What happens to your body hair as you age?

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What happens to your body hair as you age?

We’re all painfully aware the hair on our head gets thinner and/or goes grey as we get older, but what about the hair on our bodies?

Well, apparently this hair undergoes its own special ageing process.

Speaking to womenshealthmag.com, dermatologist and medical director of the John Hopkins Dermatology and Cosmetic Center in the US, Rebecca Kazin dished the dirt on your locks below your head. 

According to the expert, all body hair that sprouts during puberty (so underarms and genitals, plus chest hair for guys) is controlled by hormones. 

As we age, these hormone levels drop – making our body hair sparser and thinner. 

“…there are also less building blocks for hair growth as we get older – skin is thinner, there is less subcutaneous tissue, and follicles get smaller over time, resulting in finer, fuzzier-textured hair,” says Kazin.

This means most people will see a pretty significant reduction in the production of leg and arm hair – which is pretty great, if you ask me!

But don’t go ditching your razor just yet: annoyingly, those same hormonal changes that lead to less body hair often stimulate hair growth in other areas of the face (thanks to a rise in testosterone levels). 

I’m talking about that growing moustache and/or pesky chin hairs. At just 25 years old, I’m already experiencing the latter (SO unfair): 

In addition to these facial hair struggles, it seems our body hair also goes grey, just like the hair on our heads. 

“Melanin pigments the hair, and with time, there is less melanin production, which turns hair grey,” says Kazin.

While the hair on our heads goes grey faster, your carpet will most likely eventually match your drapes. 

Bummer.

Our tip? If you’re considering having laser hair removal, you should do it sooner rather than later.

Why? Well, laser works by targeting pigment in hair – so you need to do it while you’ve still got some!

Have you noticed a reduction in body hair and/or increasingly grey body hair as you age? Does it bother you, or do you simply accept it as part of the ageing process?

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