What are some of the challenges of cutting and styling hair for seniors?
Answers
If you have never cut an older adult’s hair, it can seem a little daunting at first. This is particularly true for seniors who have been dedicated to their hairdresser for years or even decades. Rest assured, with some help from a friend or family member, you can quickly and safely cut an older woman’s hair at home.
The best and easiest way to go is short. And you better explain the outcome and the result before you start; you may even show pictures to them to put their mind at ease.
A short hairstyle can present the elegance and convenience they deserve no matter a woman’s age. Short hair opens up a woman’s face and accentuates facial features, such as cheekbones, giving an immediate facelift.
One big challenge for me is that my hair is super curly. I started turning grey in my twenties. Even back then, my scalp and hair were oily, but my white hair was dry and frizzy, which made it more challenging to handle. But I’ve learned to deal with it somehow.
I use Bumble and Bumble hair conditioner, but of course, it’s not for everyone; it’s wise to use a product that suits your needs. The real challenge is when I’m taking a shower, and there’s an empty bottle of conditioner in my bathroom cabinet. That’s when I look up in the mirror and say hi to Howard Stern!
I also use a DIY hair mask once a week. My favourite ingredients are banana, honey, and olive oil; this should work if you have super dry hair. If not, try Yogurt, olive oil, and coconut oil (not necessarily in one mixture).
Caring for a senior’s hair can be a challenge, mainly if they are used to doing their hair in a beauty salon with lots of stairs. In general, the steps aren’t an issue until fear of falling takes over. The elderly might freeze about halfway up or down the steps. They may remain stuck in the middle, so it takes a lot of time to get them to finish the climb up or down. Therefore, the whole procedure gets so stressful that you mutually may decide to avoid going to a beauty salon. Besides, sitting on a chair for a long time to get the hair cut or styled, standing the hot blow of the hairdryer, the smell of the hair color, and the obsession of covering the bald spots or the grey hair are among the other challenges the seniors may face.
The fact is as people get older, so many mental and physical factors will slowly change and make new conditions for older people. So many researches show that health condition and body performance get more insecure year by year, and so do beauty! But it doesn’t mean you’re not healthy or beautiful anymore; it means you have to pay more attention to your health condition and appearance if you’d like to stay healthy and good-looking.
Anyway, one of the challenging items for seniors is taking care of their skins and hair to look more stylish and sustain the beauty of their appearance. One of the essential items which are so influential on your beauty is your hairstyle. But there are some challenges in having perfect haircuts and hairstyles in older adults. If you’re a senior or do unique caregiving to your beloved ones or customers, you should be familiar with these challenges.
• Hair color change
Hair color change is the most obvious sign of getting older. This process often starts in your 30s and continues for years and years. So it’s not so surprising that most of the seniors have lots of white hair. It’s not a problem, and it’s pretty in its own way, but if any seniors prefer to cover these white strands, they have to dye them once in a while. Because of the natural hair growth, this process should be repeated every couple of months to cover the newly grown parts of the hair shaft.
To add more beauty and style, they can ask their stylist or beauty caregivers to add some highlights. If you do caregiving services and you’re asked to dye a senior’s hair, be careful to use high-quality products and pay attention to the water temperature in the hair washing level. Too hot or too cold water could shock older adults and disturb their peace and calmness.
• Hair loss
Every person loses between 50 to 100 hair strands per day. When people are younger, the new strands will replace the lost ones, and the processes of growing and losing hair have the same approximate pace. But as you get older, the hair growing process gets slower and slower till it gets stopped. So the hair bulk and volume will be sensibly less than they used to be.
So it’s recommended to choose haircuts and hairstyles which make your hair look more voluminous. Caregivers should be aware that most elderly do not like trendy hairstyles and don’t care about the latest haircut shapes. They’re cool with the classic ones. Be patient and try to style their hair more likely to their own tastes.
• Products
Seniors’ skins and hair are more sensitive to chemical and cheap, low-quality products. So use gentle, soft, and less chemical hair products as much as possible. The organic ones are in priority—the products such as baby shampoo, organic oils, and hair serums.
