than I used to be, but funny thing, that happened at the same time I stopped blowdrying it straight.

[StellaReade]

I believe mines getting thicker, not thinner. Not much, but...and I'm getting just a few grays.

[GlennaGirl]

My hair is still as soft and fine-textured as it ever was, but then again, I've only found one or two greys so far, and I think greys can tend toward a different texture, so maybe that's why.

However, I do feel it's thinner. :( Like the OP, I have had thyroid issues; I feel it could be related to that for sure.

It still grows at the same rate it used to.

The wave pattern has changed quite a few times during the course of my life. Right now I'm moving from a strict 1a to more of a 1b. :)

[heidihug]

My hair is definitely thinning at the temples (genetics, runs in the family). I also have lots of gray, but I cover it with color. My natural hair that's not gone gray is not much darker than it was when I was younger, but it is duller-looking. I think I got a bit wavier as I got older, though it is hard to say, as I tortured my hair well into my 30's, so I have no idea what its natural state was.

[Pumpkin]

Since I began growing it out late last year from a pixie...it is now shoulder length with growing layers (no trims), I have noticed it is a little thinner.

But, I have had it short for 10 years...so I may just 'think' it is thinner, when I pull it back, because I am not abusing it with a blowdryer like I did in my teens and 20's. Just a guess.

I have found a couple of greys at the top of my head, but no big deal to me...

Other than that, I am very pleased with the growth and condition of my hair now than when it was long before. Thanks to this board and all of the advice given. :)

[marikamt]

Hmmmm, hard to say. I'm 40, but I discovered this place and my curliness when I was 39, so my hair has never looked better!

I think it's not as thick as it was, but because I'm not blow-drying/shampooing, it feels pretty luxuriant.

I'm quite lucky though - my female relatives tend to have thick, robust hair in old age, so am hoping I will take after them!

Ditto...... although I think mine actually feels thicker.... although it could just be that I have embraced my natural texture... :D also, while not curly, I did discover my waviness.....

[MsBubbles]

Maybe I'll regret saying this...but my hair is pretty much just like it was in my teens, 20s and 30s! It wasn't that great then, either :D. And actually I'm not really sure what my hair was like in my 30s because I had the perpetually highlighted Mom cut, plus blowfryer.

My parents both have full heads of fine and thinnish hair, if that makes any sense, and are only just now going grey...they are in their mid 70s! So I'm not counting on any natural highlights any time soon!

[EdG]

By age 40, my hair had become a little thinner around the temples and my silver streaks appeared.

My hair has also become more tapered with age. It seems that fewer hairs grow past my waist today than they did a decade ago. :(
Ed

[Themyst]

I'm 42 and my hair has never been in better shape. I've only seen about ten grays at once. But, my Dad is in his 70's and his hair is still mostly black, it hardly grayed at all.

[fluffybunny]

Well, I feel more normal now. :)

It's nice to hear so many folks growing it long despite it not necessarily being quite as glorious as in youth. I still want to achieve the longest length (and largest bun!) of my life. I've never let it get past waist before because the taper bothered me. Now I like the looks of tapered ends. I just want to see what it will do.

[Elenna]

My hair is the same thickness and condition as before.

Now what is different is growing out the hair dye and growing in the silvers.

[Melisande]

I'm 45, and my hair has not changed much, far as I can see. When I was younger, I used to style it with mousse and spray and my hair became quite dry. Since I stopped that, began oiling and following the Golden LHC rules for Healthy Hair, my hair has returned to its youthful glory.

I hope menopause won't mess up things, but I'm really content with my hair right now.

[Stormsong]

I'm only just into my 40s, and previously to my decision to grow and change to more hair and environment friendly products, it had been covered in 'cones for years. Letting go of using cones has increased my fine hair volume from i/ii to iii during this last year, so it's hard to say if it's any thinner than it used to be, but I don't think it is, there's still an absolute tonne of the stuff.

I've only started seeing greys during the last 12 months as well. My dad's side have the thinning hair, go grey early, and my mother's side keeps a full head but goes a mottled grey mid-life to a light grey at 60+. I'm hoping to keep a full head of hair, and with any luck, minimal grey that likes being henna for a few more years at least. I really really don't want the thinning side from my dad, but I may get that as I have that side of the family's fair skin :(.

[Zindell]

My hair is looking and feeling the same as ever... so far :)

[Charlotte]

My hair has definately thinned since my early adult life - I can really see the difference when I compare to my two daughters' thickness. I used to have as much as they do but now it is noticeably thinner. I also have some silvers coming in...

On the plus side, it's longer than it has ever been in my life! :D

[maaria]

Well, my hair is more dry and porous:(But I keep oiling after every wash, I think thats protecting my hair. I started growing my hair this year so it have not get so long yet.:) So now I can take good care of it in time.

[Curlsgirl]

I am 49 and my hair is pretty much the same as always. I get it highlighted at the shop and it's actually looking better than ever in my life. That's due to learning how to take care of it from here! I am also very grateful that the females in my family have a history of thick hair until very old ages. I really really hope I do too!

[aries]

My hair has thinned due to thyroid issues, thinned out more at my temples but I thought it was from sleeping on my sides heh and lost curl. I do have a lot of grays coming in and have had them since my mid 20's. As my thyroid is getting straightened out, it has started to finally thicken up a little more.

Learning to care for my hair here has made dramatic improvements to it's health and feel as far as keeping it moisturized and soft.

[jojo]

My hair has become thicker and wavier since I got older (from about 35) I am 40.

[faeflame]

My hair is receding at the temples and the front is thinning. I feel like I'm balding, yuck!! My hair keeps getting darker except for the growing number of greys. All this at 43....

[DavidN]

As a 56 year old guy, my hair is definitely not as thick as it was when I was younger, and it also seems wavier as well. I just try to be content with what I have, and only wish I could gain a few more inches!

[Tresses]

At 43, my hair is wavier than it's ever been. It's also thinner than it used to be, especially at the front and center. ::sigh:: :(

[sweetestday]

May I answer on my mom's behalf? She always had very straight, long dark brown hair. As she aged, it turned very soft and very wavy. I love how curly it gets in the humid summer days! She is getting the same silver streak through her hair that my grandma had, and the rest is staying a lovely chestnut brown.
I hope mine turns wavy when I hit my late 40s. :)

[bgarrison]

At 50, my hair is definitely thinner (though no one but me would say so), coarser (used to be baby fine and soft all over), dryer and my scalp is a frustrating mess. Dry, itchy, bumpy, lots of dry sebum balls all over it. Hairline's receding a little, more so on one side and wavier, I think.

Not a lot of color change though, and the growth rate only seems a little slower.

[Babyfine]

I contantly permed my hair in my from around 1980-2000 and then highlighted it after I stopped perming, so I'm not sure of my hair's texture then. I believe my hair is the same thickness since around age 25- when my hair seemed to thin out from when I was younger.
It's always been baby-fine.
I think my hair looks shinier and healthier now than it did in my younger years due to better care and LHC.
I had confirmation of that when my stepmom whom I hadn't seen in a year( since her and Dad live in another state )told me my hair was looking shinier than she could ever remember. Made my day!
I am about 10% grey- I color it now with a demi- but I'd like to go natural someday- Iwant totally healthy hair. My hair has gotten wavier as well, could be the better treatment.
My hair does seem to be thin in front around the temples- maybe from all the years of chemicals?

[Kotora]

I'm 47, and I'm growing my hair out again. It was waist length in college, and stick straight. The individual hairs were thin, but I had a LOT of them, so it seemed thick overall. Does that make sense? Anyway, now it seems lighter - from dark brown to auburn at the ends, but I think that's because I spent 20 years in the military wearing it up, and now I wear it down a lot, so it gets a lot more sun than it did before.

Also, I've noticed a new type of hair showing up. Mixed in with the thin hairs are wiry coarse ones. Very dark brown, but pretty in their own way. This adds some volume to my hair that it didn't have before.

I've been following the tips on this forum for about 2 months, and I've noticed a marked improvement in my hair quality. Since using jojoba oil 2-3 times a week and vinegar rinses, my hair is softer and shinier than it was before. I'm also making a conscious effort to be more gentle with how I wash, dry, and comb my hair.

I'm very fortunate in that I have yet to have any gray hair show up. This is undoubtedly due to genetics and I can take no credit for it! My poor brother (6 years older) was going gray (and balding) in his 20s. Now he's a total cue ball and his back is hairy as an ape's! How unfair! (And I'm sure he secretly loathes me for my abundant hair!)

Also, and maybe unrelated, I have had a skin problem all my life, and use a coal tar shampoo 3 times a week (Neutragena). I have read that coal tar shampoos have a positive effect on hair quality, but I don't know if that's true.

I would recommend that you stick with the guidelines posted on this forum and be patient. It can take a few months for results to start to be really noticeable. Hopefully, you'll start to see improvement soon. Good luck!

[renarok]

I had VERY thick hair when I was in my teens and 20s. My pony was 4 1/2 inches thick, and each hair was very coarse. I still have thick hair but each strand has shrunk in diameter. I suspect that I have the same number of hairs on my head, but each strand is thinner. (Except for my crazy wiry grey hairs that drive me batty:mad:)
I got my Dad's hair. His has never laid down neatly. It grows straight up, a la Don King, He favors flat tops, because that style is perfect for his hair. I have noticed recently that it is behaving more like normal hair for him, It took 80 years to calm down:)

[Delila]

My hair got gradually darker when I was a teen, then stayed the exact same shade for about 20 years (i.e., til I was 35 or so), then it was the same shade, mostly, with some gray strands intermittently throughout. I have a tad more gray nowadays, but not too much more.

I'm not sure what to say about how my hair has changed, since back then I blew dry my hair every single day.

I think not blowdrying and making sure to keep my hair moisturized has helped the color remain richer than it might otherwise.

I'm 47, and so far as I can tell, the texture of my hair overall has stayed identical to whatever it was when I was young, but now, since I don't blowdry, my wave patterns are more pronounced.

[going gray]

At 62 my texture has definately changed, up until 50, my hair was always very very thick & coarse. (Oh how I used to complain about it too!) Now I'm very grateful I had all that hair, since mine has thinned, think I've lost about 1/3 of my original volume. Strangely also my hair has become softer in texture.

[Gladtobemom]

Hmmm, I'd say that I have about 1/3 less actual volume of hair compared to when I was in my twenties. For me, though, that's kind of a good thing. I had a LOT of hair.

It's still very very wavy and unruly unless I dress it with oil/aloe or cone it into submission. I have a liberal sprinkling of silver that seems to be pretty even thoughout.

Here's when I was a teen. Back then, I blew it dry and put it on hot rollers . . . still got big hair.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/Gladtobemom/Family%20Stuff/LeeAnnat16.jpg

My hair is MUCH more well behaved now. It only took me about 30 years to figure out how to tame it while working with it.

Air dried, it looks like this, still wavy and if it were shorter, spirals.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/Gladtobemom/08-07-29LiteCoconutMilk.jpg

My siggy picture is after a day in a cinnablob with a microfiber velvet scrunchie to get bunwaves.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i175/Gladtobemom/DSCN0627.jpg

So, in general . . . less hair, less pouffy, and some silver.

[dukkelisa]

My hair hasn't changed as much from aging as it has from chemical damage. I was born with white hair, and went through various stages of blonde, always on the light side with ashy roots. I am 53 and it is now getting white again.

I have noticed that I now have to stay on top of conditioning it, in my youth, I had such oily hair. Now I notice it is a bit drier.

[Darkhorse1]

Not sure if I qualify--I JUST turned 40.

I've noticed the biggest change is in texture--my hair will now dry in ringlet curls. Not sure if it's because I wash at night and go to bed with it a bit damp. I woke up this morning and had mega curls!

I also notice thinner ends/dryer ends, but that's probably also due to my lifestyle/job.

My hair is actually the healthiest it's ever been since finding this BB. :)