In rare cases, premature graying can be a sign of a medical issue, such as vitiligo (a condition that causes the skin to lose its pigmentation), pernicious anemia (in which the body has difficulty absorbing vitamin B12), or problems involving your pituitary or thyroid glands.
The most common factor is stress, followed by genetics, which causes either a loss or gain of pigment in your strands as you age, and finally a change in hormones as you age as well. If your genetics make you lose pigment, your hair could turn grey, silver, or white.
Gray hair typically starts to appear in a person's mid-30s for Caucasians, late 30s for Asians, and late 40s for African Americans. However, the onset of gray hair can vary significantly based on genetics, lifestyle, and health factors.
Yes. Stress has been shown to speed up signs of aging — including gray hair. When you're stressed, your body has a fight-or-flight response and releases a hormone called norepinephrine. This causes the melanocytes — the cells that produce melanin — to move out of your hair follicles.
In general the development of gray hair is a gradual process, and unless there's a medical condition, your hair most likely won't turn grey overnight. Besides genetics, the determination of how fast your hair migrates completely to grey is linked to overall nutrition, levels of stress and overall lifestyle.
Premature graying may be reversed with vitamin B12 supplementation only if vitamin B12 deficiency is the cause. If you are graying due to other factors, such as genetics, zinc deficiency, and medications, your gray hair cannot be reversed.
Scientists don't know exactly why some people go gray early, but genes play a large role. Also, a vitamin B-12 deficiency or problems with your pituitary or thyroid gland can cause premature graying that's reversible if the problem is corrected, Benabio says.
It's not possible to reverse or treat gray hair.
Although the primary cause of premature hair graying (PHG) is considered to be genetic, certain environmental factors also play a role. Trace element deficiencies such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, and calcium may also be associated with PHG.
Oxidative Stress: Sleep deficiency can lead to increased oxidative stress in the body, which, in turn, can damage melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin. This damage can expedite the greying process.
There's no hard-and-fast rule about when (or if!) you should stop coloring your hair and go gray; it's ultimately a personal choice.
Melanin is what gives your hair (and skin) its natural color. People of African descent, Thai, and Chinese people, go grey more slowly.
So, gray hair is not actually a color resigned to the elderly. Gray hair is a natural color that many young people are masking. And, with the right hairstyle, gray hair doesn't have to look frail or frumpy.
It has long been thought that reversal of gray hair on a large scale is rare. However, a recent study reported that individual gray hair darkening is a common phenomenon, suggesting the possibility of large-scale reversal of gray hair.
Regarding using baking soda for gray hair, experts endorse its potential benefits such as controlling pigmentation loss, lightening the strands, and providing texture. It can be used on coarse grey locks to make them smoother too by eliminating product buildup from oils or soaps.
Your hair follicles produce less color as they age, so when hair goes through its natural cycle of dying and being regenerated, it's more likely to grow in as gray beginning after age 35. Genetics can play a role in when this starts.
A new study shows that stress really can give you gray hair. Researchers found that the body's fight-or-flight response plays a key role in turning hair gray. Your hair color is determined by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.
The Colors to Avoid with Gray Hair
Here are a few to steer clear of: Muddy Neutrals: Beige, taupe, and other muted tones can make your skin look washed out and ashy. Earthy Yellows and Oranges: These warm tones clash with the coolness of gray hair and can make your complexion look sallow.
While moderate caffeine consumption is generally safe, excessive intake may negatively impact hair health. Potential Effects of Caffeine on Hair 1. Hormonal Imbalance: Caffeine can disrupt hormonal balances, particularly affecting the thyroid gland. Hormonal changes can contribute to hair graying, thinning, or loss.
The average age of onset of hair graying appears to be mid- to late forties; however, this varies with race, with the average age for Caucasians being mid-thirties, that for Asians being late thirties, and that for Africans being mid-forties.
Early gray hair may not mean anything other than your genetics are kicking in. Different people gray at different rates—and that's normal. However, graying can happen for other reasons as well, including stress.
A review of research suggests that proper supplementation may reverse premature graying in those who are deficient in certain nutrients, including iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.
We have previously published findings that, after the age of 50, humans are seldom with- out gray hair. At this age, around 50% of men and 30% of women are moderately or totally gray haired.