Why Does Hair Get Darker With Age?
Ever noticed that your blonde hair is getting darker or is already dark as you age? Wondering, even when you didn’t dye your manes, how it turned into a completely different color with time? Well, you are not alone.
As blondies get older, their hair color often gets darker. And there is a valid reason behind it. Let’s find out why your hair is getting darker with age so that you don’t have to keep on wondering again.
So, Why Does Hair Get Darker With Age?
The main reason your hair color gets darker with age is because of the change in the production of melanin. Just like your skin color, the shade of your tresses is also determined by the level of melanin in your body. And when there is a change in this natural pigment, your hair also changes color. Over the course of time, it gets darker than ever before.
If you are curious to know how it works, let’s explain. The cells in your body produce melanin. When they make a lot of melanin in your body, your hair color changes and turns brown or black. However, if these cells refrain from producing any excess melanin over time, the tresses would remain the same and there won’t be any change of hues anytime soon.
Now, you might ask why there is a change in the production of melanin in one’s body over time.
Well, the cells responsible for producing these pigments switch on and off at different points during one’s lifetime. And hence, the production gets affected and the hair color changes.
Is It Normal for Your Hair To Get Darker As You Age?
It is completely normal for your hair to turn darker as you age. There is nothing to get frightened about. During the course of your lifetime, the melanin production in your body increases, and it turns your manes darker than usual. Rest assured that there is no issue with your health or wellness.
How to Prevent Your Hair from Darkening
Although the change in melanin level makes your hair darker as you age, you can still maintain a proper hair care routine to keep the color from darkening all of a sudden. Let’s discuss how you can take care of your hair to remain bright and glistening for as long as possible and delay the darkening process.
Try A Purple Shampoo
To maintain the bright, vibrant hue of your blonde, don’t forget to include a purple shampoo in your hair care routine. The purple pigments of this product would prevent your manes from turning orange or brassy and keep the color intact for as long as possible.
Even when the melanin starts to increase, the purple pigments will help to maintain the bright hue for a long time.
Use A Toner
If you notice even the slightest change in your bright hair color, don’t delay to apply toner on the tresses to restore the hue in no time. The toner will wash off the brassiness in your hair and make it brighter again. Regular toning sessions would also help your manes avoid getting dark or orangey over time.
Install A Shower Head Filter
In addition to the change in melanin level in your body, tap water can also contribute to the darkening process of your bright tresses. The iron in tap water has the potential to change your hair color. And to keep that from happening, install a head filter in your shower to prevent the iron from getting into your strands. If the iron and other minerals don’t combine with the increasing melanin, your manes might delay getting darker.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Age Does Hair Start To Darken?
After the age of 3, hair color starts to change and might keep on getting darker throughout your youth. However, this is not true for everyone. As each individual is different, the age limit and even the hair-darkening process depend on their gene and cell turnover rate.
Does Hair Get Lighter or Darker As We Age?
Your hair can turn both lighter and darker with age. As the hair color depends on your body’s melanin production, the tone it would turn up [dark or light] isn’t actually in your control.
Will Blonde Hair Last Forever?
You must accept the fact that blonde hair won’t last forever. Over time the melanin production in your body changes. It gives the tresses more color pigments and makes them darker than before. Depending on the melanin production, the blonde might even turn into a brunette.
Wrapping Up
Now that you know why your hair gets darker with age, we can assume that you are not worried anymore. The bright tresses turning into a darker shade is exceptionally natural and nothing to worry about. All you need to do is take the proper care of your hair to maintain its health and shine, all day, every day!
