Much like the rest of your body, your hair goes through changes as you get older. The hair cycle -- rest, shed and grow -- slow downs, and can lead to hair loss, which can be very traumatizing.
"Your hair changes every seven years," explains women's hair restoration expert Lucinda Ellery. "There are 150,000-200,000 hairs on our heads; we actually shed 100 a day, 36,000 in a year on average. It regenerates at approximately the same rate, although a little bit less each trimester.
"By the time you're 15, it's the best head of hair you'll have for your entire life. (Editor's note: Wah!) By the time you're 30 there will be a significant change in your hair, but not one you may have clicked into mentally. By the time you're 37, 40, there's a marked changed. This is where people panic -- it's a natural cycle of aging."
"The causes are always the same," says Dr. Mickey Barber, president of Cenegics Carolinas, an age management institute. "The number one reason is stress, number two is iron deficiency and the number three is hormonal, which could be affected by menopause, perimenopause."
Instead of panicking at the strands of hair in your brush, Ellery recommends taking control of your body by eating healthier.
"It's really how healthy your body is. You start to notice more shine and elasticity, if you start treating your body from within.," Ellery told the Huffington Post. "if you have a way of finding out if your body is acidic, imbibe foods that would make it more alkaline: Fresh vegetables, fresh salads, fresh nutrients in our drinks and our foods. [Avoid] acid making foods like milk and dairy products, breads, and potatoes [because they] change the pH value of your body."
So what foods should you eat to help strengthen your hair and avoid hair loss? Take a look at the slideshow below.
Support HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.