Previously, the appearance of gray hair always occurred in adulthood and was a sign of wisdom and importance. A modern person, exposed to frequent stress and the influence of unfavorable environmental factors, may notice the appearance of gray hair at the age of 20-30. Why does gray hair appear? How to prevent its occurrence? And is this process always physiological?

Typically, the first gray hair appears at the age of 35; over time, bleached hair becomes more numerous, and after about 10 years it begins to predominate over natural-colored hair. Sometimes their appearance can occur at a younger age. Such a process may indicate the development of various pathologies and always becomes a signal of concern. Despite the fact that almost no one can prevent the appearance of gray hair, there are factors in this physiological process that can be influenced and prolong the youth and beauty of your hair. In this article we will introduce you to the causes of gray hair and methods to combat it.

Why does gray hair appear?

In order to better understand the process of gray hair formation, let's get acquainted with the physiology of hair. In humans, hair color is determined by special pigments: pheomelanin, ossimelanin, eumelanin and a group of triochromes. They are varieties of such a pigment, so familiar to everyone from school, which is produced by special cells - melanocytes, located in the basal (lower) layer of the epidermis and in the hair follicles. Melanin synthesis occurs under the influence of mediators of the sympathetic nervous system, hormones, pituitary gland (melanocyte-stimulating hormone, ACTH and β-lipotropin) and sex hormones.

Eumelanin determines dark brown or black hair color, ossimelanin - light, pheomelanin - henna shades, and the triochrome group - red shades. The mixing of these pigments in different proportions determines the hair color of each person. They color the keratin that makes up the hair shafts, and the intensity of their shade depends on how much melanin each hair follicle receives. The combination and volume of eumelanin, triochromes, ossimelanin and pheomelanin are determined genetically. This is how a wide range of hair shades appears: chestnut, black, copper, golden, red...

Melanocytes begin to work even before the birth of a child and gradually regress with age. Every 10 years after the age of 30, their function fades by 10-20%, and it is depending on the degree of their repression that gray hair appears in the head of hair - almost colorless hair with a lack of pigment in keratin. When all the melanocytes that supply melanin to the hair shaft die, all hair becomes completely gray.

Not long ago, European scientists discovered another reason for the appearance of gray hair. As it turns out, as we age, hair follicles can produce small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which interacts with pigments and discolors them. This process can be neutralized by catalase, a special enzyme. With age, this enzyme becomes less and less, and the peroxide produced and accumulated by the follicles discolors the hair shaft from the inside. As a result, the hair becomes colorless.

Causes of gray hair

Physiological graying is associated with the natural aging of melanocytes, and the appearance of early gray hair may be due to their death or decreased activity due to hormonal disorders. As a result, the hair loses its pigment, acquires a porous structure, and the resulting air “layers” give it a silvery-white hue.

Many different factors can change your hair color. They can be divided into:

• external: unfavorable environmental conditions;
• internal: genetic characteristics, age, stressful situations, etc.

The causes of gray hair can be:

• poor ecology: contributes to the development of diseases and premature aging;
• hereditary predisposition: most people experience gray hair at the same age as their parents;
• prolonged depression and chronic stress: nervous breakdowns provoke the release of large amounts of adrenaline into the blood, which breaks the connection between melanin and keratin in the hair follicles; in addition, nervous overstrain causes weakened immunity and premature aging;
• race: gray hair appears earlier in Europoids and Mongoloids, and later in Negroids;
• diseases of the thyroid gland: the pathology of this endocrine organ leads to;
• conditions associated with pigmentation disorders: albinism, and some other diseases - gray strands can appear at any age;
• and lack of vitamins A, group B, C, minerals copper, manganese, iron and selenium: cause pathology of internal organs and disrupt the normal blood supply to all tissues of the body;
• Poor nutrition: leads to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals that ensure the normal functioning of the entire body;
• diseases of the digestive system and kidneys lead to disruption of metabolic processes in the body;
• skin diseases: herpetic or erysipelas, alopecia areata;
• hormonal imbalance: unstable hormone levels (for example, during pregnancy, after childbirth, with polycystic ovary syndrome or during menopause) can provoke stressful situations, endocrine disorders of the thyroid gland and exhaustion of the nervous system;
• : antibodies produced in the body destroy melanocytes and lead to a lack of hair pigmentation;
• bad habits: cause many diseases, hormonal imbalance and premature aging;
• taking medications: long-term and frequent use of certain medications (especially antibiotics, Rezoquine, Chloroquine, Hydroquinone and phenylthiourea) negatively affects immunity and metabolism;
• improper care of hair and scalp: using hot water, staying in the sun or in the cold without a hat, using aggressive care, styling and coloring products have a detrimental effect on the scalp and contribute to the weakening of hair pigmentation.

Characteristics of gray hair

After losing most of the pigment, the hair shafts become ash-gray, and after losing all the melanin, they turn white. In smokers, gray hair with a yellowish tint can be observed.

In addition to bleaching, gray hair loses both its usual properties and normal structure, since melanin not only colors the hair shaft, but also protects it from external adverse factors (for example, from exposure to ultraviolet radiation) and gives it elasticity and strength. This is why, after graying, hair becomes stiffer, brittle, dry, split and unruly when styled. In some cases, they begin to tangle and curl.

How to prevent the appearance of gray hair?

Doctors and cosmetologists have not yet learned how to return gray hair to its previous shade, and the “fight” against gray hair that has already appeared can only consist of dyeing hair with special dyes with 3rd degree of durability. However, it is possible to prevent early graying, get rid of single gray hairs and stop the progression of this process if you follow a number of simple rules.

Nutrition

Balancing our diet is one of the key factors that contribute to maintaining youth, health and beauty. To prevent graying, you should include foods rich in these six minerals in your diet:

• calcium– dairy products, soy, nuts, wheat, greens;
• copper– eggs, beans, green vegetables, almonds, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds;
• zinc– mushrooms, whole grains, oysters, egg yolks;
• chromium– oysters, wine, wheat bread;
• iron– seaweed, apples, legumes, buckwheat, beef, eggs, cocoa;
• iodine– black currant, sea fish, persimmon, seaweed.

For normal hair pigmentation, your daily diet should include foods high in the following vitamins:

• beta carotene– carrots, cabbage, fish, spinach, liver;
• E– almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, sea buckthorn, dried apricots, pistachios, wheat, spinach, viburnum;
• WITH– citrus fruits, rose hips, kiwi, apples, berries, bell peppers, wild garlic, Brussels sprouts;
• group B (B3, B5, B6, B7, B10 and B12)– pine nuts, cashews, lentils, pork, rabbit, mackerel, sardines, liver, champignons, eggs, dairy products, beans, walnuts, sea buckthorn;
• folic acid– liver, peanuts, walnuts, beans, spinach, hazelnuts, broccoli, wild garlic;
• inositol– melon, nuts, meat, prunes, kiwi, legumes.

The above minerals and vitamins are important not only for normal hair pigmentation, but are also necessary for maintaining hair health. Daily inclusion of foods rich in them in your diet will improve your hair and make it shiny and strong.

In addition to these vitamins and minerals, your diet should include foods high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids:

• flax seeds;
• fish fat;
• salmon;
• olive oil;
• oats;
• almonds, etc.

All these beneficial substances can be taken in the form of dietary supplements and vitamin-mineral complexes:

• Melan+ for men and Melan+ for women;
• Neurobex;
• Complements selenium.

They should be taken with meals and with plenty of water. These medications should not be taken after heavy meals, as in such cases they will not be fully absorbed.

Drinking regime

Hair follicles are extremely sensitive to lack of fluid in the body. Lack of water impedes the intake and absorption of nutrients and can cause graying of hair. That is why, to maintain their health, it is necessary to drink 1.5-2 liters of water daily.

Proper hair care

When the first gray hair appears, you should pay close attention to hair care:

1. Wash your hair with water at a comfortable temperature.
2. Use shampoos, conditioners and masks that contain non-aggressive detergent ingredients, vitamins, natural extracts and nutrients.
3. Minimize the use of hair dryers, curling irons, straighteners, aggressive dyes and styling products.
4. Wear hats in hot and frosty weather.
5. Avoid styling that disrupts normal blood circulation in the scalp: ponytails, braids, the use of hairpins, elastic bands, etc.

Salon treatments

The appearance of gray hair can be stopped using the following procedures performed in beauty salons:

• laser therapy;
• plasma lifting;
• ultrasound therapy;
• microelement mesotherapy.

Hardware hair treatment methods can be supplemented by the use of nourishing masks and vitamin serums:

• Dikson POLIPANT COMPLEX;
• Dercos Technique Vichy;
• Intensive Energizing Complex, etc.

Folk remedies

To prevent the appearance of gray hair, you can use various folk remedies that help restore their health.

Garlic mask

Pass the garlic through a press. Add a little burdock oil to the resulting paste and rub into the hair roots with gentle massaging movements. The head should be wrapped in a warm towel. Rinse off the mask after 10-15 minutes, rinse hair with shampoo. Repeat the procedure 2 times a week.

Applications with infusion of burdock roots

Pour 2 tablespoons of chopped burdock roots and 2 teaspoons of dill fruit into 0.5 liters of boiling water and leave for about 3 hours. Rub into clean scalp 2 times during the day. The procedure should be repeated daily for 3 months.

Wheat germ oil mask

Mix 30 ml of wheat germ oil with 7 drops of lavender, rose and sandalwood oil. Apply with massaging movements to the scalp, wrap and keep for about 1-2 hours. Wash off with shampoo. The mask should be applied 2 times a week for 2-3 months.

Before using these and other folk remedies, you should make sure that there is no allergic reaction to the components of the recipe.

British scientists have proven that gray hair is good; it indicates the health of the owner of platinum hair.

Recent studies by British scientists prove that there is a completely different connection between gray hair and the condition of the human body than what previous researchers spoke about. The loss of coloring pigments has long been perceived by scientists as a consequence of severe psychological shocks and nervous breakdowns. The normal age for the appearance of gray hair was considered to be 40 years. For blondes - a little earlier, for dark-haired - later. In addition, frequent dyeing and perm, which in a certain way affect the structure of the hair, were also attributed to the ability to influence the appearance of gray hair. Genetic predisposition was also included in the test.

It was generally accepted that anemia and diseases of the cardiovascular system cause a disruption in the supply of necessary substances to the hair follicles. Another reason is thyroid dysfunction. Incorrect diets, monotonous meals, digestive problems were also blamed...

According to the results of recent studies, scientists have been able to prove the opposite. It turns out that gray hair is a sign of good human health. True, there are exceptions here too. This applies to cases where gray hair appears before the age of 30. Quite a lot of people experience their first gray hairs at the age of 25. The cause of gray hair here can be anything, from alcohol abuse to genes. Previously, scientists found that high levels of adrenaline are also responsible for the appearance of gray hair. American researchers have found that the cells that give hair color disappear under the influence of shock doses of the stress hormone. Unfortunately, if stress has already caused these cells to disappear in the body, they will never come back. Gray hair will not turn light or dark again. When the human body is under stress, stem cells responsible for production move from the hair follicles to the skin to help minimize damage. Scientists discovered exactly the same effect of stress in experiments on mice.

Every year, oxidative processes in the human body become more intense, and this reduces the amount of the antioxidant glutathione.

If gray hair appears in old age, then this is due to a large amount of glutathione, which is what causes gray hair.

Scientists explain that if gray hair appears by the age of 50-55, this means that there are no serious problems in the body. That is why, when you see gray hair, you should not despair, this is a sign that the body is functioning correctly.

Cosmetics giant L'Oreal conducted a study to discover how many men and women don't need its gray-covering hair dye. It turned out that 10% of people over 60 years old do not have a single gray hair. Stars such as Susan Sarandon (65 years old) and Sigourney Weaver (62) are just one of them. Their hair color remains the same almost all their lives.

It turned out that the number of gray people among older people is much less than was always believed. Previously, there was an opinion that among 50-year-olds, half had at least 50% gray hair, but in fact less than 25% were found to have gray hair. Moreover, gray hair is spreading unevenly around the world, and in some countries there are even fewer gray-haired people.

The researchers based their findings on an analysis of the hair color of 4,000 men and women of different ages and ethnic groups from 20 different countries. Overall, 74% of people aged 45 to 65 had gray hair covering at least 27% of their scalp. Gray levels increase with age, and between 56 and 60, 86% already have some gray hair, and between 61 and 65, 90% of people have gray hair on at least 40% of their scalp. At the same time, gray hair is more common in men (78%) than in women (71%). In the stronger sex it usually starts on the forehead, then goes to the crown and from there to the back of the head, and in women it is in equal proportions on the forehead and on the back of the head.

A bold new trend has emerged in the fashion world today. Artificial gray hair is becoming increasingly popular. Stars such as Agyness Deyn, Kelly Osbourne and Pixie Geldof have already followed the new trend and showed the world “gray” hair.

Women and men have been fighting gray hair with various chemical methods for generations. But now silver strands have appeared even in the hairstyles of Dior and Chanel models. Top hairdressers in Manhattan say that the number of applications for artificial gray hair has recently increased. Victoria Hunter, the owner of a salon in the West Village, says that ordinary people have already followed the “stars” and want to radically change their appearance.

The fashion trend has seriously interested scientists. In an interview with the New York Times, Arizona State University gender studies professor Rose Waits said that in this way, trendsetters demonstrate their wealth and respectability.

But still, the new trend is intended more for young people. Experts in the field of hairdressing do not recommend such experiments for older people. Even Kate Moss, 36, faced criticism and disapproval when gray streaks were discovered in the model's hair last month. Within 24 hours, Kate got rid of them.

Glasgow-based hairdresser Stephanie Paul says natural gray hair has no pigment. And to get a new fashionable shade, it is necessary that the hair retains its pigmentation. Therefore, fashionable gray hair is only for the young.

For those who do not want to put up with the appearance of gray hair, even though it demonstrates excellent health, it is proposed to follow a number of simple rules. Such as including fresh vegetables and fruits, protein-rich foods, fish, nuts, and legumes in your daily menu. In addition, do not forget about taking multivitamins and regularly visiting an endocrinologist. And of course, if possible, get upset as little as possible about unimportant reasons. And if it is not possible to completely protect yourself from stress, keeping your nervous system under control is quite possible.

Treatment of gray hair that has already appeared is hardly possible. But it’s easy to hide it with various cosmetics. If there is very little gray hair, you can try special tinting shampoos. They lightly color the hair, masking the highlights of sparse gray hair. They are used in the same way as regular shampoos - applied to damp hair, whipped into foam, then rinsed off. Use dark shades to cover gray hair as much as possible.

Gray hair is a consequence of a physiologically inherent process that cannot be avoided. She has always been perceived as a symbol of wisdom and maturity.

But if this sign appears too early, a man seriously thinks about his health. Many people believe that the appearance of the first gray hair is the end of youth. This leads to decreased self-esteem and self-confidence.

Why does the hair on my head turn gray?

The natural color of hair depends on melanin. Thanks to pheomelanin, it acquires a red tint, and due to eumelanin, it acquires dark colors. Those with light strands have the lowest pigment accumulation.

When the natural production of melanin in the body stops, the hair, losing almost its entire supply of pigment, becomes ash-gray, and if it is completely absent, it becomes white.

The disappearance of pigment negatively affects the structure and characteristics of hair, since melanin gives it elasticity and strength. They become dull, lifeless, dry and brittle, easily tangled and broken.

Early gray hair is a direct consequence of aging of human organs. Often there is a decrease in the production of the enzyme tyrosinase, without which melanin is not formed.

As a result, the hair structure becomes porous, and due to the formed air cavities, it becomes silvery-white.

To understand why this happens, you need to understand the causes of all processes.

The appearance of gray hair - at what age does it occur?

Representatives of different races discover “silver threads” on their heads at different ages:

• Caucasians - on average by 35 years.
• Asians - by 42.
• Negroids - after 50.

However, for some men, their hair begins to turn silver as early as 18-25 years old, and at 30 it becomes completely gray. Most often this is due to heredity, genetic conditioning and due to internal failures and external factors.

At the same time, the latest test results from scientists have shown that gray hair is a companion to good health.

This only applies to cases where the process begins before age 30.

Experts are convinced that gray hair indicates longevity and good health.

Gray hair and its causes - where it begins

Scientists constantly conduct research on this issue and often come to unexpected conclusions.

However, the most common and common factors that make a man have gray hair are known:

• Genetic predisposition.
• Stress, adverse nervous shocks. Gray hair often appears immediately after shock or psychological trauma.
• Vitamin deficiency, anemia, chronic diseases.
• Improper hair care - using hot tools, frequent coloring, washing with too hot water.
• Bad habits and unhealthy lifestyle.

Important! It is necessary to pay attention to your health status. Gray hair can appear after infectious diseases, with functional disorders of the thyroid gland, diabetes, and bronchial asthma.

Early gray hair in young men

Experts have found out what negative reasons lead to early graying in men:

• Poor nutrition.
• Alcohol abuse.
• Constant nervousness.
• Overwork.
• Excessive or strong tea.

The most common cause is poor nutrition. The body does not receive sufficient nutrients to produce melanin. In this case, gray hair begins to appear at the roots and then spreads along the entire length.

Also, young people become gray due to the liver. Imbalance in the general hormonal background is another unfavorable factor that makes hair white ahead of time.

Treatment of gray hair in men

Even the fact that gray hair is an indicator of good health does not discourage many men from wanting to get rid of it.

To avoid its occurrence, you need to add fresh foods to your daily menu, foods rich in protein and healthy fats.

Also, do not forget about the complexes, and do not neglect regular visits to the endocrinologist. It is recommended to protect yourself from stress as much as possible and protect your nervous system.

It is hardly possible to cure gray hair that has already appeared; this is where cosmetics come to the rescue.

If there are very few white hairs, using special tinting shampoos would be ideal. They give a light natural coloring. You can also beat up early gray hair with a suitable asymmetrical haircut.

The problem of early gray hair is not a reason for despair. Well-groomed white hair can look fashionable and elegant. They add solidity to the image, making it individual and extraordinary.

The main thing is to monitor your health, lead an active lifestyle and do not hesitate to consult a doctor if problems arise.

In previous times of gray hair were associated with wisdom and symbolized the extraordinary abilities of the owner of gray strands. Gray hair commanded respect. Currently, attitudes towards gray hair have changed. Most people today look with displeasure at the first gray strands that have appeared in the mirror and try in every possible way to get rid of them. Indeed, in the public consciousness of modern people, a gray-haired person seems old and lacking energy, with no prospects in his personal life and at work. This negative attitude towards gray hair is due to the fact that the media and glossy magazines create stereotypes of beauty and youth in people’s minds in the form of beauties with hair of natural colors, dark and light shades.

Everyone is familiar with childhood images of witches, sorcerers, weak old people with gray hair cause people to fear and have a negative attitude towards gray hair. However, gray hair does not frighten men so much; for them, baldness is more frightening. After all, gray hair adds solidity, poise and spiritual nobility to men. Women are more embarrassed about gray hair and try to hide it by dyeing their hair, and some even cut off or pluck out their gray hair. After all, gray hair for women is a sign of approaching old age and loss of attractiveness. Gray hair is not only characteristic of older women; today gray hair can also be found on many young girls. Scientists today cannot name the reason for early graying. Presumably, it is believed that early graying is associated with poor ecology, severe stress and a woman’s hereditary predisposition.

Considered normal, when the first gray hair in European women appears at the age of 34-45 years, and in Asian women - at 30-34 years. The hair of black women is the most resistant to graying; their hair begins to turn gray only after 43-45 years. Blondes' hair begins to turn silver earlier, but their gray hair is less noticeable than that of dark-haired women. In women, the first gray hairs usually appear at the temples, then at the crown and back of the head, and by the age of 55, many women already have more than 50% of their hair graying. If a woman has 50% of her hair gray by the age of 40, or the first gray strands appear at the age of 25, then doctors consider this to be premature graying.

Cause of graying hair is a lack of melanin pigment, which is responsible for skin and hair color. The pigment cells of the hair follicles, due to aging or other factors, stop producing the pigment melanin, as a result, air accumulates in the hair shaft instead. Under a microscope, gray hair resembles a tube with cylinders filled with air. Sudden graying of hair may be associated with diseases of the thyroid gland or due to severe nervous stress.

History knows of cases where young people turned gray in an exceptionally short period of time due to severe fear or stress. Thus, Maria Antaunette's head turned completely gray just one night before her execution. Scientists cannot give an exact scientific explanation for such facts of graying, but they have some assumptions on this matter. According to one of them, it is believed that inside the hair there is a so-called medullary layer, core or thinnest channel through which liquid can circulate.

It is assumed that body in stressful situations, hormones are produced that travel through the blood vessels to the hair follicle and penetrate through the channel into the hair shaft. As a result, the melanin pigment is destroyed and the hair turns grey. According to another version, air spaces appear in the hair structure as a result of external factors, which change the color of the hair.

It has been scientifically proven that there is a connection between graying and anemia, vitamin deficiency, diseases of the nervous and immune systems, exposure to ultraviolet rays. Early graying is mainly due to hereditary factors, but can also be caused by herpes, streptococcal infections and albinism.

The most effective way to prevent early appearance of gray hair is a balanced diet, with a large number of foods that contain iron. It is known that as you consume foods containing iron in large quantities, your hair becomes darker and thicker. There is a lot of iron in apples, pomegranates, meat and liver.

Restore natural gray hair color It is almost impossible, as well as to predict early graying. After all, no one is immune from stress, anxiety and other negative factors. Therefore, the only way to prevent gray hair is to fight against premature aging of the body. And for this you need to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat well. Long-term strict diets, fasting to cleanse the body, and poor nutrition can negatively affect the condition of hair color.

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Every woman dreads this day. When, looking in the mirror, you notice your first gray strand, your mood does not improve. At such a moment, you may be overcome by real panic: you are too young to grow old.

Gray hair has never been a source of pride. From now on, you will have to regularly cover your gray hair. A 2012 study found that about 74 percent of people between the ages of 45 and 65 have whitish locks. At least you are not alone in your misfortune, which is comforting. It's time to find out what happens in the body when hair starts to turn grey. We will also talk about whether this misfortune can be prevented.

Why does hair turn grey?

According to Miami dermatologist Dr. Jill Weiber, the hair of babies in the womb is colorless. And only when melanocytes—skin cells that produce the pigment melanin—begin to form in the fetus’s body, do the strands acquire color. Hair color depends entirely on the distribution, type and amount of melanin in the middle layer of the hair shaft. This complex combination gives birth to black, brown, light blond, red strands and their various shades. Over the years, the production of melanocytes is slowed down by the enzyme telomerase, which adds special DNA sequences to eukaryotic cells. This leads to gradual graying of hair.

When will this happen?

A woman who discovers a gray hair on her head at age 30 is likely to begin to protest violently. Doesn't nature see that she is too young for such severe trials? Unfortunately, gray hair really often silvers the heads of 30-year-old young people. However, the age at which gray hair begins to appear depends more on genetic predisposition. Certified hair restoration specialist Dr. Alan Bauman says, “Like hair loss, gray hair is hereditary. Take a look at your parents and grandparents. Ask them when they started noticing their first gray hairs, and then you can predict your future.”

Which part of the head goes gray first?

You don't have to dread the moment when you wake up one morning and see your head completely covered with gray hair. This process usually occurs gradually. First, gray hair appears at the temples. Then the invaders slowly make their way to the top and back of the head. You can rest assured: if there are no whitish strands visible in front, there are definitely none in the back.

Ethnicity plays a big role

In addition to genetic predisposition, ethnicity also has a great influence on the appearance of gray hair. For Caucasians, it is completely normal to see gray hair after the age of thirty; Asians begin to go gray closer to forty, and people from Africa - even later. These conclusions are made thanks to scientific research, which revealed that Asians and Africans turn gray much later in comparison with their peers from the Caucasus.

Is it possible to remove gray hair?

We've all heard stories of old wives who tell us not to pull out gray hair. Allegedly, in this case, two more gray hairs will grow in place of the removed hair. But, as you understand, one hair follicle cannot provide two hairs at the same time. The beliefs of our grandmothers are based on misconception and have nothing to do with the truth. On the one hand, a single tactic of pulling out gray hair can be justified, because the hair follicle remains in place and can even produce healthy hair in return. But according to cosmetologist Randy Schuler, this is a very dangerous path. Too frequent plucking damages the follicles, causing them to lose their viability. Agree that gray hair is better than no hair.

Let the men go first!

We can all agree that the statement “let the ladies go first” does not always have a positive connotation. Especially when it comes to the appearance of gray hair. A scientific study conducted in 2012 compared head health in men and women of the same age. It turned out that representatives of the stronger half of humanity had much more silver strands. This is good news for women. In addition, many people love it when the gentleman’s temples are covered with a small amount of gray hair.

Stress won't make you gray overnight.

Many people are accustomed to thinking that fear or strong experiences can cause gray hair. However, Dr Alan Bauman says this is not always the case: “Stress, like many other factors in our lives, has a significant impact on the health of our hair. However, a stressful situation alone will not turn your head silver overnight. If a person begins to rapidly turn gray and chalks it all up to dramatic experiences, there are probably other factors in the body that contribute to this process, for example, heredity.”

Gray hair does not mean old age is approaching

Our ancestors associated gray hair with approaching old age. From the point of view of modern scientists, this statement cannot be true. Having gray temples, a person changes visually. But if he looks older than his age, this does not mean that corresponding age-related changes are taking place in the body. One large study looked for a link between cardiovascular disease, which worsens with age, and physical signs of aging (gray hair or wrinkles). Ultimately, no correlation was found. These conclusions are fully supported by folk wisdom, which says that “a person looks as old as he feels.”

There are other risk factors

Age and genetics are not the only factors that contribute to the appearance of gray hair. There are things that can speed up the process. We are talking about poor nutrition, regular stress, insomnia, drug abuse, and smoking. The list goes on, and we have listed only the main risk factors. Dr. Alan Bauman warns that if you want to maintain a youthful appearance longer and avoid gray hair, you need to live a healthy lifestyle. Factors that have a detrimental effect on overall health can also cause gray hair.

The appearance of gray hair at the temples can also be caused by certain medical conditions, for example, the presence of Werner syndrome or Hutchinson-Gilford progeria. Both of these rare genetic diseases cause premature aging of the body. Patients with Down syndrome, pernicious anemia and autoimmune thyroid disease can also get acquainted with the unified one. Most often, the premature appearance of gray hair is provoked by a lack of vitamin B 12 in the body, leading to a lack of nutrition of the pituitary gland.

How does hair behave in other parts of the body?

If the hair on your head begins to turn gray, this does not mean that the hairs growing in other parts of the body will also turn silver. This will probably happen much later, and probably will never happen.

Is it possible to stop this process?

Scientists believe it may be possible to prevent, stop or slow down the graying process of hair. The best ingredients have been found that are excellent at fighting gray hair, such as caffeine and niacinamide (water-soluble vitamin B 3.) These substances are known as anti-aging products. This also includes the Chinese medicinal herb Fo-Ti, although scientists do not confirm the information of eastern healers. The appearance of gray hair is a complex process, and cosmetologists still do not have a complete understanding of why progress has not been made in preventing this phenomenon.

Helpful information

In conclusion, Dr. Bauman offers valuable advice: “The best thing men and women can do to combat gray hair is to reduce risk factors. Pay attention to the quality of your diet, manage stress, add vitamins to your diet for healthy hair, and give up bad habits. In extreme cases, you can resort to laser therapy and other cosmetic procedures.” Don't take gray hair as a death sentence. Sooner or later they will be with you, and now you know why they appear.