Old woman hair

[Mammyofonlyone]

I need advice from people who know about hair and beauty! I've always had fine shiny (and realistically limp) hair which got greasy really quickly - I needed to wash it every day.

All of a sudden about six months ago it had gone really dry and frizzy and generally wild looking, almost over night. I've had it trimmed three times to keep it healthy and have tried various deep conditioning treatments over the counter and at the hairdresser but nothing helps. I'm not very good at beauty related things but even if I try my hardest with blow drying or straightening (which I rarely do) it still looks dry, frizzy and basically rubbish.

I've also gone from washing my hair everyday to every two/three days (which is the most I can do as it gets so oily).

Is there anything I can do, or is it just another bonus of getting older?

What connection does dry frizzy hair have to your ageist thread title?

Fwiw my 73 year old mother has beautiful hair while I have always had dry frizzy hair.

Maybe change your diet or buy some better conditioner. Helen Mirren or Vanessa Redgrave or some other old woman might be able to suggest something.

L'Oréal extraordinary hair oil is nice and good for frizz. Dye it? Makes mine feel softer. Henna u think is good for conditioner. Brazilian blow dry. Eat avocados also.

What connection does dry frizzy hair have to your ageist thread title?

For many of us it is a consequence of aging. Yes, my hair looks old-womanist. In my 40s I went from waves to frizz, from shiny to dry. It coincided with beginning peri-menopause. It made me look so much older. I had old lady hair. Nothing ageist. Just true.

OP, if what I describe be right sonates HRT made all the difference!

Used silicone-free shampoos also helped a lot. Reducing the times I shampooed helped - washing hair as often as I wanted, but only using shampoo once every 3 or so washes. The r st of the time I washed with conditioner only.

My hair has changed in the last year or so. I've small strands of grey here and there and it's gotten frizzier and I've a dry and itchy scalp but hair is greasy. If I wash it too much, it irritates the scalp more, if I don't, it's oily.

There's definitely hormonal shenanigans afoot because my periods have changed a bit too. I'm mid forties so I'm assuming it's all indicating that peri-menopause is on the way.

Mine has become a lot like this. Am menopausal.

I have found that a weekly use of a conditioner with protein helps with the dry frizziness.

I also use hair turbans or micro fibre towels and when I have time I dry my hair with the cool shot of my hairdryer. My hair is softer since I have been doing this.

This is me too.
I've always had lank, totally straight hair.
It's now much rougher and more coarse. I've tried Philip Kingsley elasticizer and I think it's helped a bit. I'm a swimmer too and the combination of the menopause and chlorine is not a good one.

Same here. My hair has always been really fine, so I've always used volumising shampoos etc. Now it is going grey (I'm 50, and post-menopause), mainly at the back, and the grey hair is a completely different texture, much coarser and drier.

I've switched to moisturising shampoos and conditioners, but the best change has been to use hair oil after washing - if you'd told me two years ago I'd be putting oil on my freshly-washed hair I wouldn't have believed you.

I'm currently using the Elvive Extraordinary Oil, and it's excellent. Have also starting using a heated styling brush (Babyliss) to smooth the frizz.

Fish oil supplements might help?

I'm the same and I'm 45. Old woman hair is a fair descriptor. Grey hairs are not just grey, they're wiry and stick out at right angles!

I have found Tresemme Keratin Smooth to be amazing. I also like to let my hair dry naturally as much as possible to avoid heat damage.

CV - are you using the oil on wet or dry hair?

So far the best thing I've found that helps is hair dye - my hair looks far sleeker when it's just been dyed.

I'm 45 too and have stopped dyeing my hair. It's in much better condition, but it just doesn't look it. It seems a bit 'frazzled'. I would love shiny grey hair but not sure it's possible.

Any tips?

At 48 my hair is much coarser. I use this and it does seem to help

www.bumbleandbumble.co.uk/product/69/32649/products/styling/repair-blow-dry/index.tmpl

I also use Tresemme Keratin smooth. THe weekly mask makes my hair much less coarse .

It's definitely menopause related.

Have you all been listening to BBC radio 4 at 10am this week? Woman's hour is focusing on the menopause. I've found it interesting tbh.

Vitamins
Plenty of water
Wash your hair less.

Phew it's not just me then! Thanks everyone for your responses. I'll look up those products and try fish oil too. I was wondering about supplements actually so it might be worth a try.

I was wondering about perimenapause too actually. Whilst I am 'only' late thirties, my periods have also changed significantly over the last year and about three years ago a fertility specialist told me my ability to produce eggs had decreased much faster than the norm (but that's a separate thread in itself....!)

Maybe a do need HRT?!?! But what impact will it have on the newly evident hairs on my chin?!?!

Whilst there are many upsides to maturing and becoming more self content with age, there are plenty downsides too, huh?

Thanks everyone (apart from the ageism agitator)

Hair oil and using only conditioner on some 'washes' are good ideas too, thanks, I'll try those

Yes no I haven't, will tune in. I think it's drawing closer for me

Fried do you have any suggestions as to what vitamins might be good? I already take a multivitamin and drink a fair bit

My hair too has gone from fine and lank to dry and frizzy. I’m 52.

I actually like the fact my hair has more volume, for the first time in my life. I now use a little John Freida oil on wet hair, and that makes a difference to the dryness, but still keeps the volume.

I went 'no poo' a year ago and still doing it. I wash with conditioner only ('co-washing) silicone free. I'm using tresemme botanique at the moment and very happy. I wash every day but shampoo maybe once a month if that.

Jojoba oil mixed with your conditioner will make a huge difference!
Make sure you use sulphate free though.. for your shampoo too!

Get your thyroid checked.

Prenatal vitamins worked for me

Thanks perfectly. I've just looked up thyroid issues and as well as dry frizzy hair it would appear a few of the other symptoms I had just put down to ageing can also be signs of thyroid probs. Thank you