Characteristic Features of Ageing in Korean Women's Hair and Scalp

December 2012 in “ British Journal of Dermatology ”

S.N. Kim, S.Y. Lee, Man Ho Choi, Kyung‐Mi Joo, S.H. Kim, Jai‐Kyoung Koh, W.S. Park

hair density hair diameter tensile strength hair lustre grey hair mineral content calcium magnesium potassium phosphorus sterol content cholesterol cholesterol metabolites intrinsic ageing

TLDR Korean women's hair thins, weakens, and greys with age, with mineral and sterol changes.

The study investigated age-related changes in the hair and scalp of 150 healthy Korean women aged 23-69. It found that hair density, diameter, tensile strength, and lustre significantly decreased starting in the 40s, while the ratio of grey hair increased notably in the 60s. Mineral content in hair, such as calcium and magnesium, decreased with age, whereas potassium and phosphorus increased. Sterol content, including cholesterol and its metabolites, rose with age, but no changes were observed in hair-shaft amino acids or sex steroids. These findings suggested that intrinsic ageing led to distinct changes in Korean women's hair, differing from those observed in women from other countries.

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