Changing Hair Texture

African man and a female barber
Photo: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock
Q: I am a 35-year-old black man and my hair texture has been changing for the past 10 years. My hair has become increasingly wavy as I have aged. It started with just waves on top but over the years has spread to my entire head. I am just curious as to what could have caused my hair to change.
 
A: The texture of a person's hair can change naturally as the body matures depending on his or her genetic make up. In some rare cases it can be changed as a result of damage to the scalp and follicles, but such damage usually results in a defined "period" of change and may only be temporary.
 
You should talk to older family members and see if any of them have encountered similar situations. This could be difficult with female family members who may have regular relaxer treatments and therefore not have any way of knowing how their hair would behave naturally.
 
If it turns out that the change is not something anyone else in your family has experienced, or if you have any other symptoms, such as scalp irritation, and you are concerned then by all means, speak to a dermatologist about it and have him allay your concerns.
 
Otherwise, I would simply chalk it up to a fact of genetics and try to work with the wave where possible. Of course, if you prefer a different look, you can always look into getting your own relaxer treatments to get rid of the wave.
 
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See also:
 
Change in hair texture caused by genetics, environment or products
 
Damaged hair
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