What Causes Premature Gray Hair

Gray hair is hair that has lost its melanin (the cells that provides color to hair strands).

WHAT CAUSES PREMATURE GRAY HAIR?
Genetics
Graying hair occurs naturally as a part of the aging process and doesn’t normally indicate an underlying health problem. As you age, your body slows the production of the pigment called melanin, which gives your hair color. Lower levels of melanin make your hair appear gray or white. Genetics determine the start and rate of melanin production decline. Going gray before the age of 30 in Caucasians or 40 in African Americans is considered premature graying, according to the University of at Alabama Birmingham Health System. Talk to your parents or grandparents. If they started to go gray at an early age, you’re probably just genetically predisposed to premature graying. Other causes:

Nutrition:
Some claim inadequate nutrition may contribute to the graying of hair. The B complex vitamins, especially biotin, pantothenic acid and vitamin B-6, are thought to directly affect hair health and prevent graying. Eating a balanced diet and taking a daily multivitamin may prevent or slow graying hair, although little scientific research has been conducted in this area to confirm or refute this theory.

Illness
Certain medical conditions, diseases and illnesses can expedite graying hair.
In some cases, premature graying can result from thyroid problems or anemia. People with AIDS and patients undergoing cancer treatments may also experience graying hair at a younger age.

Smoking
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System reports that new scientific evidence suggests that people who smoke are four times more likely to experience graying hair at a young age than non-smokers.

Shock
Controversy surrounds the belief that sudden psychological shock can turn hair gray. Some people claim that sudden trauma has caused some of their hair to go gray overnight, but many researchers doubt the possibility of such rapid changes to hair color.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT PREMATURE GRAYING?
Herbs:
In the West the root known as He Shou Wu or FoTi when ingested helps restore color to Gray hair and halt hair loss. The Chinese have long relied on the he shou wu tonic, taking it long-term to encourage optimum health. For many people it enhances the growth and color of hair as it restores the thick, rich-bodied hair they had in their younger days. Gray hair gradually returns to its original color. This herb is available at health food stores.

Aromatherapy:
Sage and Thyme can all be used to bring out the highlights in darker shades and cover Gray. Sage infusions have been used for years to cover silver or Gray hair. This treatment is most successful when used over an extended period of time. Sage is probably the best of all plants for darkening and toning the hair. It also has strong antibacterial properties that help keep your scalp clean and healthy. Sage has been used for years as a hair growth stimulator.

Nutrition:
In addition to the aging process, premature Gray hair can also be caused by nutritional imbalances. Specifically a deficiency in B vitamins. B-Vitamins are known as hair vitamins. In this case Gray hair vitamin. Taking a B-complex supplement, can help reverse premature Gray hair due to nutritional imbalances.

•Prepare black tea in half a cup of water (without milk and sugar) allow to cool and massage it on the roots of your hair. Leave it on the hair for an hour and then wash it away. This will coat the hair black and hide the grey color.

•Take sufficient amount of yoghurt daily and one tablespoon of yeast before meals. Both are helpful in prevention and treatment of gray hair.

•Take nutritious diets like iron, copper, vitamin B, folic acid and iodine you can ensure hair follicle health. Increase intake of vitamin B12 foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, fish, meat, beef etc. to decrease hair pigment loss that leads to white hair.

•Drinking Carrot juice everyday helps to keep hair black and overcome the grey hair problem.

•Eat Fenugreek sprouts regularly and apply Fenugreek paste on the scalp an hour before taking bath once in a week helps to overcome gray hair problem.

•Iron & Iodine should be taken in form of sea food to delay the process of graying hair. Fish is the main source of iodine, the requirement of iron can be met by adequate intake of carrots, bananas and other similar vegetables & fruits.

•The butter made from cow’s milk has the property of preventing graying of hair. A small roll may be taken internally and a little quantity may be massaged into the hair roots twice a week.

•Use coconut oil with lemon or almond oil to massage the scalp. Vegetable and essential oil also contain nutrients for slowing the graying of hair.

•Avoid taking food that contains refined sugar, white flour and products such as soft drinks, jellies, pastries and jams since they tend to gray the hair, cause wrinkles and even take away your body energy.

More reasearch to come . . .