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Does Hair Get Coarser With Age? Learn Right Now...

Many women wonder... "Does hair get coarser with age?"...

Here's the deal:

Coarse hair has a distinctive quality and trait that has given it an interesting reputation over the years. It could be that those thick strands that have a wider circumference than other hair types come off as being very difficult to control and care despite best efforts. 

The fact of the matter is that coarse is manageable, given the right level of commitment and blend of hair care products. We know that not every natural hair care product generates the same positive results, and that has everything to do with understanding what your scalp and hair needs to be healthy. 

Once you master that mystery, it's smooth sailing. HOWEVER, for naturalistas who may not have been born with naturally coarse hair, experiencing this transition at any point in their natural hair growth journey can be distressing. 

How Can You Tell if You Have Coarse Hair?

Every naturalista at some point bumps into a spell of dry, brittle, and dull-looking hair.

Sometimes, you make a lousy hair care product choice, or you may neglect your hair care regimen and your hair, in turn, rebels by losing its vibrance, curl definition, and texture. 

These episodic events do not necessarily meet the definition of having coarse hair. Neither does having type 4c natural hair mean that your hair is coarse, 4C can also be thin. As previously noted, coarse hair has a distinctive girth of circumference.

When you compare a single strand of coarse hair to sewing thread, this hair is thicker in circumference, and if you roll a strand of this hair between your fingers, the thickness is undeniable. 

Are Coarse Hair and Thick Hair the Same Thing?

Wonder "does hair get coarser with age?" can get confused with getting thicker hair.

So if you're confusing the meaning of thick hair with having coarse hair. You should know that these are not the same thing.

People with thick hair have a dense population of follicles. These follicles contribute to the amount of hair sprouting from your scalp, and as a result, the more you have, the thicker your hair. 

People with thin hair often do not have the same number of follicles, or there has been a disruption to their follicle production, which often leads to thinning or even bald patches. 

Thus, think of thickness as speaking to the hair population on your head, whereas the phrase coarse hair is mainly addressing the texture of your hair. 

What Causes Coarse Hair?

As we age, changes occur within our bodies. These changes also happen at the root of the hair growing from our scalp. Aging most definitely contributes to coarse hair by the sheer nature of the physiological changes that take place at the cellular level. Let’s take a closer look. 

Graying Hair and Age

One side effect of growing older is the increasing appearance of those tell-tale gray hairs on our head. Gray hair begins to appear as the pigment cells within our follicles start to die. As a result of this slow death, our hair begins to lose its melanin and turn varying shades of white. Gray hair is coarse, as evidenced by its thicker quality. 

Once these cells stop producing melanin, they never do it again. Now, age is a factor for hair turning gray, but you can also thank Mom and Dad for the speed at which the graying process takes hold. 

Some of us begin to sprout gray hair in our twenties while others are fortunate enough not to see them until their late thirties to mid-forties. 

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Other Factors Why Hair Gets More Coarse

Wondering "Does hair get coarser with age" might not get to the root of your change in hair texture.

There are a variety of events that may cause hair to become coarse. There are physical factors that may contribute to hair texture changes. Let's examine a few of these other factors. 

• Thyroid Imbalances: Hypothyroidism can upset the hair growth cycle and cause hair to become dry and brittle if not properly managed.
• Pregnancy: Hormonal changes during pregnancy may cause hair to appear thicker, thanks to increases in progesterone and estrogen. However, after delivery, the hair will return to its previous state.
• Medications: Medications can also disrupt your hair texture. Over-the-counter minoxidil, for example, is one of the medicines cited as giving hair a coarse quality.
• Vitamin Deficiency: Coarse hair may rear it's ugly head when your body is experiencing a vitamin deficiency. It most commonly occurs with vitamin B12 deficiencies. If left unchecked, vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to hair loss. 

Hair Care Tips for Coarse Hair

Having a haircare arsenal that consists of the best products to use on coarse hair will undoubtedly make this journey into the land of the unknown a lot easier to navigate. 

Natural hair mavens recommend that you stick with the following rules:

1. Stick with using products that infuse moisture such as hair masks, moisture-rich shampoos, and moisture-sealing essential oils.
2. Eat a healthy diet, and drink plenty of water. This action will help you minimize the risk of nutritional deficiencies and keep your body and hair adequately hydrated.
3. Wear a silk or satin bonnet or scarf to bed or invest in a few satin pillowcases to minimize friction on those glorious kinks, coils, and curls.
4. Be wary of heat. There's no need to deprive this hair of any more moisture.
5. Detangle with the proper tools such as a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush to limit your frizz exposure!

CONCLUSION: Does Hair Get Coarser With Age...

In summary, as we age, you can expect to potentially experience changes with the texture of your hair. This change has everything to do with graying hair making its entry.

In addition to age, remember that other factors may contribute to the growth of coarse hair.

Stay consistent with your hair care regimen and choose the right products that are best for managing coarse hair so that you may enjoy having healthy hair and minimize the risk for breakage. 

And hey,  if you have other kinky curly concerns besides does hair get coarser with age, check out the other coily hair articles listed below.

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