Key takeaways on new LVMH review on ageing hair
- As adults over 65 are the fastest‑growing global demographic, there is increasing relevance for longevity in hair care
- LVMH’s peer‑reviewed study calls for a holistic approach to ageing hair, integrating biology, scalp health and fibre science
- Hair greying and thinning are driven by stem cell dysfunction, oxidative stress and disrupted hair cycling
- Age‑related changes to the scalp and microbiome directly affect hair growth and fibre quality
- Integrated research and advanced delivery systems will shape next‑generation hair care formulations
According to the World Health Organisation, by 2030 one in six adults will be over the age of 60, which means that longevity is becoming increasingly important for the beauty industry and therefore for hair care NPD.
Recognising this shift, French multinational LVMH has published a new multifaceted review on ageing hair in the peer‑reviewed journal Cosmetics.
The researchers highlighted that hair ageing affects physical appearance and therefore self‑perception. “Poor hair health and hair loss can cause detrimental emotional, psychological, and social impacts,” the study stated.
The research team noted that hair ageing now requires a holistic approach that considers the complex interactions between hair biology, the scalp, and factors such as age, gender and ethnicity. It also said that understanding hair growth and how the hair fibre is produced involves a multi-disciplinary approach.
“Hair biology allows the elucidation of the hair follicle cycle regulation and cellular processes governing follicle growth; hair physics interrogates the mechanics and physical properties of the protruding, non-living hair shaft; and chemistry of hair investigates the structural assembly and chemical composition of the hair strand,” explained the research team.
The review also showed how advances in integrated research – including omics technologies, stem cell‑based therapies and improved delivery systems for active ingredients – are shaping the future of hair science.
Implications for future hair care formulation and active development
The research brought together current knowledge of the biological processes underlying hair pigmentation and hair growth, highlighted gender and ethnic variations, and delineated hair fibre diameter, ellipticity and elasticity – properties that collectively contribute to the characteristics of aged hair.
It also explored the growing importance of enhancing scalp skin health to promote healthy hair growth, with a focus on age‑associated alterations to the scalp skin and its microbiome.
Here are five key scientific insights takeaways from the review that could be useful for hair R&D experts:
Hair ageing reflects disruption of the hair cycle and its stem‑cell niches
Human hair follicles cycle independently through anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen. With ageing, the growth phase shortens, fewer follicles remain in anagen (growth), and follicles undergo progressive miniaturisation. Ageing is therefore associated less with the loss of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and more with declining stem‑cell function and impaired signalling within their niche.
Hair greying is multifactorial, driven mainly by melanocyte dysfunction and oxidative stress
Greying results from reduced melanin production, impaired melanin transfer, and loss or dysfunction of melanocytes within the hair follicle pigmentary unit. Key contributors include oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, dysregulated antioxidant pathways and DNA damage, rather than a single causal mechanism. As hair pigmentation is tightly linked to the anagen phase, pigment loss is indirectly coupled to disruptions in the hair cycle.
Melanocyte stem cell depletion underpins ‘irreversible’ greying
Maintenance of melanocyte stem cells (MeSCs) in the bulge and sub‑bulge niche is critical for pigment regeneration. Ageing leads to impaired MeSC migration, increased differentiation or apoptosis, and their eventual trapping in non‑productive niches – clearly demonstrated in murine models. Once MeSCs are exhausted, greying is believed to become irreversible, although early pigment loss may still be reversible if the niche remains intact.
Age‑related hair loss involves dermal papilla dysfunction and follicle miniaturisation
Both senescent alopecia (SA) and androgenetic alopecia (AGA) share features such as reduced hair fibre diameter, lower anagen‑to‑telogen ratios and follicle miniaturisation. Ageing dermal papilla cells display reduced inductive capacity, increased senescence markers and impaired Wnt/β‑catenin signalling, while chronic microinflammation and oxidative stress further compromise follicle regeneration.
Ageing alters hair fibre structure and scalp skin
Beyond pigmentation loss, ageing hair becomes thinner, stiffer, more brittle and less lustrous due to changes initiated within the follicle as part of an ‘aged hair programme’. These include altered keratin expression, reduced cuticle layers, loss of protective lipids, notably 18‑MEA, and weakened mechanical properties. In parallel, the scalp skin ages, with reduced epidermal thickness, sebaceous activity and vascularisation, alongside microbiome alterations that directly impair hair growth and fibre quality.
Going forward, the researchers concluded that it is no longer sufficient for hair care NPD to simply consider individual aspects of hair science in isolation and that a holistic perspective is required.
Source: Yi Shan Lim et al LVMH Fragrances & Cosmetics Singapore and LVMH Recherche; Cosmetics 2025, 12(6), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics12060284
