In this Article

 

1. Introduction
2. Why Does Hair turn Grey?
3. What causes Premature Greying
4. Home remedies
5. Herbs and Premature Greying
6. An All-Natural Solution for Premature Greying

Treatment Of Premature Grey Hair: All the Stats, Facts, and Data You’ll Ever Need to Know

Seeing your hair turn gray as you get older is natural. But if gray streaks starts appearing before you consider yourself old enough to call them signs of wisdom, it is a matter of concern. Premature Graying Hair can have a negative effect on your confidence, self esteem and appearance. In today’s hectic and stressful lifestyle even children are prone to premature graying.

Why Does Hair turn Grey?

Every hair follicle has pigment producing cells called melanocytes . When the hair grows out of the follicle, melanin is injected by melanocytes. This is what gives your hair it natural color. With age, the production of melanin by the melanocytes slowly reduces. As a result, the hair turns gray and then white. There are many reasons why the melanocytes might stop producing enough melanin before your body starts aging. 

What causes Premature Greying

Aging is a complex process which is influenced by genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. There are two aspects to the aging of hair; a decrease in hair pigmentation that causes greying and reduced hair growth. The factors affecting hair growth and the aging of hair can be categorized as intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic or inherited factors include individual genetic variations whereas extrinsic factors include smoking, exposure to pollution and UV radiation, etc. 

Let’s take a more in depth look into these causes

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Genetic Traits

It interesting to note that in some families, almost everyone seems to grey early. According to a report in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, premature greying has an intrinsic connection to genetics. This means that if either of your parents suffered from premature greying, there’s a high chance you will too. Race and ethnicity also play an important role in premature graying. A study showed that dark-haired people of African or Asian descent have a lower risk of premature graying as compared to light-haired Caucasian people.

Pollution

Exposing your hair to the harmful mix of gases in air around you can result in a faster loss of moisture from your hair. This makes hair dehydrated which in turn makes hair brittle and frizzy. The destructive invisible pollutants in the air and water can damage the texture and quality of your hair. This can increase the chances of scalp diseases and conditions like dandruff. The itchiness, redness and irritation doesn’t just affect your scalp but also makes hair follicles weak and increases hair loss. Split ends are yet another harmful effect of pollution. More than how it affects the way your hair look, it makes your hair more prone of breakage

Like pollution, prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV radiation also increases the oxidative stress and reduces the production capabilities of melanocytes. 

Smoking

When people tell you stop smoking, they’re probably more worried about your lungs. But, smoking can affect the quality of your hair as well. Tobacco smoking has been associated with having adverse effects on skin and hair aging. The exposure to nicotine increases the production of reactive oxygen which in turn increases the oxidative stress and damages melanocytes. According to one study, smokers were 2.5 times more prone having their hair turn gray before the age of 30 years as compared to non smokers.

Lack of Proper Nutrition and Dietary deficiencies

There are a number of studies that have been conducted worldwide to understand the connection between nutrition and hair. According to some of these studies a mineral deficiency, endocrine disorders and chronic protein loss are some of the biochemical aspects that can contribute towards premature graying. Minerals such as iron, copper and calcium play an important role in the production of melanin. Hence, a deficiency of these minerals can be a key reason for premature greying. Studies have also shown an association between Premature Graying Hair and lower Vitamin D3 and Vitamin B12 levels in people younger than 25 years. According to another study, people who have a sedentary lifestyle and irregular eating habits have a higher chance of premature greying.

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Medical conditions

Premature Graying has been linked to many autoimmune disorders including vitiligo, certain types of anemia, thyroid disease and rare premature aging syndrome such as Werner’s syndrome. A few studies have also showed an association between Premature Graying Hair and cardiovascular diseases. 

Conditions such as hypertension, anxiety and high stress levels do not directly affect graying of hair, but contribute indirectly to premature greying. For example, stress changes the pattern of hair follicles and pushes them to the resting stage. This can trigger hair loss and accelerate the aging process. Stress can also produce hormones that reduce the production of melanin in the hair follicles. 

Excessive Use of Chemicals

Coloring your hair may seem trendy but it can contribute towards premature graying. Hair products, chemical hair dyes, and even certain shampoos can contribute to premature graying. Many of the ingredients in these products are harmful and decrease melanocytes. For example, the Hydrogen Peroxite present in many hair dyes is one of the most common causes of reduces melanocytes. Using chemical based shampoos can dry out the hair and remove the natural protective coating thus increasing the chances of breakage and accelerating the aging process.

High Dosage Drugs consumption

Drug abuse is a very serious health problem worldwide. Drug abuse results in many health problems such as psychiatric disorders and dermatological diseases which affect the hair too. Many studies show a relationship with drugs and hair melanin. Studies comparing hair samples from drug affected people and healthy people have shown that consumption of many common drugs affects the internal hair structure. Drugs cause significant changes in the structure of hair follicles, cuticle cells and other internal layers that in turn leads to premature graying.

Treating Premature Greying

When the cause of premature greying is genetic, there’s nothing much that can be done. But, when its caused by external factors, it can be controlled and treated. This includes cases where premature graying is caused by dietary deficiencies, an unhealthy routine and bad habits.

Itchiness

Rectifying dietary and Lifestyle Habits

Your diet plays a very important role in hair health. To prevent and treat premature graying, your diet should be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidant rich foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, green tea, olive oil and fish. Seafoods, egg and meats are a good source of Vitamin B12 while milk, salmon and cheese are rich in Vitamin D. Thus, adding these foods to your diet can help treat deficiencies. To treat a copper deficiency, you could consider adding lentils, almonds, dark chocolate and asparagus to your diet. Nuts like Walnuts contain Vitamin B7. Almonds and other nuts rich in Vitamin E should also be incorporated in your diet. Increasing your intake of fruits rich in Vitamin C such as oranges, melons, strawberries can also help. 

There are many foods that contain high levels of enzymes involved in the production of melanin.  Regular consumption of these foods can even help revive your natural hair color. Catalase rich foods include wheat grass, onion, leeks, kale, carrot, radish, potatoes, cherry, almonds and broccoli. 

Along with a healthier diet, you should also take a closer look at your lifestyle. Quitting smoking is a necessary step as it affects overall hair health. Keeping your hair covered with a scarf can reduce its exposure to pollutants and harmful UV radiation. To prevent hair graying it is also a good idea to reduce your intake of junk food and alcohol. Exercise regularly. Do not use hot water while washing hair. Also, try reducing your exposure to stress. Be calm and take good care of your overall health. 

Use Chemical-free Products

When you buy hair care products, pay close attention to the ingredients listed on the label. Try picking shampoos, oils, masks and other hair products which are chemical free. The ingredients you should be particular about avoiding are paraben and sulphates.  Ideally, switch to herbal and natural products for better hair health. ByGrandma’s herbal hair oil contains no chemicals and synthetic ingredients. Instead, it is rich in natural ingredients that slow down the aging process and prevent premature graying.

Home remedies

There are a number of home remedies that can be quite effective in controlling and treating premature graying. These home remedies can also improve the overall quality of your hair. These home remedies include:

  • Regularly massaging your scalp with herbal oils
  • Wash hair with a mixture of 2 tsp shikakai powder, ½ tsp reetha  and ½ tsp amal powder mixed with water.
  • Apply a curry and henna leaf paste mixed with coconut oil and leave on for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off. This can be applied twice a week.
  • Rinse your hair with a tea made from rosemary and sage leaves.

Homemade Hair masks

A few easy to make homemade masks that help prevent premature greying and improve hair health are:

  • Coffee-Henna-Amla Hair Mask 

Boil 1 tbsp coffee powder with half a cup of water. Cool and make a paste with henna and amla powder. Cover and let it rest for a few hours. Mix in 1 tbsp of any oil of your choice at the time of applying and apply generously. Totally cover the hair completely with this mask. Wash off after an hour.

  • Shikakai and Yogurt Hair Mask 

Mix shikakai powder and yogurt to make a paste. Apply the paste as hair mask and leave for an hour. Wash off with mild shampoo.

 

Herbs and Premature Greying

There are a number of natural elements and herbs that help slow down premature aging. These include:

  • Curry leaves

The medicinal properties of curry leaves are many. These leaves are rich in antioxidants, calcium, iron and copper which help reduce graying. Many reports suggest that curry leaves an be used to retain natural hair color and help in improving graying hair. An easy way to sue curry leaves for the treatment of premature graying is to steep the leaves in oil and then apply this oil to the scalp. 

  • Bringaraj

Bhringraj is a popular Ayurvedic herb that may be used to retain natural hair color and slow down the graying process. This can be added to hair oil and massaged into hair regularly. 

  • Amla

Amla is herb that has been used from years for better hair. It promotes pigmentation and as a result helps reversing premature graying. Amla is rich in antioxidants and has anti-aging properties that makes it very effective.

  • Onion

Onion helps cleanse the scalp and induces the production of hair enzymes that treats greying. Applying onion juice to the scalp can actually help reverse premature greying.

  • Hibiscus Oil

Hibiscus extract enhances blood circulation, boosts hair growth and improves the overall health of your hair. It is a rich source of Vitamin C and amino acids that can control premature greying and reduce hair fall. It also strengthens the hair follicles and conditions the hair to prevent dryness, frizziness and split ends.

  • Black Seed

Black seeds or kalongi can help prevent and even reverse premature greying by improving the performance of melanin creating cells. It may be applied undiluted or mixed with other hair oils. 

 

An All-Natural Solution for Premature Greying

As mentioned above, one of the essential steps to treating and curing premature greying is to massage the scalp regularly with a herbal oil. ByGrandma’s Herbal Hair Treatment Oil is the ideal oil for this. It is packed with the goodness of natural herbs and free from all harmful chemicals. It contains no preservatives or synthetic fragrances. 

This herbal hair oil is based on a cold pressed coconut oil as the carrier oil. It contains a number of other essential oils such as castor oil, sesame oil, lavender oil and tea tree oil as well as hibiscus flower extracts, henna extract, curry leaf extract, neem extract, amla extract, basil extract and bhringraj extract.

Each ingredient has unique benefits for the overall quality of your hair. Amla and basil have antimicrobial properties that protect the scalp and hair from infections. The hibiscus oil and bhringraj extracts are key ingredients that helps fight against premature greying. Ingredients such as castor oil boost the growth of new hair follicles and hence help hair grow longer and thicker. This oil also contains khus grass. Khus grass has a calming effect on the mind and helps reduce stress which in turn helps reduce hair fall and premature greying.

ByGrandma hair oil is available online and offline. So, why don’t you place an order today and take a step towards looking younger and more lusterous, the healthy way.

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