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Grey Hair and Old Age
At a young age, I was taught grey hair needed to be plucked or dyed. It’s a sign of old age and that’s not something to embrace.
Over time, I wondered if there’s any truth in grey and old age. I’ve seen people in their 20’s with grey hair.
Why Does Hair Turn Grey?
There are many reasons why hair “turn” grey.
As we age, our hair follicles produce less color. Genetics can contribute to when this starts.
Another possible reason is stress, because stress can cause our hair to shed and regenerate more quickly than usual.
Premature graying of hair (PGH) sometimes indicate illness such as vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid disorder, or an autoimmune disease such as alopecia and vitiligo. PGH is defined as before 20 years old for Caucasians and before 30 years old for African Americans. For other populations, it is not defined.
It can also be due to environmental factors such as pollution and ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, or what we put in our bodies like smoking.
Bottom Line
Prevent what you can like taking care of your body by eating healthy and not smoking.
Talk to your primary care provider to look into if you any have underlying illnesses that can be treated.
Embrace what you can’t prevent like age and genes. Everyone will go grey at some point in their life.
