Why Does Our Hair Turn Gray?

Age is something we cannot avoid or stop and graying is part of the aging process, we are all going to have gray hair at a point of our lives, but why does it happen? How can we delay and treat it?

Why does it happen?

Hair is first white, and then the formation of a pigment called melanin happens which has two pigments: one is dark and one is light. When these two mix they create different colors, this is why we all have different hair color.

Melanin is in every hair follicle in our scalps, Graying happens when our melanin producing cells called melanocytes become less active or there aren’t any cells left to produce the color.

There are certain factors that can change the pigmentation of hair and increase the graying:

1.Genetics:

There is something known as premature graying: people with perfectly healthy hair that gray in their 20s. This might be caused sometimes following reasons, as well as stress, but mostly it is all in the genes.

Genes will determine when you will get your first gray hair, same as baldness. Genes regulate the pigmentation potential of each individual hair follicle.

2.Smoking:

It’s known to increase the rate of graying since smokers are 4 times more likely to have gray hair.

3.Anemia, absence of B Vitamins, Untreated Thyroid and other medical conditions can cause premature graying.

4.Some conditions and medications affect your body as well as your hair.

5. Age: With age comes a reduction of melanin. The hair turns gray and eventually white.

6. Hydrogen Peroxide. This chemical builds on the hair shafts, which can lead to a gradual loss of hair color

Solutions:

-You can highlight or color hair with a semi-permanent or demi-permanent color:, highlights, permanent color

-Hair products

Sources:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/grayhair.html

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ss/slideshow-hair-conditions

http://www.disabled-world.com/health/dermatology/hair/gray-hair-causes.php

http://www.webmd.com/beauty/hair-nails/abcs-premature-graying

http://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-Gray-Hair