Gray hair - attractive or disturbing?
Table of contents
- What exactly is meant by premature graying?
- What causes gray hair and can we stop the process?
- When does it start?
- Women are not exempt from this rule
- Conclusion: Grey hair is not only caused by age
What exactly is meant by premature graying?
The term is derived from English and translates as "premature graying." It refers to the graying of hair in relatively young people. Between the ages of 30 and 50, it's perfectly normal to experience gray hair, as the body produces less and less melanin, the pigment responsible for hair pigmentation.
With premature graying, however, those affected often begin to notice their first gray hairs before the age of 20. The causes can vary greatly.
What causes gray hair and can we stop the process?
We know it's bound to happen sooner or later: One morning, we'll look in the mirror and realize we're slowly turning gray. What actually happens to our hair, and how can we slow the process? First, a little consolation: gray hair is something we all share. Three-quarters of people between the ages of 45 and 65 have gray hair.
1. Vitamin deficiency
A deficiency in valuable nutrients, especially vitamin B12, can cause your hair to turn gray at a young age. Meat, eggs, milk, and fish should be a key part of your diet.
2. Diseases
Various diseases, such as an underactive thyroid, can also contribute to premature graying. In cases of autoimmune diseases or infections, you should consult a doctor immediately to treat the cause.
3. Smoking
Smoking is unhealthy – almost everyone knows that. Unfortunately, there are still far too many people who view cigarettes as a recreational drug. However, the inhaled smoke not only damages the lungs, but also the hair follicles, ultimately resulting in only gray hair.
4. Genetic predisposition
If there are already cases of premature graying in your family, the chances of premature graying are unfortunately high. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it; you just have to accept the circumstances.
5. Stress
In Western society, stress is the primary factor in a variety of illnesses, including premature graying. Under severe stress, hair follicles produce increased gray hair, even at a very early age. For this reason, you should avoid stressful situations as much as possible.
Many of these factors can be avoided, so premature graying can be counteracted. If it's a genetic predisposition, hair coloring is probably the only remedy.
When does it start?
Most thirty-year-olds think they're too young to get gray hair. Often, however, that's exactly what happens, and genetics plays a major role. In other words, when you start going gray doesn't depend on your age, but on your genes. Just as hair loss is hereditary , the same is true for hair coloring.
As it was with your parents and grandparents, it will probably be with you too. Of course, you won't wake up completely gray in the morning. It's a progressive process that follows a certain pattern.
Women are not exempt from this rule
Men get gray hair faster than women. The good news is that most women don't mind a few gray hairs on men. In fact, the opposite is true: gray men are considered charming and sophisticated.
However, the opposite is not true: men usually don't like it when women have grey hair.
Conclusion: Grey hair is not only caused by age
The most obvious reason for gray hair is advancing age. However, there are other causes that can cause hair to turn gray at a young age.
Premature graying is the technical term that describes this phenomenon.
Those affected can have their hair dyed if the gray hair is too bothersome.
