Why does hair turn gray

The pigments, eumelanin for brunettes and dark hair and pheomelanin for blondes and red hair, are produced along the hair shaft. Consider stress one of those outside factors.

In addition, stress can trigger a common condition called telogen effluvium. This causes hair to shed about three times faster than normal. Oxidative stress causes imbalances to the body when free radicals damage cells. When there aren't enough antioxidants to counteract the damaging effects of free radicals, it can lead to aging and diseases such as vitiligo. Rather than stress about your stress levels, concentrate on the external factors that cause gray hair but are still within your control.

Hayag lists nutritional deficiencies including vitamin B12, folate, copper, iron, and calcium as causes, as well as smoking, since it adds to aforementioned oxidative stress, and a sugar-rich diet. Hayag has an answer for that, too. Leave those silver hairs right where you found them. From this point, you have two options: Do you want to completely cover your gray strands, or let nature take its course?

If you vote for the latter, eSalon Hair Colorist Leianna Hillo offers three solutions for blending while you gray: demi-permanent hair color, highlights, or a combining both approaches. Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Related Articles. Why Is My Period Late? Trending Topics.

What Parents Need to Know. Why Hair Turns Gray As we age, our hair eventually loses its color. One study from New York University, reported in Nature Medicine , finds that the cells responsible for hair color can be depleted when the body is under stress. Other studies indicate that while stress may play a part, it is only a small part of a bigger picture where disease and other factors contribute.

A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology also demonstrated that smoking is linked to premature white hair in young men. Chemical hair dyes and hair products, even shampoos, can contribute to premature hair graying. Many of these products contain harmful ingredients that decrease melanin. Hydrogen peroxide, which is in many hair dyes, is one such harmful chemical. Excessive use of products that bleach hair will also eventually cause it to turn white.

If genetics or aging is the cause, nothing can prevent or reverse the process. However, treating graying hair could allow color pigmentation to return if the loss is due to a medical condition.

When diet and vitamin deficiencies are the cause of prematurely white hair, correcting these may reverse the problem or stop it from worsening. A diet rich in antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress. Anyone who has white hair resulting from a vitamin deficiency should consume more foods loaded with those vitamins.

For example, seafood, eggs, and meats are good sources of vitamin B, and milk, salmon, and cheese are excellent sources of vitamin D. Smoking has adverse effects on the body and contributes to white hair. And researchers have found a link between the habit and loss of hair pigmentation.

There are plenty of hair dyes on the market that cover white hair, but many of these contribute to premature graying and may cause allergic and adverse reactions. Natural remedies offer an alternative to slow down hair-whitening without harming the body or causing further hair pigment damage. Curry leaves. The medicinal use of curry leaves goes back centuries.

When combined with hair oil and applied to the scalp, curry leaves can slow premature graying. One report in the International Journal of PharmTech Research highlights the traditional use of curry leaves to retain black hair color and even prevent premature graying.

Curry leaves can be purchased at Indian supermarkets, as well as traditional grocery stores. The false daisy or bhringaraj will darken hair and keep it from becoming white early, according to some reports. The juice of the leaves is boiled in coconut oil or sesame oil and massaged into the hair. Indian gooseberry. Also called amla, this is an herbal supplement recognized for reversing premature graying by promoting pigmentation.

Its effectiveness is believed to be because the gooseberry is rich in antioxidants and anti-aging properties. Amla is available as a fruit in Indian grocery stores. It can also be found, as a powder or supplement, available online or in a traditional health food stores. The powder can be mixed with coconut oil and applied directly to the scalp.

Black tea. Black tea can make hair darker, shinier and softer. It can be used by steeping 3 to 5 tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water , cooling and adding to clean, wet hair.