Curry leaves, amla, and black sesame are rich in antioxidants that neutralise free radicals, damaging melanocytes - the pigment cells in hair follicles. Amla enhances tyrosinase activity, boosting melanin production, while sesame oil nourishes pigment cells, helping hair retain its natural colour longer.

Tulsi, sweetneem, and fenugreek detox the scalp, improve microcirculation, and reduce inflammation that accelerates follicular ageing. Their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and adaptogenic actions create a balanced, oxygen-rich environment that preserves scalp vitality and long-term hair density.

Fenugreek, amla, and shea are rich in lecithin, amino acids, and lipids that restore degraded keratin and collagen in ageing strands. They rebuild structural integrity from cortex to cuticle, resulting in visibly denser, more flexible, and less breakage-prone hair.

Bhringraj, sesame, and sweetneem prolong the anagen (growth) phase by energising dermal papilla cells and maintaining follicular mitochondria. Simultaneously, tulsi and fenugreek act on cortisol and hormonal imbalance, common causes of early greying, ensuring slower hair ageing and sustained regrowth.

Hair ageing is not just external - it starts deep within the follicle, especially in two key regions - The hair matrix, where new hair cells are formed and the bulge area, home to follicular stem cells and melanocyte stem cells (which produce pigment). Over time, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and reduced stem cell renewal begin to impair both hair structure and colour, setting the stage for visible signs of ageing: thinning, brittleness, and greying.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated both internally (mitochondrial activity, inflammation) and externally (UV exposure, pollution), are central to hair ageing. In melanocytes (the pigment-producing cells), ROS damage mitochondria and DNA, disrupting melanin synthesis. Enzymes like tyrosinase, essential for producing eumelanin and pheomelanin, become less active or dysfunctional under oxidative stress. This leads to melanocyte apoptosis (cell death), and the eventual depletion of pigment - resulting in grey or white strands. In hair matrix keratinocytes, oxidative stress also slows cell proliferation, resulting in thinner hair shafts and a slower growth rate.

Hair gets its color from melanin, transferred from melanocytes to keratinocytes during hair formation. But melanocytes rely on a constant supply of melanocyte stem cells from the follicular bulge. With age these stem cells lose their regenerative capacity., some migrate abnormally or differentiate prematurely and others are lost entirely due to epigenetic changes or inflammation. Once depleted, melanocytes are no longer replenished, leading to permanent greying. This process is accelerated by chronic stress, inflammation, smoking, or nutritional deficiencies (especially copper, vitamin B12, and folate).

Ageing also affects the quality and composition of the hair fibre itself. Reduced production of keratin and lipids makes hair coarser, more porous, and prone to breakage. Fewer disulfide bonds (which maintain hair’s strength and elasticity) develop, weakening the hair shaft. Sebum production from sebaceous glands decreases, reducing natural lubrication and shine. The cumulative result: duller, drier, thinner hair with reduced volume and resilience.

Age-related hormonal shifts, especially involving androgens like DHT (dihydrotestosterone), can trigger follicular miniaturization, reducing the diameter and length of hair strands, shorten the anagen (growth) phase and inhibit stem cell activation, further limiting hair regeneration. This process—seen in both men and women—can overlap with greying, amplifying visible signs of ageing on the scalp.