Silver, pewter, and charcoal, as well as salt and pepper. Gray hair, whatever you name it, affects everyone at some time. But why do some people turn grey in their twenties while others don’t see the first signs of grey until they’re in their fifties? What are your alternatives if you’re going grey early?
What exactly is ‘premature’?
According to Jeffrey Benabio, MD, a dermatologist at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, hair greys when color-generating cells quit producing pigment. Natural hydrogen peroxide can also accumulate in the hair, bleaching the color.
White people often begin greying in their mid-30s, Asians in their late 30s, and African-Americans in their mid-40s. By the age of 50, half of all adults have a substantial quantity of grey hair.
If a white person’s hair goes grey before the age of 20, they are called prematurely grey; grey before the age of 30 is considered prematurely grey for African-Americans.
Is there a medical issue?
Except in rare circumstances, becoming grey does not indicate a medical issue.
Contrary to common perception, stress does not produce grey hair. Scientists aren’t sure why some people become grey at a young age, but genes play a significant influence.
A vitamin B-12 shortage, as well as issues with your pituitary or thyroid gland, can also cause premature greying, which is reversible if the condition is treated, according to Benabio.
Some studies have found a link between premature greying and poorer bone density later in life. However, a 2007 research of around 1,200 California men and women found no such relationship.
Men may be at a higher risk of developing heart disease.
Gray hair is associated with an increased risk of heart disease in males. The study split 545 adult males into groups based on whether they had coronary artery disease and how much grey or white hair they had. Each man’s grey hair was evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being virtually none and 5 being pure white. Scientists also gathered information about the men’s hypertension, diabetes, smoking habits, and family medical history.
You may be vitamin deficient.
Let’s take a step back before we get into this one. Each hair follicle contains pigment (called melanin — the same substance that gives our skin color) that gives our hair its color. We generate less pigment as we age, resulting in grey hair. Dermatologists typically apply the “50-50-50” rule of thumb, which indicates that by the age of 50, 50% of the population has at least 50% grey hair.
Your follicles may be subjected to ‘oxidative stress.’
Hair follicles contain small quantities of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical that has been used for decades to lighten or bleach hair at a low cost. However, if hydrogen peroxide accumulates, your hair color may begin to disappear.
Your immune system may trigger unexpected greying.
Melanocyte stem cells, which dwell inside the follicles, are responsible for the color of your hair. When your old hair comes out, stem cells contribute melanocytes to new follicles, resulting in the color of your hair. When the cells quit functioning, the follicles stop producing pigment.
