As one ages, several body changes are common. Hair loss is one age-related change that affects both men and women. If you are experiencing hair that is falling out, age may be the reason. If you want to prevent hair loss as you age, it may be important to understand why this occurs and how to prevent problems. This is an especially prevalent problem in aging men, although women may also be affected by it.

Hair grows out from openings in the scalp called follicles. Body hair is a protein-based substance. The life span of one individual hair strand is four to five years before it naturally falls out. At that time, it will be replaced with a newly grown hair, which will then take over that particular follicle. Natural age-related slowing of the body also applies to the speed with which hair in the scalp follicles is replaced. The bodies of younger people ingest and produce the proper amounts of protein to promote hair growth.

However, as one ages, a body's decreased protein consumption and production affects hair growth due to the amount of protein needed to produce the hair. The body uses less protein because it does not need to maintain growth and change, resulting in decreased protien production. This protein deficit creates a situation in which hair falls out and is not replaced as quickly, resulting in thinning hair and baldness. Another factor in the appearance of hair loss is loss of hair pigment. Consequently, a person's hair may not only fall out without being replaced, it may also be that the hair that does grow is smaller and thinner.

When it begins, age-related hair loss will affect men and women differently. With women, their chief complaint will be thinner hair due to a loss of pigmentation. Men, however, lose their hair from the front of the scalp to the back. This is not only a result of changes in protein and pigment, but also due to the hormone of testosterone. Testosterone affects the way protein and pigmentation react causing decreased hair production for the body as well as the head, thereby leading to hair loss.

As you age, you may begin to experience hair loss. This isa result of naturally occuring age-related body changes. These changes affect the amount of hormones, proteins and pigmentation being produced. If you are aging, you can be assured that your hair loss is a natural part of the aging process. You can augment your diet with a variety of supplements as well protein to help your hair to age gracefully.