Afro-textured Hair Care after 40: Tips & Tricks
NahaZo has the 411 on all things afro-textured hair after 40, together with all the tips and tricks (minus the heartache).
Aging can take a toll on hair and it is not uncommon to experience a change in the texture and overall feel of one’s hair. Thinning, bald spots and loss of length are common issues faced by naturals after 40.
But it does not have to be your hair story!
With the right mind set and good hair practices, it is possible to enjoy healthy hair as you age. But as with everything, healthy aging hair starts with understanding the process.
NaHaZo’s aging healthy hair tips and tricks start with knowing the following:-
*Pssst, wanna achieve Optimal Hair Growth in 2024?
1. Why afro-textured hair changes after 40?
Hair changes as you age for a number of reasons.
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Changes in the diameter of your hair follicle can be attributed to the growth cycle. It is a proven fact that as you get older, the period when the hair shaft is actively generated gets shorter.
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One of the side effects of aging is that some hair follicles can stop producing hair all together. This then gives the appearance of thinner hair on one’s scalp.
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Another common hair issue due to aging is Alopecia Areata. This is hair loss due to a change in hormones and it can show up in bald patches as well as in excessive hair shedding. This can be made worse by any stress.
Hair changes due to aging is inevitable, and is not something that any practice or product can prevent.
However, knowing what to expect and tweaking your regime and mindset is key to positive results.
Want to know all about What causes Alopecia Areata? Read all about it!
Common signs of aging hair are hair colour turning to grey, thinner, less dense hair, dry hair and in some cases, visible scalp on the crown.
2. Best practices for aging hair
There are certain best practices that you can do to delay, lessen and/or reverse the effects of aging on hair.
🌺Continually revise your routine
Constantly evaluate your hair to see how it has changed.
As you age, you may find that your hair porosity is now different and requires a different hair regime. Also some products that worked previously on your hair may no longer work on your hair.
It is therefore important to pay attention to how your hair behaves. Also, using the correct products go a long way to help maintain healthy hair as you age.
🌺Increase Deep Conditioning Treatments
Hair is prone to dryness as you age.
It is therefore advisable to increase the number of deep conditioning treatments that you have monthly.
Make sure your hair remains moisturised, so you retain your length for longer. This also helps avoid breakage and snapping, due to poor manipulation.
Check out our top five hacks to introduce moisture into your hair.
🌺Give your hair a rest
Protective styling is a great tool to use while you give your hair a break.
A word of caution though – make sure that you do not keep protective styles for too long.
You will find that when you were younger, your hair could handle long periods of protective styling. However, as it ages, it is less able to withstand the detangling process during takedown.
Catch up on our Protective Styling for Growth: Do’s & Dont’s.
🌺Watch your Diet
This is a major one!
As you age, you need all your essential nutrients to maintain optimal health.
A diet rich in protein, iron and other core nutrients is a good foundation to having thick, healthy hair as you age.
Need some food recipes that are great for hair? Our Iron-rich Breakfast Oats, Black-strap Molasses Drink and Spinach and Apple Salad are some of our favourite recipes.
🌺Dye
Dying your hair a darker (or lighter) colour is a great aging hair hack if you are not yet ready to embrace your greys.
However bear in mind that dying your hair makes it more prone to dryness.
So make sure you tweak your regime to include more moisturising treatments.
Also invest in good organic dyes, or products with less harsh chemicals. Plus, make sure you space out the time between treatments to allow your hair to recover.
🌺Finger Detangle
Finger detangling needs to become your friend!
This will guarantee less stress on your hair from minimal manipulation.
Also finger detangling means less snags, tangles and single strand knots. These all help avoid split ends, which are known to give an appearance of thinner hair.
So throw away any combs and tools, and rather use your fingers to detangle your hair.
🌺Self-care
Stress is a huge factor that affects hair health. If you want to avoid bald patches and thinning hair, you need to become a pro at managing your stress.
You can do this by prioritising activities that make you happy and avoiding situations that impact your mental health.
Being around a positive peer group, meditating, engaging in exercise and making time for quality entertainment can help keep the stress at bay.
Want some relaxation ideas? Why not relax and read up on NaHaZo’s recommended Books Featuring Characters with Natural Hair or our Top 7 Romantic Movies that Feature a Lead with Natural Hair.
3. 5 dont’s for afro-textured hair after 40
There are certain hair practices that you will need to minimise and /or completely avoid, if you would like to get the best out of your aging hair.
❌Don’t use excessive heat
Rather, try out heatless ways to stretch your hair.
Wanna know 3 ways to stretch natural hair without heat?
Reducing heat on your hair helps avoid drying. Aging hair is more prone to dryness, and it is therefore prudent to keep away from any practices that cause more dryness and frizz.
❌ Limit restrictive Diets
Restrictive diets are notorious for causing thinning hair and bald spots.
Veto every diet fad and ensure that you keep your nutritional needs up to scratch.
Avoid going into any restrictive diets that deprive you of essential nutrients that your body would need.
❌ Avoid using harsh products
If you use any form of chemical treatments on your hair, this is a good time to stop using these products.
Not only do they dry you hair, but they are likely to increase thinning hair. This, in addition to less hair follicles, gives more of an appearance of thin, unhealthy hair.
Rather invest your time in making your own DIY hair products.
To help combat dryness from chemicals, avocado and aloe-vera hair mask for dry damaged hair should be your go-to hack.
❌ Stay away from too much manipulation
As your hair ages and gets more fragile, you will need to limit the number of times you manipulate your hair.
Investing in good wigs and protective styling is a good go-to while you allow your hair to take a break from styling.
Clueless about wigs? We have got you covered. Read up on the different Types of Wigs in the market.
❌ Failing to review your regime and products
Be aware of your hair and how it changes as you age.
While certain products may have worked well previously, they may no longer work on your aged hair.
You will therefore need to tweak your regime and add / remove products depending on whether they work for you or not.
Armed with these gems, your hair journey is sure to be a fruitful one. Not only should you embrace the hair changes that come as you age, but also make sure you enjoy the journey as well.
Sound off on the comments and let us know how you have been taking care of your aging hair.
