Hair greying can be triggered by lifestyle
ALLEN became desperate when grey hair showed up on her hairline yet she is only 33 years old. Being less than forty years and already experiencing signs of aging made her sad. And as time passed by, the greying intensified.
By Viqué-Ocean Kahinju
ALLEN became desperate when grey hair showed up on her hairline yet she is only 33 years old. Being less than forty years and already experiencing signs of aging made her sad. And as time passed by, the greying intensified.
By the age of 35, almost her entire head had turned grey. Because she felt out of place, especially when people asked how old she was, she opted to dye her hair to conceal the grey hair strands in it.
But this did not help much because grey hair is more resistant to hair dye due to a decreased amount of melanin. And as a result, her grey hair often resurfaced after a few weeks.
Contrary to widespread belief, greying hair is not always related to one’s age although age is a significant aspect. Grey hair can occur in teenage up to late 50’s and even older.
Medically, premature greying is associated with diminishing of the colour (pigmentation) of hair follicles called melanocytes, which generate pigments. And the main one being melanin (a black pigment), which gives our hair its colour.
The colour degeneration occurs with age. As one grows older, the melanocytes become less active. They stop or manufacture less pigment. And it is these hairs that grow with a different colour from the rest.
“These hairs are grey in colour thus the name grey hair,†explains Dr. Amin Hassan, a dermatologist in Kampala.
“The great amounts of melanin present, the darker the hair colour; the less melanin, the lighter the hair colour,†clarifies Amin.
Research studies have shown that although people are genetically different, they all have genetically determined time to grey.
Usually hair turning grey is hereditary In some cases, some people start greying in their early 20s or 30s following their family greying history; this is called premature graying. But chances of going grey increases 10-20% every decade after 30 years in one’s life span.
Grey hair is more noticeable in people with darker hair because it stands out more than in people with naturally lighter hair. However, such people’s grey hair may look the same when they are older.
What causes premature greying
“It is mostly environmental and underlying health factors that lead to premature greying,†says Amin.
Diet (consuming excessive amounts of these foods with excessive amounts of iodine can increase the risk of developing thyroid complications. Such hitches have an impact on the hair’s health thus causing premature grey hair).
Smoking cigarettes (the chemicals in tobacco can affect the hair follicle cells thus the early greying)
Anaemia due vitamin B12 deficiency causes the body to lose melanocytes.
“This causes skin discolouration or uneven patches on the skin, which also affects the colour of the hair causing it to become greyish,†says Amin.
Dr. Grace Kirungi, a general practitioner at Kim health centre in Kampala, says hormonal imbalance is a leading factor known to cause premature greying in people. She cites early menopause as having a bearing on premature greying.
“Stress, which causes extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp, interferes with the supply of vital nutrition necessary for the health of the hair,†she adds.
Drug dependence due to chronic ailments such as HIV /AIDS, cancer and thyroid imbalance is well documented to be the main trigger for premature greying.
“This is because they destabilise hormones that in turn affect body, cells which have an effect on hair follicles,†explains Kirungi.
Harvard scientists proposed that a failure of melanocyte stem cells to maintain the production of melanocytes could cause the greying of hair. When these melanocytes stop producing the pigment the result is a transparent hair. The transparent hair against your healthier darker hair gives the appearance of grey hair. But in reality the hair is not grey, but transparent.
In addition, kidney dysfunction also has an impact on one’s hair. Although people are different, the pigment of their hair is generated in the same way.
How to control premature greying
Hair reflects the quality of blood and the strength of the kidneys.
The foods one should avoid in order to check occurrence of premature greying include: excessive meat, dairy products, and salty, acidic, oily, spicy foods and drinks like coffee, alcoholic beverages or tea.
ALLEN became desperate when grey hair showed up on her hairline yet she is only 33 years old. Being less than forty years and already experiencing signs of aging made her sad. And as time passed by, the greying intensified.
By the age of 35, almost her entire head had turned grey. Because she felt out of place, especially when people asked how old she was, she opted to dye her hair to conceal the grey hair strands in it.
But this did not help much because grey hair is more resistant to hair dye due to a decreased amount of melanin. And as a result, her grey hair often resurfaced after a few weeks.
Contrary to widespread belief, greying hair is not always related to one’s age although age is a significant aspect. Grey hair can occur in teenage up to late 50’s and even older.
Medically, premature greying is associated with diminishing of the colour (pigmentation) of hair follicles called melanocytes, which generate pigments. And the main one being melanin (a black pigment), which gives our hair its colour.
The colour degeneration occurs with age. As one grows older, the melanocytes become less active. They stop or manufacture less pigment. And it is these hairs that grow with a different colour from the rest.
“These hairs are grey in colour thus the name grey hair,†explains Dr. Amin Hassan, a dermatologist in Kampala.
“The great amounts of melanin present, the darker the hair colour; the less melanin, the lighter the hair colour,†clarifies Amin.
Research studies have shown that although people are genetically different, they all have genetically determined time to grey.
Usually hair turning grey is hereditary In some cases, some people start greying in their early 20s or 30s following their family greying history; this is called premature graying. But chances of going grey increases 10-20% every decade after 30 years in one’s life span.
Grey hair is more noticeable in people with darker hair because it stands out more than in people with naturally lighter hair. However, such people’s grey hair may look the same when they are older.
What causes premature greying
“It is mostly environmental and underlying health factors that lead to premature greying,†says Amin.
Diet (consuming excessive amounts of these foods with excessive amounts of iodine can increase the risk of developing thyroid complications. Such hitches have an impact on the hair’s health thus causing premature grey hair).
“This causes skin discolouration or uneven patches on the skin, which also affects the colour of the hair causing it to become greyish,†says Amin.
Dr. Grace Kirungi, a general practitioner at Kim health centre in Kampala, says hormonal imbalance is a leading factor known to cause premature greying in people. She cites early menopause as having a bearing on premature greying.
“Stress, which causes extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp, interferes with the supply of vital nutrition necessary for the health of the hair,†she adds.
“This is because they destabilise hormones that in turn affect body, cells which have an effect on hair follicles,†explains Kirungi.
Harvard scientists proposed that a failure of melanocyte stem cells to maintain the production of melanocytes could cause the greying of hair. When these melanocytes stop producing the pigment the result is a transparent hair. The transparent hair against your healthier darker hair gives the appearance of grey hair. But in reality the hair is not grey, but transparent.
In addition, kidney dysfunction also has an impact on one’s hair. Although people are different, the pigment of their hair is generated in the same way.
How to control premature greying
Hair reflects the quality of blood and the strength of the kidneys.
The foods one should avoid in order to check occurrence of premature greying include: excessive meat, dairy products, and salty, acidic, oily, spicy foods and drinks like coffee, alcoholic beverages or tea.