Could Holiday Hair Loss Really Be a Thing?

So eat more healthfully — including foods containing vitamins A, B and C, the mineral zinc and omega-3 fatty acids — and exercise more. I think you'll find it's easier to hold on to your hair than it is to regrow it.

Stop overglamming. "A less invasive approach to color and heat styling can minimize hair-fiber breakage," Dr. Bauman advises. You can start by using a lower heat setting on your hair dryer and holding the nozzle at least 10 inches away. If you use a round brush to blow-dry your hair, avoid putting tension on the brush. For gentle, more diffused heat, consider rollers and a hooded dryer. Or try the old wrap method, using your head as a single giant roller while bobby-pinning your hair in place until it dries. Finally, if you color or highlight your tresses, return them nearer to your natural hair color.

Choose products that plump you up. "Ingredients such as panthenol, caffeine and niacinamide can help improve thin, aging hair" over time, notes Dr. Bauman. (To quickly add volume, by contrast, try a texturizing spray or a thickening mousse.) But whatever you do, he cautions, don't rush into an action you'll regret later on. "Minoxidil is the active ingredient in many hair-loss regimens for women with hereditary hair loss," he says, "but never start a minoxidil routine out of sheer panic; the medication can also cause major scalp irritation."

Embrace texture. "Thinning occurs in every type of hair texture," Dr. Bauman says. But natural waves or curls, with their irregular pattern, afford greater "scalp camouflage" than stick-straight hair with a defined part.

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For anyone in the latter category, try these fast fixes to make thin hair look lush.

1. Bend at the waist and blow-dry your hair from the underside, using your fingers to tousle it for movement and fullness.
2. Switch your customary part to the other side, creating more lift at the roots.
3. Rather than a razor-straight part, do a messy, zigzag one instead; this disguises thinning at the scalp and adds oomph to your roots.

For more beauty and style tips for women 50-plus, check out The Woman's Wakeup (by an author you may recognize) and AARP's new Beauty & Style digital magazine, which is available for tablet.