How graying begins and causes for premature graying

Signs of graying become obvious when thicker and darker hair sheds rapidly and the thinner, white hair grows faster. Since the entire graying process depends on the shedding and growth pattern, there are some who can show rapid graying in a remarkably short period of time.

For men, when their hair starts graying, the first signs are seen in the beard from where it moves on to the mustache and the sidelocks before spreading to the head. In women, the temples are the ones to grey first before it spreads to the sides as well.

Causes for premature graying

There are many reasons why a person might start showing grey hair at an early age. The hair starts graying when the pigment producing cells – melanocytes – are damaged. While it is believed that this happens naturally with age, in those who experience premature graying, this can be the result of genetics as well. There are many who believe that external factors like stress or lifestyle can impact the hair colour at an early age. But scientists argue that the age when graying starts is actually determined by the genes of the person. This is why some people do not have a silver strand even in their 50s while others can start as early as their teens.

Dr Deshmukh cites hormonal imbalance such as those related to thyroid malfunction, insufficient diet, anemia, regular use of hair colour products and styling equipments like hair dryer as the common reasons of early graying of hair. In people undergoing special treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, the graying can be seen at an early age.

Another opinion is that people are not following the right diet or their lifestyles are such that they are constantly under stress this is why they tend to experience a lot of hair fall, and the new hair growing can be grey. Dr Sonal Shah, who is a trichologist, says that mental stress can produce a lot of physical stress or tension to the scalp skin as well. This prevents the scalp to get the requisite nourishment required for healthy hair. This can be one reason why melanocytes start dying.

What is the solution?

For some, the graying can be controlled or reversed by making certain changes in their diet. Those whose diet is deficient in vitamin B12 or there is a malfunction of the thyroid gland, making requisite changes can yield positive results. But for those who have it naturally, there are only two options – to colour it or dare to bare it.

• You could choose a temporary solution by applying henna on your hair. It is good for nourishing the hair as well. You would need to apply this at frequent intervals to maintain the hair colour.
• A semi-permanent solution would be to opt for any of the DIY hair colour kits available in the market. The only hitch is you must choose one that is ammonia-free. There are people who choose to permanently get their hair coloured to hide the grey.
• Some people like the wash-in-wash-out hair colour that is a spray on colour easy to apply and washes off with a rinse.
• Application of bhringraj oil is said to be beneficial to the health of the hair.
• Cutting down on caffeine intake and substituting it with antioxidant-rich green tea would help.
• For healthy and strong hair, it is necessary to increase the intake of folic acid-rich vegetables in the diet.