A child with silky fine hair may have a head full of kinky curls when puberty hits. Another baby may start out with fine ringlets only to have them turn stick straight when she gets older. As our body ages, we see changes in our hair texture. The hair of a newborn is very soft and very fine. The diameter of the hair thickens as we enter childhood or early adolescence. As we move into adulthood and then older, the hair again changes, becoming finer again in our 40s and 50s. All of these changes are genetically programmed.
Different Stages for Different Ages
“Hair changes every five to seven years,” said Christo of the Christo Fifth Avenue Salon and creator of the Curlisto line of hair products. But even though we might know what affects hair texture, it still is unclear exactly how and why this happens. People with curly hair have a flatter follicle. Straight hairs tend to have a rounder follicle. But how a flat follicle turns round, and vice versa, is a mystery. “What adds to the curl or takes away from the curl is a fascinating issue scientifically,” says Tom Dawson, a principle scientist at P&G Beauty. “You’d think with something as fundamental as human hair, and the amount of time and money we put into our hair, that we’d know more than we do. But it’s a tough nut to crack.
The Hormone Influence
“What is known is that hormones have a major effect on hair texture. “Hormones influence the hair in several different ways since they are regulators of the body’s metabolism,” Christo says. “Hormones tell our body how to perform, therefore increasing or decreasing specific hormones can directly affect the way our body functions. “He cites three major hormones that affect the hair: Thyroxine and triiodothyronine are produced by the thyroid gland and influence the way the body uses the food we eat. An under-active thyroid can cause brittle hair and hair loss. Androgen is produced in the adrenal glands and is responsible for hair growth.
