5 Helpful Tips on How to Take Care of Elderly Person’s Hair

Last Updated on January 18, 2019

Elderly may have a hard time taking care of their own hair. However, they still want to look at their best. They can go out and visit the beauty parlor but they cannot do this all the time. There are times that they want to brush their hair but cannot due to disability. The best thing to do is to get the services of the caregiver. Taking care of the elderly’s hair can be a hard task to handle considering that most of them get easily irritated and impatience. The good thing is that the caregiver can perform the task with patience and some sense of humor. Through this, you can have a stress-free hair care experience with your aged loved one.

The energy level of your elderly loved one can change if she has freshly styled, clean and freshly cut hair. This can likewise change her outlook on life and improve their mood. To help your old loved ones relax and feel good about them, you can suggest a haircut. But because of their age, it could be a challenging task for them to wash and take care of their own hair.

Elderly who are having a hard time to stand in the shower or to get inside and out of the bathtub may find it hard to wash, dry and style their hair every day. They need help from their loved ones or caregiver to do their hair care routine. If you are a caregiver and you are having problems getting the senior’s hair fix, or to take care of their hair, you can consider the tips below on how to make their hair care routine stressed free and easier.

Tips on How to Take Care of Elderly’s Hair

1. Determine if the Elderly Can Still Managed their Hair on their Own

The first thing you need to know is whether the elderly can still take care of their own hair. If they are still capable of handling their hair, then they can continue doing their hair on their own on daily or weekly routine. But, if they get tired easily when they are trying to fix their hair on their own, then you can help them to complete the task. If in case your loved one cannot do the routine anymore, you or a caregiver can help them clean, dry and fix their hair every day. To make it easier for you to find out what she is capable of doing, you can talk to her or you can observe her movements. If they ask for your help directly or if they seem to need help, then you can lend a hand and help them fix their hair.

2. Know What Type of Hairstyle Your Loved One Wants

If your loved one has been sporting the same hairstyle for many years, you can suggest a new one. But, if the hair style is too complicated for you to learn, then you can suggest an easier and simpler style that may be best for them. Recommending simple hair style can make the caregiver’s job lot easier and at the same time the elderly will not be subjected to the routine longer. Keep in mind that older people get easily annoyed thus make sure that the styling process will only take minutes.

Hair specialist suggests that elderly should sport short hair since the hair tends to become brittle and thin as we age. However, make sure that your grandma will agree on this before cutting her hair. If you cut her hair without consulting her first and she becomes frustrated you might have a bigger problem. If the oldies love to go to the salon then you can bring once in a while. It is much easier to maintain a shorter hairdo.

3. Determine How Frequent You Will Wash Your Loved One’s Hair

Washing your elderly’s hair every day is not necessary because they tend to perspire less, have dryer hair and have less activities. These factors can help you determine how many times you can wash their hair in a week. Some elderly may only need to wash their hair once a week. This is applicable for woman who has a hairstyle that lasts for several days.

For elderly with shorter hair and cannot go to the shower room, you can wash their hair using a washcloth. For this purpose, you can use a rinse-free shampoo that you can either comb into or spray on your loved one’s hair. This kind of shampoo can clean the hair without the need of rinsing it and can provide clean, oil free and fresh hair.

4. Look for a Substitute if you or the Caregiver is not available to Wash their Hair

There are instances where you cannot attend to your loved ones need. You need to find a substitute or a reliever to do the job. Ask your friends, community volunteers, home care providers and family members to do the job, to help them in taking care of their hair.

5. Strategies for Keeping the Elderly’s Hair Healthy

There are some challenges that may occur with regards to taking care of elderly hair. This is true, particularly for females. Most women even if they reach the age of 70’s they still want their hair to look great, even if it shows some signs of aging. Washing and styling your grandma’s hair is much easier if you apply the following strategies:

1. Add some humor on her daily hair routine. If an unavoidable circumstance took place, you can make a joke out of it. Make sure that you will lose your cool.
2. Keeping a simple hair style will make things easier for you and for your loved ones.
3. Don’t get influenced by other people’s expectations. You are the one who will do her hairdo, not them.
4. There are important factors that you need to consider like the water and the room temperature. This is particularly true if the elderly has dementia. You might get into a fight with the elder during washing. Make sure that your loved one is relaxed and comfortable during the routine.
5. Set the mood. You can play your grandma’s favorite songs while washing her hair. It will lessen the anxiety.
6. You can always ask for help. If the hair washing, cutting of hair and another hair routine becomes troublesome it is best to ask the help of your other relatives.

Keep in mind that the elderly’s hair may dry out fast. Taking care of the elderly’s hair like washing it regularly can help reduce the drying and thinning out. Taking the right vitamins and eating nutritious food can also help in keeping their hair healthy and strong.