The aging of hair is a concern for many people, but in the larger context of overall health, research and development efforts might be better focused on more essential bodily systems. While there is a significant industry dedicated to meeting the demand for solutions to hair aging, the progress in research and development is slow. Understanding the complexities of age-related disruptions in hair growth and coloration, as well as non-age-related conditions like alopecia, is still incomplete.
Hair follicles consist of various cell types, and the status of hair follicles depends on the hair cycle, which includes growing, transition, and resting phases. This balance is disrupted due to aging, gene mutations, nutritional imbalance, and other factors, leading to various hair aging disorders such as graying, loss, thinning, miniaturization, and structural changes. Although these disorders are not life-threatening, they can significantly impact social activities and psychological wellbeing.
Hair aging is often accompanied by graying, loss, and thinning, and it is linked to disruptions in the pigmentation process and dysfunction of hair follicle stem cells. Several theories exist about the primary mechanism underlying hair aging, including oxidative stress, hormone-induced premature aging, inflammation, and DNA damage.
