Getting grey hair when you are old is a perfectly natural rite of passage, but why is it that some of us find ourselves cursed with grey hair even before reaching their 30s? Rather than only hoping that you won’t be that unlucky, start by learning what can cause grey hair and what you can do to minimize grey hair formation!
What Causes Grey Hair?
Your hair follicles actually contain pigment cells that produce melanin, which give your hair its color. Your hair starts to go grey when pigment cells in your hair follicles no longer produce enough melanin.
Most people will have a considerable amount of grey hair when they hit their 50s as more pigment cells die off, causing less melanin to be produced. Asians usually start greying in their late 30s, but recently, there have been more cases of people experiencing premature greying. Why is this so?
Premature Greying: What Causes It?
Premature greying is when your hair goes grey way before it’s supposed too. Some people are unfortunate enough to have grey hair even in their teenage years! Of course, we all want to know what causes it.
Lack of Protein and Other Nutrients
A lack of protein causes grey hair. This is because the pigment cells in your hair follicles require protein and nutrients to continue producing the melanin pigment responsible for your hair color. A lack of protein and other nutrients such as copper, iron and Vitamin B5 would increase the chances of premature greying happening as it causes pigment cells in your hair follicles to deteriorate faster.
Heredity
The bad news: The premature graying problem is largely genetic. If you have a family history of premature greying, the chances of you having this condition would increase as the lifespan of your melanin cells is dependent on your genes.
Sudden Emotional Stress
If you’re suffering from sudden stress, your hair cycle is shortened, and this may accelerate the spread of gray. It also creates systemic inflammation, which can switch off pigment-producing cells. Thus it is important for you to relieve stress regularly so as to save your hair!
Excessive Bleaching of Hair
Sometimes, hydrogen peroxide buildup caused by multiple bleaching sessions can also cause your hair to turn grey early.
Solving the Problem
For those who don’t want to walk around with a head full of grey hair, there are ways to hide it!
Firstly, you can dye your hair with semi or demi-permanent colors, as they can blend the grey with the rest of your hair, giving you a natural, youthful look. It is a great option for people who are just starting to show signs of grey. However, constantly dyeing your hair may cause damage to both your hair and your wallet, making it an unappealing course of action. You can also choose to just live with a head of rapidly increasing grey hair, but that makes you look a lot older than your age. What else can you do?
Jonsson Protein has the solution! As grey hair is caused by a lack of protein and other nutrients, we encourage the growth of healthy black hair by replenishing the necessary nutrients needed for melanin production. Our customized protein mask treatment encourages the growth of melanin cells in your hair, thus increasing the future production of melanin, treating grey hair straight from its cause.
