A concern among men and women alike, greying coupled with thinning hair can put years on your face. Anti-ageing treatments for hair, however, is a small and developing category compared to the myriad of wrinkle-fighting formulas for facial skin.
Cosmetic companies have got to the root of the problem in developing thickening and darkening formulas promising youthful-looking tresses.
The scalp requires the same attention as facial skin, emphasised Kerastase scientists, since it houses hair follicles involved in the creation of new hair.
Several factors contribute to thinning hair including hormonal causes. Testosterone's involvement in follicular inhibition is associated with thinning hair in men, characterised by a progressive reduction in the diameter of each hair, and by a reduction in hair quantity in the frontal zones and the vertex.
Male hair loss is partly driven by the hyperactivity of 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). When affected by a genetic predisposition, it induces shortening of the anagen (growth) phase, which in turn, causes hair to grow thinner.
Under French cosmetics giant, L'Oreal, Kerastase and its sister brand, L'Oreal Professional, have developed Densifique and Serioxyl formulas featuring a patented molecule and other hair-nourishing ingredients to help maintain thicker-looking hair.
Aveda believes in a natural approach, with the Invati collection containing a blend of Ayurvedic herbs, including ginseng and certified organic turmeric.
The Aveda haircare routine involves the use of an exfoliating shampoo to refresh the scalp and condition hair; and a scalp massage with a revitalising serum that targets the hair root and increases microcirculation.
After the release of Invati for women, the American brand offers reformulations for men, who can ask for a scalp analysis with a camera snap at its stores and salons.
Herbal ingredients used as a hair-darkener include black shou wou, originally prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine. A key ingredient in Kerastase Aminexil Black, the medicinal plant is concentrated in molecules with antioxidants that help protect melanocytes (melanin-producing cells) from oxidative stress.
The cause for greying remains a research subject to further address the telltale signs of ageing.
With age, hair roots increasingly lose their ability to produce melanin pigments resulting in hair shaft gradually turning white. As more strands lose their pigment, hair appears progressively greyer due to mix of white and naturally-coloured hair.
Alpecin has introduced the physical "hair tuning" process instead of chemical hair colouring that opens the structure of the hair to deposit the dye.
Simply by washing hair, the Tuning Shampoo imparts dark pigments to the surface of the hair to cover up light patches. Also enriched with a hair-thickening caffeine complex, Alpecin's formula for men is claimed to offer intensifying effect after each wash.
