You: Ohh! I had grey hair…
Friend: Don't pull it out, all of your hair strands will turn grey.
Have you ever experienced this? There are many things surrounding premature greying of hair, mainly in the 20s. Here in this blog, we will understand the most common doubts of people such as:
What causes grey hair?
What are the risk factors for grey hair?
Can the grey hair turn black?
Grey hair is the most common hair problem experienced by many people, while several other factors affect our hair color, the main reason is:
“ Melanocytes are the cells present in the hair follicles, these melanocytes release a pigment called melanin that brings color to the hair follicles ranging from black, brown to red. As we get older the melanocytes become less active and also lower the production of melanin. Due to this, the new hairs that arise on the scalp will have less melanin pigment giving white, grey, and silver hair.”
So, what causes grey hair?
We have understood why grey hair is seen along with age, but what causes grey hair in the 20s or early ages? As mentioned earlier several factors affect hair color at early ages. A few of these factors are:
Genetics:
Genetics is the most common cause of many health issues, out of that grey hair is one. If any of your parents or grandparents has grey hairs then you are also most likely to have the problem of premature greying of hair.
Smoking:
Smoking is also one of the most common causes of premature grey hair at the age of 20. Smoking damages the hair follicles and reduces melanin production thereby greying hair.
Stress:
While stress alone can not directly contribute to the development of grey hairs, stress encourages the existing health problems that lead to the formation of grey hairs. A study found that there is a connection between stress and white hair (experimented on mice and found a decreased number of stem cells in hair follicles). This reduction in stem cells is also known to cause grey hairs.
Hormonal Changes:
The fluctuations of hormones, hormonal imbalances during puberty, or any hormonal changes that affect melanin production can also cause grey hair.
Nutritional Deficiencies:
Certain nutritional deficiencies such as a lack of a few vitamins and minerals mainly vitamin B12 and minerals like copper and zinc can also lead to premature greying of hair.
What are the risk factors for premature grey hairs?
Medical conditions:
There are a few medical conditions that can cause grey hair such as autoimmune diseases like vitiligo, alopecia areata, and thyroid problems, and as mentioned above vitamin deficiencies can also increase the risk of premature greying.
Pollutants:
Exposure to certain environmental pollutants and UV radiation can damage the hair follicles by greying them.
Lifestyle factors:
There are a few lifestyle factors that also increase the risk of having grey hairs at an early age such as poor diet habits, lack of exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption can increase the chance of premature grey hair.
Can grey hair turn black?
In a few cases, grey hair can again turn black depending on the cause of the grey hairs:
1)In conditions such as stress, nutritional deficiencies, and grey hair due to medical conditions the black hair can be restored by reducing stress, proper diet, and treating the medical condition.
2)When the melanocytes are reactivated then the grey hair can turn black.
Note: This condition is not well understood but in certain conditions, the melanocytes are reactivated.
3)After certain treatments the new hairs can arise black but existing grey hairs can not turn black.
4)A few hair dye treatments and products can help with the appearance of grey hair to black.
Here is the list of the best products that can turn grey hair to black:
Amla oil:
Organic amla oil nourishes the scalp by reducing greying of hair along with strengthening the hair. Dabur amla hair oil is best known for its nature in reducing grey hair, it helps by keeping the natural color of the hair. Amla is rich in omega-3 and vitamin C along with amino acids and tannins that make your hair stronger and healthier.
Bhringraj oil:
Most the people have idea that bhringaraj has the best hair darkening properties that also strengthen the hair roots. Khadi natural bhringraj oil works by penetrating deeply into the roots and restoring the black color of the hair.
Asthaveda Aayurvedic Instant Hair Color Shampoo:
This is 100% ammonia-free it adds natural color to your hair within five minutes of application. It has ingredients such as clove oil, and olive flower, and the best part is its long-lasting when compared to other products. Please do read the instructions before you try to use this shampoo as not all products are suitable for everyone.
Read more on haircare.
This is all about premature greying of hair in the early 20s, its potential causes, and risk factors. Understanding its causes and risk factors will best help you in coping with such situations and staying far away from such potential risk factors.