Many people don’t hesitate to spend a lot of money to update their skincare routine with the latest anti-aging products that address new issues that appear over time, such as fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, etc. That’s great (and taking care of your skin is an investment that will pay off in the long term), but what about your hair?
Just like your skin, your hair ages as you get older, and it requires focused, intentional care to keep it looking and feeling its best.
“Hair, nails and skin are all made from the same components, yet when we think about anti-ageing, we only think about the skin. We don’t give hair the same thought,” explains hairstylist Courtney Foster.
How to care for aging hair | Best Anti-Aging Hair Products | Reasons for choosing | Meet Our Experts
A stylist shares tips on caring for aging hair
Stylists agree that as we age, our hair tends to lose shine, bounce, and volume—but before you buy every product on the shelves to address these issues, it might help to look inward first.
For starters, hairstylist Casey Bertucci of Salon 120 West recommends drinking plenty of water each day (just over 11 cups, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). Getting enough sleep (seven to nine hours per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation) should also be a priority to reduce stress-related hair loss.
Rita Sanders, owner and stylist at Tousled Hair Salon in Jersey City, New Jersey, says a smart way to stay ahead of the aging process is to give your hair the same proper nightly care you do your skin. An easy way to do this? A satin pillowcase!
“When I’m sleeping, the friction of turning over in my sleep [doesn’t] “Products used earlier in the day can leave your hair tangled, matted and dry,” Sanders tells Shop Today.
Another cause of hair damage is using too much shampoo. “Think about how often you wash your hair,” says Bertucci. “If you wash your hair too much or brush it too much, it can increase hair loss.”
Amy Abramite, creative director, salon educator, and stylist at Maxine Salon, advises shampooing “only as needed” and doing what makes sense for your scalp and hair: Use products that are right for your hair type and that don’t contain damaging ingredients like silicones and waxes, which don’t remove dirt but instead cause buildup.
Finally, all the stylists stressed the importance of taking care of not just your scalp, but the rest of your head as well: “If your scalp is healthy, your hair will be healthy,” Foster said.
Stylist’s Choice: Best Anti-Aging Hair Care Products
Achieve a radiant finish: Seaweed Bath’s Gloss Shampoo
size: 12 oz. | Main ingredients: Lactic acid, Vitamin E
“Aging hair tends to lose its shine, so this shine shampoo and conditioner is perfect,” praises Abramite. “The formula contains lactic acid to exfoliate and remove shine-removing residue, plus it’s packed with vitamins and minerals to nourish aging hair.”
Restorative Duo: Seaweed Bath Detox Shampoo and Conditioner Set
size: 12 oz.| Main ingredients: French sea mud, apple cider vinegar, lactic acid, avocado oil, vitamin E
“This shampoo and conditioner repairs hair, contains apple cider vinegar to restore natural shine (which can often be lost with age) and moisturizes a dry scalp, plus it contains moisturizing essential oils like argan and aloe,” Abramite says.
Softens hair: Redken All Soft Shampoo
size: 10.1 oz. | Main ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Aloe Leaf Juice Powder
Abramite loves that this shampoo (and matching conditioner) hydrates dry scalps and provides “frizz-free results.” [that are] It’s smooth to the touch.”
Perfect for a variety of hair types: Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector
size: 3.3 oz. | Main ingredients: Glycerin, Jojoba Seed Oil
“The Olaplex line is great for combating dullness in hair, and if your hair is feeling brittle or breaking, it’s reassuring to know your hair is getting the protein it needs,” Bertucci says.
She especially recommends this Olaplex repair treatment, which is designed to not only address hair damage but also restore hair’s healthy look and texture.
Perfect for travel: R+Co Skyline Dry Shampoo Powder
size: 1 ounce. | Main ingredients: Jojoba seed oil, diatomaceous earth, burdock root extract
Burnside says she personally likes this dry shampoo powder as a lightweight product. She describes the product as “not as gritty as a texture spray” but good at absorbing excess oil and sebum. “It really refreshes hair on the second day or after a workout,” Burnside says.
Ultra Moisturizing: Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo
size: 16.5 oz. | Main ingredients: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Shea Butter, Sunflower Seed Oil
For adult hair care, Foster is a fan of Alterna, a brand with the philosophy that hair ages just as skin does—she especially likes that it’s infused with Vitamins A and C, which combat natural signs of aging like brittleness and moisture loss.
“If the customer I’m looking for is [an anti-aging treatment]”That’s one of the things I offer,” she says, who also recommends a matching conditioner to complete the set.
Organic and Sustainable: Banyan Botanicals Organic Sesame Oil
size: 34 oz. | Main ingredients: sesame oil
If you’re looking to boost shine, Sanders recommends looking for a lightweight serum that stays on your hair, like this sesame oil, which has almost 1,200 five-star reviews.
“[Sesame oil] “It’s a sealing oil that sits on the hair and gives it a really nice shine,” she explains.
Best for Prepping Hair: Bumble and Bumble Thickening Blow Dry Prep Spray
size: 8.5 oz. | Main ingredients: Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
This pre-styling spray from Bumble & Bumble is a favorite of New York City-based hairstylist Jasmine Burnside. Spray onto clean, damp hair and finish with your favorite hair tool for the appearance of added volume.
Effective for thinning hair: Surface Hair Awakening Therapeutic Treatment
size: 2 ounces | Main ingredients: Mint, chili pepper, plant extracts, sunflower seed oil
This hair treatment line is a personal favorite of Bertucci’s. The line is designed to encourage new hair growth with ingredients like mint, capsicum, and botanical extracts. For maximum results, apply and massage into the scalp twice daily, as per the brand’s instructions.
Hair thickening shampoo: Kerastase Densifique Bandensite Shampoo
size: 8.5 oz. | Main ingredients: Ceramide, hyaluronic acid, glycopeptide
Abramité recommends pairing Kérastase’s Initialist serum with the brand’s Densifique shampoo and conditioner, a combo she likes because it deep cleanses hair while preventing breakage and removing buildup.
Add a volume. Oribe Sweep Up Volume Powder
size: 21 oz. | Main ingredients: Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Tapioca Starch, Aloe Vera
“It gives instant lift and hold at the roots, so you can spritz it on your roots or ends whenever you want to really add volume to your hair,” Burnside says of the Oribe Volumizer. Spraying it on also helps reduce the mess that can come with hair powder.
Curative treatment: Lanza Keratin Healing Oil Shine Shampoo
size: 10.1 oz. | Main ingredients: Coffee seed oil, Abyssinian flower oil, Acai fruit oil
Lanza Keratin Healing Oil Shampoo and Conditioner are also among Foster’s favorites. “It feels so luxurious,” she says.
Foster raved about the amazing scents and noted that these products contain a keratin base, which gives hair its natural bounce, volume, and shine, and are designed to cleanse, soften, silky, and protect hair color.
For volume and density: Kerastase Densifique Bodifying Mousse
size: 5.1 oz. | Main ingredients: Ceramide, hyaluronic acid, glycopeptide
While most mousses have a reputation for being sticky and weighing down hair, Abramite loves this Kérastase mousse because it does just the opposite: She thinks of it as a “softer mousse” that won’t weigh down your hair or make it feel sticky or frizzy.
Useful for styling: Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
size: 8.5 oz. | Main ingredients: Mango extract, aloe extract, crystalline zeolite
Burnside calls the Oribe Texturizing Spray one of her favorite sprays for adding volume to hair: “It gives it so much more grit and texture that you can actually feel it in your hair,” she says.
Popular scalp treatments: Kerastase Initaliste
size: 2.2 oz. | Main ingredients: Green tea extract, ceramide, UV filter
Abramité raves about this scalp and hair serum from Kérastase: “It adds volume, reduces breakage and leaves hair soft, shiny and thick,” she says.
While most serums tend to evoke an oily formula, Abramite emphasizes that this serum isn’t oily, but rather has a smoother, milky texture. She recommends using the product on stressed or receding sections of hair, then following your usual styling process, adding a little heat at the end.
FAQ
What happens to your hair as you age?
According to experts, hair generally loses elasticity and volume as we age, and it can also lose shine over time.
What are the best practices for improving dull, flat hair?
According to our experts, there are many ways to fix aging hair beyond hair care products, such as drinking enough water a day (just over 11 glasses), getting enough sleep (7-9 hours a night), and sleeping on a satin pillowcase can help keep your hair strong and vibrant for a long time.
Is shampooing too much bad?
“Excessive washing and brushing can increase shedding,” says Bertucci, meaning shampooing too frequently isn’t necessarily a good idea.
However, Abramite suggests following the best routine for your hair type, shampooing “only as often as necessary,” and avoiding cleansers that contain silicones or waxes.
Reasons for choosing
We’ve selected hair care products recommended by experts that are formulated with specific ingredients that help strengthen your hair (some even promote hair growth!) Many of the products included also aim to give your hair volume and shine.
Meet Our Experts
- Courtney Foster I’m a hairstylist and certified associate trichologist based in New York City.
- Casey Bertucci She’s a hairstylist and co-founder of Boston salon 120 West.
- Rita Sanders I am a hairstylist and owner of Tousled Hair Salon in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- Amy Abramite She is a hairstylist, salon instructor and creative director at Maxine Salon in Chicago.
- Jasmine Burnside I’m a New York based celebrity hairstylist.
