Does your hair look old? Here's help!

Having a truly age-defying appearance, means paying close attention to detail.

Sure, looking younger starts with your skin…

But today, I want to discuss another vital part of a youthful appearance—and that’s youthful-looking hair!

Because when it comes to anti-aging, hair care is more important than most people think.

Good times with John and Kendhal.

You see, last Sunday Dr. Layke and his wife, Kendhal, invited me to join them on a trip to a new hair salon they recently discovered (“it’s the best haircut in L.A…and they serve wine!” they raved).

So, I figured it would be fun. Plus, I was due for a haircut.

Anyway, the salon really did prove to be top notch, and it’s always nice to catch up with John outside the office (during the week we’re all business, so many people don’t realize that we were friends long before starting our practice.)

But what really stood out about that day was the conversation I had with Vanessa—the lovely woman who cut my hair.

Vanessa told me that she’d been in the beauty business for many years, and shared lots of amusing stories about working as a Hollywood hair stylist.

But when I told her what I did for a living, Vanessa really lit up.

Firstly because, as it turns out, Vanessa had recently started using one of our products (Lift and Firm) after hearing about it from a friend—and was loving her results!

But, being in the beauty business herself, I think Vanessa was mostly just excited to hear about another professional’s approach to making people look better (and more specifically, younger).

So I told her about the science behind our skin treatments and anti-aging formulas—as well as the special tips and techniques Dr. Layke and I share in our newsletters, to help you achieve TOTAL anti-aging results.

Vanessa listed attentively, but when I finished, she looked confused.

“But what do you tell your clients to do for younger-looking hair?”

I had to admit that I’d never really thought about anti-aging hair care before…

Luckily, Vanessa was happy to fill me in on why it’s so important for anyone who wants a younger look.

She told me that oftentimes, people will walk into her salon with radiant skin and perfectly toned beach bodies…

Could your hair be giving your age away?

“You can tell they put a lot of effort into getting rid of their wrinkles and staying slim. Everything seems perfect from a distance, but when you get a closer look…their hair gives away their actual age almost immediately.”

Vanessa went on to explain that as you get older, signs of aging start showing up on your hair, just like they do on your skin.

Of course, hair strands don’t sag or wrinkle the way skin does, but they do change in other unappealing ways.

The most well known symptoms of aging hair are pigment loss and hair loss.

Now, even though baldness is thought to be a problem that only affects men, many women are actually predisposed to high-volume hair loss as well…

And those who aren’t, will still experience varying amounts of follicle fall-out—along with other inevitable symptoms of aging hair.

Typically, people will notice that with age, their hair becomes:

Finer
Less voluminous
More brittle
Faster to break
Slower to grow
Dull, flat, and lacking its former healthy shine
Abnormally dry—which, paradoxically, can actually make it feel more greasy, as your scalp tries to remedy the problem by producing excess oil.

In some cases, the aging process can lead to patchy bald spots, but for a lot of people, the loss of youthful luster alone is upsetting enough.

And these changes can begin as early as your mid-20s…

…so, after learning all this new information, I asked Vanessa if anything can be done to reverse them—as well as prevent them from showing up in the future.

And fortunately, she was able to offer a lot of great (professional) advice!

Even though I was “off the clock” I made sure to write down Vanessa’s tips, so I could share them with you.

Tip #1: Use a 3-in-1 DIY hair mask once a week

Blend 10 fresh strawberries, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of honey in your food processor until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Address your aging hair with a simple hair mask.

Apply evenly to damp hair. Leave in for 20-30 minutes…then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Don’t use shampoo for 24 hours afterwards (however, if the olive oil leaves your mane feeling a bit greasy, you can use a few sprays of dry shampoo to absorb excess oil once your hair is fully dry).

Though simple to make, this mask addresses ALL symptoms of aging hair.

Strawberries (which are loaded with vitamin C) keep your your scalp from producing excess oil…AND make dull hair look bright and glossy.

Olive oil restores deep hydration to dry, brittle hair—giving it a soft, silky texture.

And honey is quite the multi-tasker. It locks in moisture and adds luster…

But most importantly, it has been found to rejuvenate aging hair follicles, and actually stimulate hair growth!

Tip #2: Avoid heat and chemicals

Hair becomes less resilient as it gets older—which means that frequent heat (from blow dryers and curling/straightening irons) starts causing more and more damage.

Grey is in fashion!

The same goes for chemical treatments such as perms and certain types of color processing.

So opt for less frequent blowouts and let your hair air-dry when you’re not in a rush.

As for color, Vanessa encourages embracing the grey.

Apparently, natural, silver locks are very “in” right now—some celebrities are even intentionally dying their hair grey!

Of course, if you feel that color suits you best, Vanessa suggests using high-quality natural dyes, which are gentle enough to cover greys without too much damage.

Tip #3: Swap your brush for a wide-toothed comb

Frequent brushing can lead to breakage, split ends, and even speed up hair loss.

But a nice wide-toothed comb is much less abrasive—and makes your just as polished and smooth.

Tip #4: Use a thickening spray

There are lots of great thickening products on the market that make your hair look significantly fuller, thicker, and more voluminous.

You can go to a salon for high-end formulas, but you can often get similar results from the less pricey brands at your local drug store.

Simply spray it on damp hair, then style as you normally would, and enjoy instant amplification!

Tip #5: Try a new do

Vanessa says there are lots of stylish haircuts that make thinning hair look full, pump up its volume, conceal bald spots, and give you a dramatically younger appearance.

Ask your stylist which cut is best for you.

“A flat haircut—one that has no depth, layers, or angles—can make aging hair look even older. But the right haircut can make take years off your hair and your face.”

I thought Vanessa’s suggestions were terrific, and I’m certain that they’ll help you feel even more beautiful every day…

But please remember that while youthful hair enhances your beauty routine, it can’t replace—or even give you significant anti-aging results—without proper skincare.

In fact, that’s exactly why Vanessa—who is in her early 40’s—said she recently turned to Lift and Firm!

Because, as a beauty professional, Vanessa knows that great hair doesn’t do much good when gravity is pulling at your skin—causing it to sag and age the appearance of your face.

If you don’t already use Lift and Firm, you should definitely add it to your routine.

Click here to tighten your skin with Lift and Firm

Of course, if you’re already a Lift and Firm user, I don’t have to tell you how important it is to a younger look—because you’ve seen the results.

And in addition to hair and skincare, remember to keep up with other forms of anti-aging maintenance…

Drink lots of water, wear sunscreen when you go outside, eat lots of fruits and veggies, and try to exercise regularly.

You can find more age-defying lifestyle tips (including skin-saving nutrition, age prevention, and powerful DIY beauty remedies) right here on the Beverly Hills MD blog…

That’s what Dr. Layke and I are here for!

But if you have any additional questions about haircare, skincare, or anti-aging in general—don’t be shy—drop me a line.

It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.

All the best,
Dr. Payman Danielpour, MD