Causes, Prevention, and Treatment of Premature Graying of Hair

Graying hair is normal as age progresses, but if it occurs early in life, it makes the person appear much older than their age, causing poor self-esteem and personality issues.

A hair specialist of a hair clinic in Walnut Creek says the main cause of this graying is a reduction in melanin synthesis by pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. These cells are present in the roots of hairs called the hair follicle. The point when hair turns gray is not only decided by age (usually average age of graying is late 30’s to 40’s depending on the race), but it also depends on certain other factors like stress and deficiency of vitamin B-12.

What Do You Mean by Early Graying of Hair?

Due to a decrease in melanin production in the hair follicles during the growing age, the hair will start graying from mid-thirties; this is known as early graying of hair.

For humans, gray hair is considered premature when it happens at around 30. The term premature hair graying is used before the age of 20 in white people, 25 in Asian people, and 30 in African people. The primary cause of early graying of hair in teens and young people may be genetic, autoimmune disorders, smoking, and trace element deficiencies.

Causes of Premature Graying of Hair

Here are common causes of prematurely graying hair.

1. Genetics Issue: Your look plays a big role if you develop white hair at an early age. If you found white hair at an early age, it is likely that your family member, such as your parents or grandparents, also had graying or white hair at an early age. You can not change genetics. But if you do not like your gray hair looks, you should use various colors (such as Burgandy, Mahogany, Black, Chestnut, Curple, and many others) for hair coloring.

2. Stress: Everybody deals with stress from day today. The consequences of chronic stress can include as a reason and so on like

• sleep problems
• anxiety
• change in appetite
• high blood pressure

Stress can also affect your hair. So if you have found a rise in your number of white strands, stress might be the culprit.

3. Autoimmune disease: This disease can also cause premature white hair when the immune system attacks its cells. In the case of vitiligo and alopecia, your immune system can attack hair and cause loss of pigment. Here is an alopecia treatment in concord; you can go with this.

4. Thyroid disorder: Hormonal changes caused by a thyroid problem such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. It may also be responsible for premature graying of hair. The gland is butterfly-shaped, located at the base of your neck. It helps control many body functions, like metabolism. The health of your thyroid gland can also influence the color of your hair. An underactive or overactive thyroid gland can reproduce less melanin to your body.

5. Deficiency of vitamin B-12: White hair at an early age can also indicate a deficiency of vitamin B-12, which plays a vital role in your body’s function. It gives you energy and contributes an important part to your hair growth and hair color.

B-12 vitamin deficiency is associated with a condition called pernicious anemia, and when your body can not absorb enough of this vitamin, it has occurred. Your body needs vitamin B-12 for healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen to cells in your body, including hair cells. A deficiency can weaken hair cells and affect melanin production.

6. Smoking: There is a link between premature hair graying and smoking. It’s well-known that smoking cigarettes increase the risk of lung cancer and heart disease. However, the long-term effects can go beyond the heart and lungs and affect hair. Smoking constricts blood vessels, reducing blood flow to hair follicles and causing hair loss. Rather than, Toxins in cigarettes can damage parts of your body, including your hair follicles, causing early white hair.

7. Chemical hair products: Chemical hair products such as hair packs shampoos can contribute an important role in premature hair graying. Because many of these products contain harmful ingredients that decrease melanin, such as Hydrogen peroxide, which is in many hair dyes, is a harmful chemical. Excessive use of bleach hair products will eventually cause it to turn white.

How to Prevent Premature Graying

If other family members have experienced the same problem in their childhood, that means you will have it in your genes too. You can do nothing as it is a natural process that may worsen with age. If premature graying of hair is not in your family, lack of proper nutrients is probably the main cause.

General measures to follow -

• Provide your children with food rich in iron, protein, and vitamin B12 like fresh fruits, juices, fresh green leafy vegetables, white meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy products.
• Avoid excessive intake of cakes, candies, soda, chocolates, and other foods that include refined sugar.
• Avoid using shampoo sand soaps that contain more chemicals.
• Apart from providing a healthy diet, it is also very important to check your children are not suffering from any kind of disease like hypo or hyperthyroidism, pernicious anemia, vitiligo, etc.

Which Vitamin Helps Prevent Graying of Hair?

Vitamin B 6 and B 5 are two complex B vitamins that help healthy skin and hair. Vitamin B6 will help restore hair to its original color following an illness or deficiency, and vitamin B 5, known as pantothenic acid, helps combat premature graying of hair.

Which Food Can Make Hair Black?

The following are the foods that can make your hair black naturally:

- Protein: Eating protein-rich foods such as grains, meat, and soy aids in producing melanin which gives hair its black color.

- Minerals: Foods rich in zinc, iron, and copper help keep hair healthy. A zinc deficiency can also cause hair shedding.

- Vitamins: Foods rich in vitamin B, found in fresh green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, bananas, yogurt, etc., and foods that are rich in vitamin A, such as dark green vegetables and yellow fruit, will help prevent gray hair.

- Salmon: Salmon is a good source of omega-three fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids keep your scalp healthy, which is important because a dry scalp can appear your hair color dull.

Treatment

For two to four months, oral calcium pantothenate 200 mg/day or para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) 100 mg three times a day may show variable responses ranging from 70 to 80 % depending on the case.

Consult a hair disorders specialist in Hair Clinic in Concord for more information.