Does Leg Hair Stop Growing at a Certain Age?
All hair growth on a person’s body will change over the course of their lifetime. While the hair on our heads may thin and change color as we get older; what happens to the rest of the hair on your body?
Hormones and Hair Loss
All of the hair other than the hair on your head ages in a completely unique way. Any body hair that grows after puberty, for example the hair under your arms, on your chest, and your genitals; this hair growth and loss is entirely controlled by the hormones in your body.
As we age, our natural levels of estrogen will reduce, and as such, these hairs will become thinner and sparser. This is why both hair on the legs and the arms will also be significantly reduced. Another key factor in the production of hair on the body is the thickness of the skin. As we get older, our skin becomes thinner, hair follicles will reduce in size, and there is less subcutaneous tissue as well. The result of all of this is finer hair and less hair growth overall.
The only caveat to this, and something which you may already be familiar with is that while some hair growth on the body will be reduced, in some areas, it will unfortunately increase. The same hormonal changes that a person goes through as they get older can also cause an increase in their testosterone levels. The result of this is hair growth in other areas, such as the lip, chin, and other areas of the face.
What Else Can Cause the Hair to Stop Growing on your Legs?
As we have already alluded to at the start of this post, hair loss is expected as we age. Your hair will naturally become thinner and various genetic influences, and changes to hormones are all key factors in hair loss, both for men and for women. However, the aging process is not the only explanation for hair loss. While we have already concluded that leg hair will become thinner and eventually cease to grow as you get older, excessive hair loss in the legs could be a result of poor circulation. Your leg hair might also stop growing because of certain medications, illness, friction, or follicular damage.
1. Leg Hair May Stop Growing Because of Poor Circulation
An increasingly more common cause of hair loss is something known as Peripheral Artery Disease or PAD for short. This is essentially poor circulation that is due to narrowing of the core arteries that transport blood to the feet and the legs, along with the formation of plaque. Leg hair can stop growing because the decreased blood supply is unable to deliver the right levels of nutrients in order to stimulate healthy hair growth. It is estimated that between 10-18% of people who are over the age of 60 could be suffering from poor circulation in their legs. The risk of this issue is elevated in those who have high cholesterol, smokers, high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. Some of the other physical signs of PAD may include a shiny appearing skin, a lower temperature of the skin, and smoother than normal skin.
2. Leg Hair May Stop Growing Because of Scarring or Friction
Elevated hair loss in the legs could also come about because of everyday friction that can be caused by the repeated wearing of tight-fitting socks, lycra or tight-fitting shorts, or even just by wearing jeans. This repeated motion of friction, over time, can discourage the normal growth of hair in the legs, and, it can also break or damage some of the hair follicles that are close to the surface of the skin. The hair on the legs will only start to grow again once the damage stops taking place.
Where scarring is apparent, there is also most likely going to be scar tissue that lies beneath the surface. Because hair cannot grow on scar tissue, this can result in the apparent loss of hair on the legs. However, scars, burns, skin rashes or persistent eczema can all cause damage to the hair follicles on the legs, all of which will also prevent the hair from growing in these areas.
3. Leg Hair May Stop Growing Because of Certain Medical Conditions
Another reason that can cause leg hair to stop growing at a certain age is a condition called Anterolateral leg alopecia. It is a relatively harmless cause of hair loss in the lower leg region, and it affects both men and women, typically of a middle-age.
Alopecia Areata is a specific type of autoimmune condition that can result in circular patches of hair loss, more often than not, in areas no wider than a quarter coin in size. These patches can occur on any part of the human body, including the upper and lower legs.
There are a number of other medical conditions that can stop leg hair to stop growing as well, such as severe malnutrition, eating disorders or thyroid disorders.
4. Leg Hair May Stop Growing Because of Certain Medications
There are a number of medications that can prevent the healthy growth of hair on the body. Most of the time, the hair growth will return to normal once the medication leaves the system. Birth control tablets, chemotherapy, high doses of Vitamin A, anabolic steroids, and other tablets that are frequently prescribed in order to tackle issues with high blood pressure, heart problems, gout, and depression are all examples of medications that may result in hair loss on a number of different areas of the body.
If you are experiencing what feels like an elevated rate of hair loss on the legs or any other part of your body, seeking out medical advice is always a good starting point. However, if you are growing older and notice your hair thinning, becoming less dense or stop growing in certain parts of your legs altogether, this could simply be as a result of the aging process or from changes to the normal level of hormones in your body.
