I've recently started noticing how older women's(I guess I'm noticing because I'm getting older~44) hair looks really bad. It seems all lifeless and ratty and dried out looking. Is this what I have to look forward to? What can I do to keep my hair from looking "old"...it scares me because I'm already noticing that my hair is duller and uglier than it used to be. Even with no processes on my hair it seems damaged but I don't do anything that would damage it. In fact I used to perm, bleach, tease and spray the heck out of my hair(when I was younger) but I don't think I could even put a color on my hair without making a mess out of it. Now I'm very careful about not shampooing to the ends and put a deep conditioner on it a couple times a week and of course daily conditioning after each shampoo. My hair is extremely oily and always has been so I have, as long as I can remember, washed daily...this is nothing new that I just started. Is ugly hair just a part of getting old? :eek:

I don't know about it being just a part of being older. My thinking is that as you get older, your focus might change (e.g. less on physical appearance, especially in a youth-oriented society, and more on other things). So people may not pay as much attention to their appearance, when they are more concerned with health, family, work, finances/retirement, etc. Of course, not everyone is like that. I do see some older women with very nice hair. :)

Another things is that as people get older they may have more health issues or hormonal changes that can affect hair. But with all the products out there, I'm sure that it can be fixed or a routine adjusted for one's needs.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that you are probably not "doomed" to have bad hair. :) There are probably other reasons for bad hair than just aging.

If you have gray then the hair is drier. Its just the body is slowing down but there are things you can do to reduce the damage. Try to cover up your hair when outside from the sun's rays. Try taking fish or flax/primrose oils to deal with the dry skin and avoid blow drying your hair completely dry if you can. Some people have tried using only conditioner to wash their hair with some good success. You might also join the LongHair Lovers forum too.

Yup - as you get older your hair loses its color and vibrancy. I'm 47 - always loved my hair color and have been sad to see it change.

Your only hope, I think, is to consider coloring it. It has made a real difference in my looks.

Lots of conditioning and coloring. But if you're not also taking care of yourself healthwise, your hair will never look the best it could. Exercising, eating right, and getting plenty of vitamins and such does make a difference.

ILYF...I could have written your post word for word on the condition of my hair. I also processed the heck out of my hair in younger days and it was so nice and supple no matter how much I damaged it.

I'm 38, and I have noticed the change drastically in the last 6-9 months. I have also been wondering if it's age/hormone changes. Another thought I had is that maybe it's happened as a result of childbirth & body changes. My daughter just turned 2.

I can honestly say for me that I eat so much better after I had my kid than I ever have in my life. I've taken vitamins regularly for at least 8 years now.

I do get my hair colored now. I have some platinum highlights in the mess, but the rest is color-deposit and I wash my hair every 2-3 days to preserve the color. I mostly air-dry my hair & blow-dry just to finish it off. I used to wash & blow dry high heat every day & my hair was fine. I'm really careful about conditioning and keeping it moisturized now. If I were 5 years younger, my hair would be screaming at me for over-conditioning it.

I think it's age. Ugh.

Yeah, I do think it's age because when I look around at old women versus young women's hair...it's just not the same. Young women's hair is long and bouncy and shines and old women's hair is all dull and ratty looking..HAHAHA!

I know that I tortured my hair "back in the day"...I had it frosted and permed and teased it up as high as humanly possible to get that "big hair" look that was so popular in the late eighties and early nineties...oh and don't forget the tons of hairspray. Now my hair is completely virgin and I can barely blow dry it with a brush without it ratting up and the brush pulling my hair out. I'm talking about a styling brush with the hard plastic bristles so please don't say "don't use a brush in wet hair"! Yes...someone's said that before!!!!!:rolleyes: Aaaaaand before someone says I shouldn't style wet hair, let me just say that I blow dry my hair with my fingers until it's almost dry before I style it with a brush.

I just think your hair loses it's life just like everything else in your body as we age.

My hair needed HELP this summer.
I was trying to keep in nice and natural so it was mostly virgin with a bit of bleached blonde old growth in the very tips. (from over 1 year ago).

But ewww.
It was dry, brittle, limp and dull.

So I got tired of trying new things and just dyed it.


I think it was a combination of poor diet, too much sunlight and stress for myself... does that mean you older gals are stressed?

*hugs*

... does that mean you older gals are stressed?

*hugs*

I know I am !!!! Thanks for the hug. :D

Something else that works for me. I learned this about 6 months ago from my hairdresser, and it does help.

He told me when drying my hair, to not dry it all the way. That doesn't mean leave it a little wet or even damp, you can get it dry...but there's this point of no return, where if you dry your hair out too much with the blowdryer, it will end up frizzed, kind of crisped & less manageable. You want to get the hair dry, but stop drying while the hair is still flexible.

It took me a lot of practice to learn and feel when to turn off the blow-dryer, but that does make my hair look & feel younger & healthier.

I never dry my hair thoroughly.

My Mom is in her 50's and her hair still looks really healthy but she also colors it because of the grays. Philosophy has a line for old hair to make it more healthy and vibrant looking....you might want to check it out.

Use an ionic hair dryer, take vitamins such as Silica, which makes hair stronger and shinier, maybe use a leave-in conditioning treatment, and do try a clear hair glossing! You can get it done at a salon or there are a few to choose from at the drug store/Walmart. I haven't tried glossings myself, but they are supposed to be good.:cool: Get regular trims as well, that really helps hair look better and bouncier. Maybe try long layers??

I am post-menopausal and the texture of my hair has changed. It's fine and curly so I keep it fairly short and get the ends trimmed about every four weeks. I also get a clear glaze about every six weeks and have stopped hi-lighting my hair.

I'd just like to mention I've seen some pretty unkept hair on men/women of all ages, not just us"oldies". Thanks.

Also Goody has a line of hair brushes for different things, and one of them is a brush that contains jojoba oil to help keep hair shiny and help repair damage. You can use it for 6-9 months I think before replacing it. You can find it at Walmart or drugstores. HTHS!:cool: