Premature Grey Hair Treatment
Hair growth happens when old cells are pushed out by the hair follicles due to the production of new cells. It occurs in three stages—growth (anagen), cessation(catagen), and rest (telogen). During the rest period, your hair reaches its lifespan and falls out, and a new strand grows in its place.
When your hair grows, it is injected with pigments that give it colour. With age, the amount of pigment that is injected into each strand of hair gets reduced, which is why it turns grey and eventually white Hair is naturally coloured by a pigment called melanin, which is released by special cells called melanocytes. As your age progresses, the hair shaft and your hair follicles begin to wear down. Over time, the number of melanocytes decreases or they cease to function as effectively as before – and that’s when you begin to see signs of “greying.” But premature greying can have several causes and risk factors.
Causes:
DEFICIENCY OF MELANIN: In most of the cases, a deficiency of melanin is the leading cause of hair whitening. The production of melanin depends upon appropriate nutrition and protein supplements. The lack of these nutrients causes melanin to fall below acceptable levels.
GENETICS: The tendency for greying early can be coded in your DNA. And in a study on 6,000 Latin Americans, scientists recently identified the gene – IRF4.
HORMONES: Your hormones have a huge impact on the pigmentation of your hair. An imbalance can cause your hair to turn white. For e.g. Thyroid Disease: An underactive or overactive thyroid can affect the melanin production in the hair which can cause premature greying b) Vitiligo, etc
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES: Vitamin B12, vitamin D3, copper, and iron can all rob color from your hair. The lack could be because you aren’t having enough of these nutrients through diet (or sun rays, in the case of D) or you have an underlying condition that hinders their absorption – for instance, low stomach acid decreases B12 absorption.