Whenever you spot a white hair, you would actually start thinking that you might be getting old now. Premature hair graying has become a common issue for people below 40. Some people even get their first gray hair as early as 15. It means that gray hair doesn’t tell what your age is but it has rather becomes a way of telling you that you need to do something about it.
So let’s see what actually happens when your hair starts turning gray. The hair follicles contain pigmentation cells which contain melanin. Melanin gives the hair a darker color if it is present in abundance. More the melanin, more darker color your hair would have. With the passage of time, the hair follicles produce less melanin and the hair starts turning gray. In some cases, the hair turns gray before you arrive the expected age of hair graying. I have seen some teenagers getting gray hair which is a sign of concern because it involves many health related problems too. Here we will discuss not just the causes of this problem but also how to avoid premature hair graying.
Major Causes of Premature Hair Graying
Premature hair graying is associated with certain factors and we need to first analyze what could be the reason for this. There are 9 major causes of premature gray hair including pollution, hormonal imbalance, unclean scalp, and consumption of certain drugs. The most common of these causes are described below with possible solutions if there are any.
1. Genetics
This plays a very important role in giving your hair gray color. If your parents had gray color in their teens then there is a chance that you would also have it in your teens. So this is the number one cause for premature hair graying and you can easily blame your parents for this and they can blame theirs. There is not much you can do about this except start using hair dyes from an early age to boost your confidence levels and live a stress-free life.
2. Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 has a very important role to play as far as gray hair problem is concerned. Lack of vitamin B12 would lead to premature graying of hair. If you want to avoid having gray hair early, you need to be sufficient in vitamin B12.
3. Stress
Stress has always been blamed for any kind of disease and illness. It is very rightly done so as stress is the leading cause of any major changes in the body. Your stress hormones can have a serious toll on your body leaving it weak. Stress has been directly associated with premature hair graying.
4. Uncontrolled Thyroid Levels
If your thyroid levels are out of whack then there is a chance you would end up having gray hair early. These levels play havoc with your body and leaves permanent damage. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can bring about this change in your hair.
5. Using Chemical Hair Dyes
Though science would not agree on this but there is a chance you might get gray hair early by using hair dyes with ammonia excessively. Studies suggest that hair structure is not changed due to hair dyeing as pigmentation cells called melanocytes remain the same only the hair texture might change. This is a personal experience that using hair dyes with ammonia can cause damage to the hair which would lead to premature graying. It is better to use chemical free dyes in order to avoid hair complications. I have seen teenagers nowadays getting their hair dyed frequently and it surely is not good for the hair scalp and hair texture. Chemical free options would always be better for a healthy scalp.
6. Poor Nutrition
A poor diet would always lead to health complications. A balanced diet is always recommended for a good overall health. Hair also needs nutrition for them to stay healthy and strong. With a poor diet, essential nutrients are not absorbed and the hair either turns gray or becomes weak leading to massive hair fall. If you’re trying to lose weight, it is not necessary that you also cut down on your nutrient intake while trying to consume less calories. Check out Top 6 Super Easy Diet Recipes for Weight Watchers to prepare some of the most healthy and delicious meals for yourself while on a diet.
These are the major causes of premature hair graying in teens. You can also avoid this problem to occur altogether especially if it runs in your family. Check out my article Top 4 Useful Tips on How to Avoid Premature Hair Graying.
