The human body has millions of hair follicles lining the skin or small sacs. The follicles produce cells of hair and color or pigment which contain melanin. Over time, hair follicles lose pigment cells contributing to the appearance of white hair.
It's as you get older when changing your hair color. You may have a full head of blonde, black for a younger person, but in your 20's it is premature for you to start having gray hair. White people typically start aging in the mid-30s, late thirties Asians, and mid-40s Africans. Half of all people have big gray hair by the time they turn 50 But now we see several youths whose hair turned grey too early.
According to the dermatologist Jeffrey Benabio MD, when color-producing cells stop producing pigment (melanin), gray hair begins to grow which gives the hair its color. But hair follicles can lose pigment over time, which contributes to white hair. You may notice one or more strands of white hair when you're a teenager, or in the 20s. This is deemed natural. Nevertheless, some grow significant amounts of gray hair so early that 60–70 percent of their hair has turned grey even before they reach 50 years. The condition is considered rare, and a variety of factors that are responsible for this condition exist and remain.
What triggers early gray hair?
1.Genetic
The genetic makeup plays a major role in growing white hair (or if). If you see white hair early, your parents or grandparents are more likely to have gray or white hair early in life.
2. Nutritional Deficiency
White hair from an early age may also indicate a deficiency of vitamin B-12. This vitamin plays a large part in your body. It gives you strength and promotes good hair growth as well as hair colour. A deficiency of vitamin B-12 is associated with a condition called pernicious anemia that occurs when the body can not absorb enough of that vitamin. For healthy red blood cells, your body requires vitamin B-12 which, like hair cells, provides oxygen to cells in your body. A deficiency can weaken the hair cells and affect the production of melanin.
3. Health Conditions
It may also be responsible for premature hormonal changes caused by a thyroid condition such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism in the white hair. The thyroid is useful to manage other body functions including metabolism. The color of your hair can affect even your thyroid activity. An overactive or underactive thyroid will cause less melanin to be produced in your body. Even an autoimmune condition may lead to premature gray hair. This is when body cells are being killed by the immune system. In alopecia and vitiligo, the immune system can attack hair, and cause loss of pigment.
4. Smoking
It is related to smoking and premature gray hair. One research reliable Source of 107 participants found a correlation between "developing gray hair and smoking cigarettes before age 30." Smoking cigarettes is well known to raise the risk of lung cancer and heart disease. Nevertheless, the long-term effects can penetrate the heart and lungs and affect hair. Smoking blocks blood vessels and thereby decreases blood flow to hair follicles and causes hair loss. Cigarette toxins can also affect parts of your body such as hair follicles, and cause early gray hair.
5. Stress
Stress can affect your hair too. Credible source research in 2013 found a correlation between stress and stem cell depletion in the mice's hair follicles. And if you've found that white threads have a spike, the perpetrator could be stressed. This hypothesis can also explain why some world leaders when in office, continue to grow older.
The transformation or avoidance of white hair in the back depends upon the cause. When the cause is genetics there is little that can be done to permanently avoid or reverse color changes. Pigmentation may return in the event of medical conditions, but there are no assurances if you deal with the underlying health issue. Valencia Higuera notes that there is no evidence that white hair is developing due to stress or smoking, despite stopping smoking or that stress. It is safer to reduce depression and avoid smoking, to prevent the early growth of gray hair.
How To Stop White Hair?
1. Medicated/Doctor Prescribed Products
Treatments start with the graying form (natural or premature) and the underlying causes. Your doctor will prescribe shampoos, conditioners, oils, serums and hair masks appropriate to your hair type. They can also include dietary supplements.
2. Cosmetic Shampoos
Cosmetic shampoos contain certain ingredients that can add a shine to your grey locks. Such shampoos can also enhance the texture of the hair, in addition to providing colour.
3. Essential Oils
Essentials oil assists in generating and preserving melanin to the highest levels. Some of the other essential oils available on the market include rosemary, sandalwood, chamomile, lavender, fenugreek, argan, and amla.
4. Food Sources
Foods high in antioxidants may help with oxidative stress and grey hair. Antioxidants combat free radicals, which are unpaired electrons in atoms or molecules. They cause harm to your body while looking for an electron. In the body free radicals develop due to factors such as sunlight, smoking, pollution, and aging. Load up on nutritious foods such as fruit, green tea, broccoli, olive oil, and fish to reverse hair graying prematurely. Your go-to will also be vitamin-rich foods and vitamin supplements.
5. Alternatives/Remedies
Natural products can be used to slow hair graying down without having to cause any side effects. Here is a list of those safe and natural remedies:
Curry leaves
Gooseberry or amla
Black tea
Bhringaraj
How To Prevent White Hair?
1. Quit Smoking
2. Turn To Antioxidants
3. Protect Your Hair From The Sun
The sun's harmful UV rays can cause oxidizing stress in the body and premature hair graying. When outdoors, cover your hair with a hat or scarf.
4. Avoid Stress
Why Plucking Grey Hair Is A Bad Idea?
It is commonly accepted that more would grow back if you pluck a strand of grey hair. That is wrong. Only one hair strand may grow out of a single hair follicle. Do not be tempted to pluck your grey hair though. You may find hair follicles fragile and there is a risk that daily plucking would eventually discard hair growth in any hair follicle. You don't want the volume of your hair to go down, will you?
Can White Hair Turn Black Again?
The hair graying due to hereditary or age can not be reversed. However, with a healthy diet and a good hair care routine, graying associated with food, pollution, bleaching and stress can be slowed down. Know the hair that fits your hair and work out the hair care.
How To Determine If Your Greying Is Premature Or Natural?
Hair graying begins when you're in your late 40s and early 50s. Premature hair graying can begin as early as in 20's. Apart from biology, premature hair graying is also related to race, according to studies.
Wrapping Up
Religious hair care and a healthy diet will slow down and reverse gray hair, probably. If you want to remove grey hair without a colour, speak to your doctor about procedures, cosmetic shampoos and other things.