Apparently, we're all going bald

You know how it is with our internet overlords. You click on a sponsored post on Instagram or watch a video on Facebook, and all of a sudden, your feed is teeming with videos about the topic in question. For a while there, all I saw was ads for underwire-free stretchy bras. And then I compounded the matter by purchasing a couple of them.

Internet, let me save you some money. Unless you are a card-carrying member of the itty-bitty titty committee (and by that I mean that if you slip your IBTC membership card into your bra for safekeeping, it would create a bulge that would be visible even with clothes on top) there is an excellent chance that those stretchy contraptions that are NOT CHEAP will give you saggy uniboobs. 

So watch out for those videos from Harper Wilde and Adore Me and the like. Their products will do nothing for your silhouette. The stretchy contraptions I bought mostly serve as pajama tops.

But back to the topic in question. I don't know whether my iPhone overheard me talking to a friend about her hair-loss situation, or I've clicked on a couple of hair-loss videos, but the shilling for specialty shampoos and serums has been going on nonstop.

Now, I'm moderately interested in the subject, because I notice that with the advancing years, I have less hair than I used to have. So I looked into things by searching medical websites--but the smartypants ones associated with major universities and the U. S. government, not the ones that are trying to sell me stuff.

And internet, it is just as I feared. First of all, our individual hairs reach their peak of robustness in early adulthood, and the individual strands get increasing thinner after that point. This explains why my hair, which used to resemble a horse's tail, is now much more manageable and actually could use some beefing up.

Our individual hairs are also more prone to breakage. I probably had all kinds of breakage going on before, but now that my hair is lighter, I'm noticing more hair on my clothes. Sometimes I think I look like I adopted a Samoyed

and it won't stop shedding all over me.

So. What's a girl to do--if she doesn't want to fall for Yet Another Internet Shill? The problem divides neatly into two categories: changes that result from the aging process, and environmental stressors. Intrinsic and extrinsic changes, if you will.

Preventing intrinsic changes: Keeping your hair young even as you age

The bad news is we can't keep the hair of our youth, any more than we can keep our twenty-something skin. After all, it's our female hormones that help create our "crowning glory," and once we reach menopause, our estrogen levels plummet. (If you've ever been pregnant, you probably have experienced fabulous pregnancy hair--along with the subsequent post-partum fallout.)

But as far as I'm concerned, all that means is that I have to face facts and stop chalking things up to a bad hair day. Hello, if I'm seeing changes in my skin, I should not be surprised to see them occurring in my hair and nails. 

Let's face it; we're not getting any younger, and our bodies are going to husband their resources to do

important, invisible stuff like protecting our vital organs. We need to be extra generous with our beneficial lifestyle choices so that our bodies have energy and time to spare for our hair, which is pretty much at the bottom of the priority list, along with our fingernails and our girlish complexions.

Changes to expect

First of all, there is graying, but you probably know all about that.

Then there are hormonal changes. Progesterone and estrogen keep your hair in its resting phase for longer and increase the rate of growth. After menopause, the growth rate slows down, and the resting phase becomes shorter. This means you probably won't be able to grow your hair as long as you once did.

Next, there is thinning. This has two causes: first, the diameter of each individual hair decreases. So if you have coarse hair, you'll find that it has become much finer. 

The second cause of hair thinning is the shutting down of individual hair follicles. Each follicle is actually producing fewer strands of hair. 

The combination of the two leads to a thinner ponytail. 

What we can do about it

You already know this stuff, because everything that is good for your overall health is good for your hair. 

To begin with, eat right--get enough protein--at least half a gram per pound of body weight per day. 

Since vitamin and mineral deficiencies are indicated in some people's hair loss, it would be a good idea to take a daily multivitamin supplement. And people also report great results from taking a biotin supplement. I take those silly strawberry flavored gummies, and I think they help.

And they're delicious!

I also take a hydrolyzed collagen supplement, although I started taking it to see whether it would help keep my knees from creaking. But apparently, it's helpful for hair growth, as are saw palmetto and flaxseed oil. 

Anything that boosts circulation is good, too. Your hair gets its nutrients from your blood, so exercise, massage, and even things like a rosemary mint shampoo are all to the good. 

If you're on any form of medication, check to see whether hair loss is a possible side effect. And of course, speak to your doctor! I'm just an English major with too much time on my hands and an unhealthy obsession with outward appearances.

Not to mention my black watch plaid puffer vest. 

Tune in next post, where I'll discuss what to do about extrinsic aspects of aging hair.