Premature greying of hair is a common problem in youngsters these days. In general, white or grey hair is taken as an old age symbol, but this might be very embarrassing to get them in your late 20’s or early 30’s.
There can be various causes for premature greying of hair. It can be due to malnutrition or genetic reasons. In this article, we’ll be discussing some of the most common causes of premature grey hair and natural ways to treat them.
Find out the benefits of consuming green tea with honey.
What causes premature greying of hair?
The greying of hair is a natural and inevitable process. It is said to be normal if you have a few grey hairs when you are in your 40’s.
As a teenager, it can be due to genetic reasons or improper nutrition from your diet. Human hair can be of different colors like brown, red, black, or grey. Pigmentation is the reason behind the natural coloring of your hair. [1]
Human hair consists of a pigment called melanin. Melanocytes, a neural crest-derived cell (located in the bottom layer of the skin’s epidermis) is responsible for the production of melanin.
Your hair follicles reduce forming melanin with your age, which causes hair to turn grey or silver. You’ll be left with all white hair when melanin formation is completely stopped. [2]
Reasons behind early age greying of hair
Genetics:
Premature greying of hair is always related to your genetics. It is often seen that parents who have got their hair of wisdom at an early age; their children are more likely to get it at an early age too.
There are mainly two factors- intrinsic and extrinsic, which work in the greying of hair. Genetics are related to intrinsic factors of premature greying of hair.
Extrinsic factors include malnutrition, hair damage due to various toxic chemicals, smoking, specific medical conditions, and excessive sun exposure.
Insufficient melanin production:
Hair gets its color from a pigment called melanin. The cell that produces melanin (Melanocytes) due to various reasons gets damaged and stops melanin production, causing greying of hair.
Regular and long term smoking:
Smoking is very toxic for every organ of the human body. Smoking indirectly also contributes to grey hair.
Smoking can lead to oxygen deficiency in your skin and may increase free radicals, ultimately affecting your hair by accelerating stress and aging of the follicles. [3]
Too much exposure to the sun:
The UVA and UVB rays from the sun can damage your scalp, further producing premature grey hair.
Chemicals used in hair styling products:
Various chemicals used in hair styling products can cause great damage to your hair. Hairstyling gel, shampoo, and even hair spray come with dangerous ingredients in them, which negatively impact melanin formation.
Stress or trauma:
Stress is also a leading reason for premature greying of hair. Stress causes an increase in cortisol, aka “the stress hormone,” which can accelerate the follicle’s aging. [4]
Anemia:
If you are suffering from anemia, then you might be facing premature grey hair problems. In anemia, your body lacks the healthy red blood cells to carry out oxygen to different organs. This reduction of oxygen in hair follicle ultimately reduces the melanin formation, which starts greying of hair.
Vitamin deficiency:
Deficiency of vitamin B12 and vitamin D can cause premature greying of hair. Vitamin D is required for the absorption of calcium in the body. Not only for calcium, but it is also very much essential for melanin production.
Folic acid deficiency:
Folic acid helps in cell growth, metabolic, and DNA functions. Folic acid deficiency can affect follicle, which may lead to premature greying of hair.
Can grey hair be reversed?
The answer to this question is not that simple. Grey hair can be or can not be revered to its original color. It depends on what causes the grey hair to appear for you.
In a recent study by Columbia University researchers [5], it is found that grey hair due to stress and trauma can be revert back to your original hair color. According to the report, hair can be turned grey when they lack the protein that provides nutrition to them. People with less psychological stress can be seen with less grey hair than people with much stress.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle and including a nutrition-rich diet can help to deal with premature greying of hair. There are many natural remedies in Ayurveda, which you can try to relieve yourself from this untimely wisdom of yours. [6]
How to avoid greying of hair?
Gey hair is unavoidable if you are in your 40’s. But you can stop their early appearance in your teenage. With a proper nutritional diet rich in Vitamin E, Vitamin D, and Iron can help you reduce white hair.
A regular massage with ayurvedic oils can help better blood circulation and provide essential nutrition to your hair. It can prevent damage due to excessive sun exposer and toxic chemicals used in various hair products.
Some good options for ayurvedic hair products with their online links are given below:
Premature greying of hair treatment
There are several home remedies for curing premature grey hair. We are listing a few of them below. These remedies help in increasing the melanin level in your follicles, resulting in darker hair color.
Amla (Indian Gooseberry):
Amla is well known for its several health benefits. In Ayurveda, it is suggested that regular use of amla can help to treat your grey hair. It is rich in vitamin C, which is essential for hair growth. Amla, due to its antioxidant properties, boosts blood circulation and helps in nourishing your hair.
Henna:
Henna is one of the oldest remedies mentioned in Ayurvedic science. It acts as a natural dye for your hair. You can apply it on your hair directly or mix it with other ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, cloves, or essential oils. It is very much effective in covering grey hair and providing proper nutrients to hair roots.
Onion juice:
Onion juice contains many nutrients, such as biotin and sulfur, which is extremely helpful in hair nourishment and growth. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of onion keep dandruff away and provide strength to your hair follicles.
Ginger with honey:
Ginger with honey is a great mixture to kick off stimulation in your hair follicles. It has natural conditioning properties and helps in promoting healthy hair.
Coconut oil:
Coconut oil is very useful in treating all of your hair problems. According to Ayurveda, excess heat in your body (pitta dosha) causes grey hair. Coconut oil has properties to cure pitta dosh and, therefore, beneficial in reducing grey hair.
You can add coconut milk or other coconut products in your diet. Applying a few drops of coconut oil is also supremely beneficial for hair.
Curry leaves:
Curry leaves have a rich amount of antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, Iron, magnesium, and copper.
It not only helps to provide nutrition to your hair but also strengthens hair follicles, which promote healthy hair. By regular consumption of these curry leaves, you can easily avoid early grey hair problems.
Bhringraj:
It is one of the ancient remedies for all hair problems. Bhringraj is also known as the “king of herbs.” You can easily get Bhringraj oil from your nearby store. For best result, apply it with Coconut oil, Brahmi and Amla.
Ashwagandha:
Ashwagandha is all in one hair tonic for all of your hair related problems. With its hormone-balancing properties, it prevents hair fall and gives shine to your hair.
It also stimulates blood circulation in your scalp resulting in better and healthy hair growth. Various Ayurvedic hair oil and shampoo consist of Ashwagandha in them. It is an effective remedy in preventing grey hair at an early age.
You can get it easily in your nearby stores. Just include it in your daily diet or apply its paste over your hair to get the best results.
