Thinning Hair In Older Women

LiftedUp

Well-Known Member
My mother is nearing 60 and her hair is thinning at the crown. She doesn't wear her hair tightly, her hair itself is quite healthy, she has a good diet and isn't sick or on medication. I think that it has to do with age.

Is there anything that can be done? I'm thinking of a vitamin regimen. If anyone can recommend a good one or another alternative we would be very very very grateful for it.

Thank you in advance :)
 

naturalagain2

Well-Known Member
My mom was thinning in the same area. You could see her scalp CLEARLY. I bought her a bottle of Jamaican Black Castor oil and told her to massage it in that area at least 3x a week. About 6mos later I could no longer see her scalp. Her hair completely filled in.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
I agree with the above. Daily massage is typically more beneficial than anything else. Cleanse the scalp at least weekly and then massage. I think these are the most important things. What the scalp is massaged with is not as important as the massage IMO. I used a mix of oils and not straight castor oil and it works nicely. I also add EOs to my mix: rosemary, sage, lavendar, basil.
 

Blessed&higlyflavoured

Well-Known Member
My mum uses generic brand rogaine for ladies. It works well but you have to use it consistently. Sometimes it works too well and you end up removing facial hair but a happy side effect is that if your eyebrows or eyelashes are thinning the application to your head is enough to give them new life. I think when hair loss is hormonal and age related, vitamins and scalp massages can only do so much
 

ilong

God's Own
@LiftedUp - I am VERY near your Mom's age and so far I have not experienced hair loss in the crown, attributed to age, however I have experienced hair loss. My hair loss is (on the sides) from braids and weaves as well as STRESS. I did not realize the severity of my loss until last year and to be honest, the areas were not "cared for" properly to improve the condition. Thanks to all the ladies and info on LHCF I have learned so much and my hair care regimen has improved dramatically.

Two years ago the hair on my crown was ~2 inches long due to wearing hair pieces with attached combs. I massaged (regular) castor oil on my scalp/hair daily. (This breakage was due to hair combs in hair pieces). With the exception of the alopecia areas, my previous NL hair is a little past SL. I just measured my (natural - no heat) hair at the crown area - and braided it's touching my shoulder.:yep:

This is what I've done over the last two years following the advice of the wonderful ladies at LHCF, which I believe have attributed to my progress.


  • Cleanse hair weekly (co-wash or shampoo)
  • MOISTURIZE, CONDITION, SEAL (GHE/Baggy on a daily basis)
  • MASSAGE SCALP DAILY
  • Daily use of oils speculated to support hair growth (i.e. castor, coconut, rosemary, cedarwood, peppermint, thyme, ayurvedic, etc)
  • CONSISTENTLY take vitamins and supplements
  • NEVER go to bed without protecting hair (satin bonnet or silk scarf)
  • Monitor diet
  • Protective style with wig***
  • No hair extensions or braids***
  • Protein treatments
  • Monitor what ingredients are in my hair products
  • No chemicals
  • No heat
  • Deep condition on a weekly basis
  • Low manipulation
  • BABY my hair
  • Visit dermatologist for alopecia treatment (currently apply ointment to areas)
*** I may have to get braids (CAREFULLY) done. The lace front wig is starting to thin my edges - and I can't have that. :nono:

It appears hair in the alopecia areas is trying to grow back - I have fuzz :yep:. A few strands are ~1-2 inches. CARE, DEDICATION & PATIENCE IS KEY.

I refuse to believe my hair must be thin due to age. Because of age - I have to institute some mitigating practices/solutions (vitamins, better diet, better maintenance) to offset the change in my body and system as a result. These practices "fill the gap", so to speak, that age creates.

It may seem like a lot of work - but it really isn't. I take pleasure in caring for my hair and the benefit is seeing how much my hair has and still is growing.:yep:
My goal is to have BSB/BSL hair by June 2014. And "I Ain't Playin" ":grin:

HTH
 
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faithVA

Well-Known Member
Sometimes we contribute hair loss/thinning to age from what I notice it is just noticed more in later age. A great deal of thinning starts to occur in the late 30s and 40s. It is usually left unchecked. So year after year nothing is done about it and then one day it is extremely noticeable. Caught early, thinning in many cases can be reversed with simple measures. I think even in later stages it can be reversed. But now instead of trying to reverse something that has been happening for 5 years, you are now trying to reverse something that has been happening for 20 years. So it can take more time to turn around. There is no quick fix for a 20 year old problem. But as long as the hair follicle is still active, improvements can be made.

Blood flow does not circulate to the crown of the head as easy as it does to other parts of the body. Overtime it is going to need some help. There are many ways to do that.
 

ilong

God's Own
faithVA - you are absolutely correct. :yep:
Because my "Steppin' Out" :grin: date is approaching fast, I am intensifying my regimen in hopes of meeting my goal.
I was reading several old posts yesterday (as far back as 2003 :spinning:) and I saw several mentions on inversion (variants). I have stopped procrastinating. I am incorporating this into my regimen. I am starting slow - by just lowering my head between my legs, while seated and massaging my scalp. After I feel comfortable with the technique I will try full inversion
 

LiftedUp

Well-Known Member
Thank you for all the information and advice!

The thing is, she has a slight widow's peak but her hair line is thick and intact. The back is great also, it's just to the very crown is thinning. I thought about carrying her to a trichologist but I do not believe that it's alopecia.

I agree that it probably started earlier on and is only now that noticeable.

I'm going to try the jamaican black castor oil and scalp massages. I'm also going to do some research on rogaine for women.

Thank you so much for your help and ilong , I wish you all the best on your journey! I like your reg, I will try to adapt for my mom.
 

ilong

God's Own
LiftedUp - I did try Rogaine and stopped. I believe it was because of some information I read on it. I actually poured it down the sink. I don't believe the Rogaine has a good track record and results longevity is questionable.
The JBCO or Castor Oil is great. I would highly recommend your Mom use that as opposed to Rogaine. You may also want to pick up some Rosemary Oil to add to the Castor oil. Also read up on the Ayurvedic oils (Amla, Brahmi, Majabhringaraj, etc) tauted for hair growth.
Lastly, make sure your Mom has enough protein in her diet. Protein intake and metabolism is reduced with age. Check out MSM (oral sulfur) - which is good for hair and joints and many other things.There are so many better alternatives than Rogaine.
 

Nova

Active Member
She may want to start taking a digestive enzyme. A woman stated she began to experience extreme shedding although she always ate healthy and exercised regularly. She stated her health care provider suggested this because as some us of get older, our bodies doesn't always extract nutrition from the food we eat. She began taking a digestive enzyme and her hair grew back and thickened in the sparse areas.
 

LiftedUp

Well-Known Member
digestive enzyme
rosemary oil
Ayurveda oils and Indian powders, check!

Thank you so much! Thank you!

Also she doesn't eat much meat anymore but we eat beans nearly everyday but I will look into the protein aspect as well.

Thank you again, I appreciate it very much :)
 

janeemat

Well-Known Member
Sometimes we contribute hair loss/thinning to age from what I notice it is just noticed more in later age. A great deal of thinning starts to occur in the late 30s and 40s. It is usually left unchecked. So year after year nothing is done about it and then one day it is extremely noticeable. Caught early, thinning in many cases can be reversed with simple measures. I think even in later stages it can be reversed. But now instead of trying to reverse something that has been happening for 5 years, you are now trying to reverse something that has been happening for 20 years. So it can take more time to turn around. There is no quick fix for a 20 year old problem. But as long as the hair follicle is still active, improvements can be made.

Blood flow does not circulate to the crown of the head as easy as it does to other parts of the body. Overtime it is going to need some help. There are many ways to do that.

I agree with all you have said it here. Especially to the bold.:yep: This decribes my sister and she is STILL relaxing and will not even go to a dermatologist. She knows the doctor will tell her NOT to relax anymore. There are lots of women with thinning relaxed hair and you can see their scalp. I have thin edges from a child but since I have been on the hair forums, they have filled in quite a bit. I baby them and keep a sharp eye on them.
 

faithVA

Well-Known Member
^^Because of my own thinning hair, I notice it more. I notice it a lot on women of all races and ages. Sometimes I want to say, Hey don't you know you are going bald? But I know better and just provide info if the person mentions it.
 

Pompous Blue

Well-Known Member
Read this thread.
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=529937

Also, I had a breaking, thinning crown before I quit relaxing. During my last 2 years of relaxing, ,my hair would never grown past 2" - 4".

Women, as they get older, perimenopausal or menopausal produce DHT on their scalp causing female pattern baldness. It runs in my family. But I decided to stem it by quitting relaxing and incorporating ayurvedic in my regimen.

I henna and use bhringraj and brahmi. Also, with every deep conditioner, I add garlic and caffeine to my DC. (Caffeine removes DHT from your scalp and the garlic stops excessive shedding.) I haven't had excessive shedding since 2009 and I use to have seasonal, excessive shedding EVERY year.

Even though I have fine hair (almost extra fine in some places), it looks thick.

Finally, I thick her thinness can be helped if she starts now. It's not too late!
 
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biancaelyse

New Member
Just wanted to add that I am in my mid 40s and I've been on a healthy hair regimen since I was in my 20s (no heat/low manipulation as per Wanakee) and not had any thinning of my hair.

I've been natural for 15 years and that has been the biggest single gift I could give my hair and scalp.

We'll see if menopause does a trip on my hair or not but so far I am encouraged.
 

ilong

God's Own
Biancaeylse - YES!!!! YES!!!! YES!!! to Brahmi, Amla, Mahabhringraj, Fenugreek, Garlic, Mustard, Black Seed and Navratna Ayurvedic oils.

I use some combo of these oils on my hair daily. I LOVE THEM!!!!
I am blessed to have a couple of Indian grocers near my home so I can pick the oils up easily. I do believe the first 3 oils have contributed significantly to my hair growth and thickness. I just finished cleansing my hair and did an oil rinse with some of these oils. I also just whipped up a new batch of hair butter, using Shea Butter and adding many of these oils and others to the mix.

Pompous Blue - I am post menopausal and menopause wreaked havoc on me. I don't henna (yet) but I do use garlic oil and weekly I do a tea rinse with fresh garlic and (nettle, holy thistle, black, etc.) tea.

My daughter is peri-menopausal and I keep reminding her to incorporate soy based products in her diet to help the transition.
 

jenaccess

New Member
I was looking at pictures from when I was in my 20's 30's and 40's.....In my 20's I had triple times the amount of hair expecially in the crown and front. I still have some thickness and I am trying to keep what I have. I stop relaxing and I started wearing protective hairstyles.
 

regina07

Well-Known Member
At 51 I'm seeing a gradual thinning of my hair, especially the crown. Thankfully I take biotin and that's drastically cut down the shedding.

how do you use the Indian oils, bhringraj and brahmi?
 

Pompous Blue

Well-Known Member
At 51 I'm seeing a gradual thinning of my hair, especially the crown. Thankfully I take biotin and that's drastically cut down the shedding.

how do you use the Indian oils, bhringraj and brahmi?
regina07
I add bhringraj and brahmi to my weekly henna mix. You can do a tea rinse with them once a week if you don't like to use henna.

Also, there are a lot of ideas in this thread:

Coffee,Tea,ACV,AVJ & Ayurvedic Challenge 2013
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=664751

I pre-poo with the oils and also massage them into my scalp 3 - 4 times a week. Right now I'm using oils by http://www.etsy.com/shop/KeraVada

You can tweak your regimen by adding one or two ayurvedic products and you will see changes in a couple of months.
 

ilong

God's Own
regina07 - this is how I use my oils:

  • Pre-poo
  • Oil rinses
  • Daily massages
  • Add to conditioners
  • Mix with sulfur for sulfur treatment
  • Hot Oil Treatments
  • GHE/Baggy
 

Lita

Well-Known Member
I would recommend Indian powders like Fenugreek, Amla and Brahmi for helping to thicken the hair.

biancaelyse Yes,the above works..I'm not in my 60's or even near it,but Ayurvedic herbs really works wonders & green smoothies/anti-oxidants..Work it from inside & out.

*It worked for my Mom & Aunts..

Happy Hair Growing!
 

Pompous Blue

Well-Known Member
I saw this on Etsy and am SOOOOO tempted to order!!

How are you liking the oils??

Did you order from stock or did you have her to custom an oil mix for you?
AKA-Tude You didn't get in on the 30% off codes she was offering earlier this month for her grand opening and then to LHCF? Her CS is on point. I'm well-stocked for me and DH.

Her oils are very, very good. They're light-weight and are made from quality ingredients. I didn't do a custom-purchase because she had what I needed. Also, I ordered all of them unscented.

I have been applying her oils to my scalp and DH and massaging 3 - 4 times a week. And doing pre-poos for me. They're just all the rage for me!

Go on over to the VENDOR forum for more reviews. There's a thread there everyone has been posting in about their usage and some of the scents are described.

They're everything I had been looking for for years and couldn't find without a mineral oil base.
 

Subscribe

Well-Known Member
Sometimes we contribute hair loss/thinning to age from what I notice it is just noticed more in later age. A great deal of thinning starts to occur in the late 30s and 40s. It is usually left unchecked. So year after year nothing is done about it and then one day it is extremely noticeable. Caught early, thinning in many cases can be reversed with simple measures. I think even in later stages it can be reversed. But now instead of trying to reverse something that has been happening for 5 years, you are now trying to reverse something that has been happening for 20 years. So it can take more time to turn around. There is no quick fix for a 20 year old problem. But as long as the hair follicle is still active, improvements can be made.

Blood flow does not circulate to the crown of the head as easy as it does to other parts of the body. Overtime it is going to need some help. There are many ways to do that.

BINGO! It's the blood flow that slows down as we age for numerous reason. Increase the blood and you'll see a difference :yep: I concur, a 20 year old problem is not going to fix it's self in 1 month :nono:
 

AKA-Tude

Well-Known Member
AKA-Tude You didn't get in on the 30% off codes she was offering earlier this month for her grand opening and then to LHCF? Her CS is on point. I'm well-stocked for me and DH.

Her oils are very, very good. They're light-weight and are made from quality ingredients. I didn't do a custom-purchase because she had what I needed. Also, I ordered all of them unscented.

I have been applying her oils to my scalp and DH and massaging 3 - 4 times a week. And doing pre-poos for me. They're just all the rage for me!

Go on over to the VENDOR forum for more reviews. There's a thread there everyone has been posting in about their usage and some of the scents are described.

They're everything I had been looking for for years and couldn't find without a mineral oil base.

Just placed my order-

8x Concentrated Amla Brahmi Fenugreek Bhringaraj Neem Coconut Oil Olive Oil Grapeseed Oil Conditioner Hair Growth + Hibiscus oil.

Got that 30% off too!!

Can't wait to get it!!!

Thanx for the recommendation!
 

AKA-Tude

Well-Known Member
Got my oil Saturday!

Will start using it today.

It's scented with Ocean Breeze-
smells heavenly!!!

Not a thick scent-
just enough to smell really good!
 
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