Greying hair is a part of the natural cycle of ageing. But what if you wake up one morning in your early 20s and find grey strands standing out from the rest of your coloured mane?
Premature greying of hair affects an increasingly large population since our life has become more hectic and stressful. It’s not uncommon to see a mop of grey hair on a person who is as young as 22. To treat them, you need to first understand what causes grey hair and if it is normal or not.
Is Grey Hair Normal?
Grey hair is a completely natural phenomenon that happens with age. Our scalp is covered in hair follicles, which contain strands of hair and pigment cells that are rich in melanin. These cells are responsible for the black, blonde, red or brown colour in your hair.
While all the follicles lose these cells eventually, sometimes numerous factors can play into losing them earlier than anticipated. This is when premature greying settles in, and it can start as early as your teenage years. There are many causes of grey hair, and it is crucial for you to know them to understand your mane better. However, premature greying can also be a cause for concern as this might indicate a deterioration in your hair health. Read on to find out more about what causes grey hair at a young age.
What Causes Grey Hair?
1. Genetics
One of the most common causes of grey hair is your genetic makeup. Just like you inherit your hair texture and colour from your parents or grandparents, the way your hair greys or the time also depends on your genes. So, it is likely that if your parents showed signs of premature greying, you would have to suffer the same fate. In this case, there is not much you can do to stop the wheel from turning. However, you can embrace the greys or keep your hair healthy for the days when you will have to use chemical treatments and colour.
2. Stress
With the fast-paced world today, and the higher rate of premature greying, it is not wrong to question – ‘does stress cause grey hair?’ If you are also thinking in this direction, you’re not far from the truth. Oxidative stress affects the hair follicles and causes greying. This happens when excessive stress creates an imbalance of antioxidants, which result in the free radicals that contribute to the causes of grey hair.
3. Autoimmune Disease
Sometimes, what causes grey hair can be underlying diseases or medical conditions. This includes autoimmune diseases in which your cells attack healthy cells and result in a low immune system. Autoimmune diseases that cause premature greying and white hair include alopecia and vitiligo. These diseases attack the cells in the hair follicles, including those containing melanin, and cause grey hair in your 20s.
4. Thyroid Disorder
You may raise the question- ‘does stress cause grey hair?’ But the true answer may be a hormonal imbalance in your body. The symptoms of both these causes of grey hair can be quite similar since hormonal imbalances cause stress themselves. Hormonal imbalance can, in turn, be the result of a thyroid problem. The thyroid is a gland that controls bodily functions, and an underactive or overactive thyroid can lead to a loss of melanin and hence premature greying.
5. Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
Vitamin B-12 is a major contributor of energy and vitamins to create healthy red blood cells which carry oxygen to all parts of your body. Therefore, a deficiency of vitamin B-12 can lead to a reduction in antioxidants that balance the free radicals in your hair follicles. Due to this, there is a loss of cells containing the colour pigment and cause damage to the hair follicles. Therefore, a deficiency in vitamin B-12 is a major reason for grey hair.
6. Smoking
If you rely heavily on smoking, it is not just your heart and lungs that are at risk. Smoking can constrict blood vessels, which means there is less blood circulation to your scalp. Low blood circulation can cause inflammation and damage to the hair follicles, resulting in premature greying. Smoking can also be what causes grey hair in your 20s because the toxins released by the smoke directly affect the hair follicles and lead to white hair.
The root cause of premature greying ranges from genetics and hormone imbalances to stress, smoking and vitamin-B12 deficiency. Some of these can be easily reversed, whereas in other cases, the hair follicles may never return to their natural colour.
Can Grey Hair be Prevented?
The prevention or treatment of grey hair entirely depends on the cause. If the causes of grey hair were a deficiency in vitamin-B12 or hormonal imbalance, there might be a chance that you can revert it. If the reason behind premature greying is genetics, there is unfortunately not much you can do about it. However, if the answer to your question, ‘does stress cause grey hair?’ was a yes, then prevention may or may not be possible. Smoking also yields the same inconclusive answer as stress.
Why Should You Use Parachute Advansed Hair Oil?
Parachute Advansed Hair Oil is an organic hair oil that contains minerals and nutrients that can help you battle grey hair. The oil offers 96% penetration into your hair strands and repairs any damage from within. It also contains vitamin-B12, which is one of the causes of grey hair and balances the free radicals that can kill the pigment cells. You can always rely on this hair oil to revamp your hair and protect it from unseemly circumstances such as premature greying.
Frequently Added Questions
What is Grey Hair a Sign Of?
Grey hair occurs when there is a change in the hair follicles that result in a loss of pigmentation. This change is traditionally a sign of ageing, but premature greying can occur due to a myriad of reasons. These include stress, vitamin deficiency, medical conditions and excessive smoking. Sometimes, grey hair is nothing but a sign of genetics at play.
What Health Conditions Cause Grey Hair?
Health conditions such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism are major contributors to greying hair. This is when the thyroid gland is affected adversely. Another medical condition whose side effect is grey hair is alopecia areata. This is a type of autoimmune skin condition that causes excessive hair loss from all parts of the body, including the scalp.
Conclusion
Grey hair is much like an uninvited guest who is here to stay, and this is especially true for premature greying. You can either treat your hair with excessive chemical treatments, or you can deal with the underlying problem and try to find an effective solution. If the cause is something you can’t fix, try using products to protect your hair from further damage if you opt for colouring. Either way, just ignoring the causes and letting the greys take over your natural colour is going to do you no good and taking action is the best way forward.