So, how often would you say you have a bad hair day these days? The kind of day where your hair seems completely to have a mind of its own, and no matter what you do, it’s just not going to cooperate with your attempts to place some order on the chaos. As younger people, having a bad hair day was often the product of the weather, or too busy a schedule to take time for your hair, or experimentation with a hair product that went south. Nowadays, however, for many, it’s no longer a bad hair “day” but rather a bad hair season or even a bad hair stage of life. Getting older can wreak real havoc with our hair- the color, the texture, the thickness, the curl- all can change or disappear without explanation, leaving you to sort through the results that remain. A recent survey in Japan found that the #1 worry of Japanese people as they get older is the fate of their hair, followed by vision concerns and then facial wrinkles. While we don’t have a similar set of surveys for the US, it wouldn’t be surprising that worry about hair also ranked high in the US as a concern for older adults. 

And perhaps the biggest worry that many of us share is the thinning of our hair or the actual loss of hair, even though it’s such a common fate, affecting more than 80 million people in the US, including the majority of older men and almost 50% of older women. While there are standard treatments for hair thinning and hair loss that can bring some benefit to some people, there are new possibilities on the horizon about which you should be aware. Perhaps the most promising treatment currently being tested in clinical trials is called PP405, discovered on the campus of UCLA, whose researchers found a small molecule- labelled PP405- that appears to “awaken” undamaged dormant hair follicles. Preliminary human trials with PP405 have produced “statistically significant” results of newly “awakened” hair growth in just 8 weeks. There has been so much excitement about this potential breakthrough that Reddit groups have been discussing the scientific nuances of PP405 in detail as they await the chance to try it out themselves (and some people are even trying to create the substance on their own, demonstrating how desperate many are to regain the hair they have lost). In addition to the potentially positive PP405 product, other hair loss treatment options coming down the pike include low-dose oral minoxidil and JAK inhibitors, which have been demonstrated to be safe and efficacious in ongoing clinical trials. There is also an array of products, some under the radar, that can effectively boost hair volume and give some TLC to irritated scalps that you may also want to try if thinning hair is your fate. So grab your wide-toothed comb and click here. You may even want to try cutting back on what you do to your hair, including the possibility of reducing or even eliminating the amount of shampoo you use.  Or try listening to NY dermatology expert Dr. Shari Lipner discuss why a dermatology consult for thinning hair or hair loss makes sense and what kinds of options a dermatologist can offer in response.

You know what else makes sense to consider if your problem is thinning hair or even hair loss? Your diet. Just last month, a study was published in the journal Nutrition and Health assessing the relationship between diet and hair health, and finding that such nutrients as Vitamin D and iron have a positive impact on alopecia, along with protein and soy products, while alcohol and sugary beverages were associated with an increased risk of hair loss. Very Well Health also recently published a list of 13 foods that can help hair grow faster and stronger, including protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, eggs, and fatty fish.  More broadly, it appears that a healthy diet, supplying a well-rounded mix of nutrients and vitamins, can be essential for maintaining and nurturing hair and nail growth. Ultimately, it seems a healthy body that is well fed, well rested, and physically active may be one of the best ways to set yourself up as best as naturally possible, for stronger, healthier hair. And even if that doesn’t help your hair, the rest of your body will still be better off.