The colour of my hair is already brown and on top of that, I do not like seeing the number of white hairs in it. I am sure this problem is not only mine but many other women's. Many of us women have brown, black, red or blonde hair and as you age, some areas of the head start thinning or changing hair colour.
Our bodies have hair follicles which are tiny sacs and are lined with skin cells. These hair follicles contain pigments called melanin. These cells give your hair its colour. But with time, the hair follicles start losing this pigmentation and the hair turns grey. But many women's hair starts turning grey or white before time. Have you ever wondered why this happens?
Dermatologist and Dermatosurgeon Dr Agni Kumar Bose shares much information related to hair, skin and health on his Instagram. In one such post, he has given the reason for the early greying of hair. He explains, 'It depends on the 50 percent rule, which means that by the age of 50, 50 percent of the hair starts turning grey for people. There can be many reasons for this including smoking, stresses lack of sleep etc. Come, in this article, let us know in detail the reasons for early greying of hair and also know the ways to prevent it from experts.
Due to smoking
There is also a link between premature greying of hair and smoking. Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease. At the same time, its long-term effects can affect hair beyond the heart and lungs. Smoking can cause the blood vessels to constrict, which can reduce blood flow to the hair follicles and result in not only greying of hair but also hair fall.
Due to stress
Stress also has a bad effect on your hair. Some research has shown that stress can cause premature greying of hair by affecting the stem cells responsible for regenerating hair pigment.
Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep can have negative effects on many aspects of the body. Not only can this lead to fatigue and lack of concentration, but also has long-term effects such as your immune system and stress. As we told you above, stress has been proven to cause grey hair.
Low thyroid
The thyroid is responsible for regulating your metabolism, so when your thyroid doesn't function properly it can affect every cell in your system. The health of your thyroid can also affect the colour of your hair.
B-12 deficiency
Premature greying of hair can also be a sign of vitamin B-12 deficiency. This vitamin plays an important role in your body. It gives you energy, plus it contributes to healthy hair growth and hair colour.
Causes of copper and iron deficiency
Lack of copper and iron in the diet affects the body. Due to their deficiency, your hair is also affected and premature greying of hair can occur.
Genetics
If you notice grey hair at a young age, it is possible that your parents or grandparents also had grey or white hair at a young age.
Ways to prevent white hair
Dr Agni explains that we can prevent premature greying of hair. However, it is difficult to reverse greying of hair that has already happened.
1) Identify its underlying cause first. Apart from this, remove stress as much as possible.
2) Take a multivitamin - B12, biotin, pantothenate, and folic acid.
3) If you have <10% white hairs, you can also pluck them. Plucking does not increase the number/number of white hairs. However, plucking may not be encouraged because the more hair you pull, the higher the chances of infection and permanent hair loss.
4) Apart from this, you can use dye in your hair. Hair dye is used by many people and it is the simplest way to treat your grey hair.
If your hair is also turning white before time, then understand your problem. If you are also going through stress, less sleep or any medical condition, then treat it first.
