How To Reverse Premature Grey Hair

Have you woken up one morning, combed your hair, and found a few grey hairs on your head? You now need to learn how to reverse premature grey hair. So read on!

Grey hair was least expected because you are just probably in your twenties or mid-thirties maybe? So how could this be happening to you?

Well, there could be a possibility of finding more such grey strands of hair in the months to come if you are a victim of the condition called “premature greying”.

Most of us do understand that as we age our hair does turn grey, but when we see it getting grey before our expected time, it can be quite demoralizing and disheartening. 

Well then, what if I told you can learn how to reverse premature grey hair? 

Yes! You heard that right, but unfortunately only in some cases depending on what the individual causes of the premature grey hair are.

This article will tell you all about this condition, how it is caused and how to reverse premature greying..

So let’s dive in!

What is premature greying of hair?

Most people on average start noticing grey hair anytime between their mid-forties to their mid-fifties (if you are lucky). 

This is on average and can vary from person to person based on various factors. This is a normal part of the aging process and will happen to every person whose hair follicles are still producing hair.

Premature greying of hair refers to the condition where people between the age group mid-twenties to mid-thirties start showing signs of greying of hair. 

This can be due to various factors and can also vary from person to person.

Reversing premature grey hair

Following a healthy and balanced diet plan

As mentioned earlier in the causes of premature greying of hair, diet plays an important role as consuming foods rich in antioxidants is very essential to combat free radical damage.

Here are some antioxidant-rich foods that you can add to your diet:

Vegetables like pumpkin, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, onions, carrots, garlic, etc.

Fruits like: Mangoes, oranges (and other citrus fruits), strawberries, kiwi, berries, etc.

Other food items like Dark chocolate (yes, you read that right), green tea, nuts, seeds, grains, seafood, eggs, etc.

Reduce stress and practice relaxation

Stress can be the root cause of many diseases and conditions including premature greying of hair. Therefore, the higher our stress levels, the more the damage to the melanocytes. 

If our melanocytes get permanently damaged, the hair greying will not be reversible. Therefore, reducing stress levels before it is too late is advisable.

Following techniques like relaxation, meditation, and practicing yoga, can help reduce stress levels to a great extent.

Try out natural remedies

There are a lot of natural remedies that are well known to prevent premature greying of hair. You can either consume them or use them as hair masks or hair rinses to avail of their benefits.

Amla: Amla is well-known for its benefits to slow down the process of premature greying of hair.

Fenugreek seeds: These seeds contain the substance potassium that can help prevent premature greying of hair.

Curry leaves: These leaves contain vitamin B which can help restore the hair’s natural color by stimulating the hair follicles.

Black tea: Using a black tea hair rinse can help cover up your premature grey strands of hair, as black tea can help naturally darken lighter shades of hair.

Triphala: Triphala contains iron and potassium which are essential minerals that can help prevent premature greying of hair.

Coconut oil: Using coconut oil to massage your head promote blood circulation in the scalp and can prevent further premature greying of hair.

Related: Check out these amazing organic conditioner

Try out yoga asanas that can prevent premature greying

The below-mentioned yoga asanas help promote better blood circulation in the scalp and stimulate the hair follicles while also helping prevent premature greying of hair.

·         Balayam Mudra (or the rubbing of nails)

·         Matsyasana (often called the fish pose)

·         Sirsasana (also known as a headstand)

·         Ustrasana (also known as the back bending camel pose)

Avoid the usage of chemical based products

Hair dyes and hair styling products often contain harsh chemicals that can damage the hair and hair follicles promoting premature hair greying. 

So, switching to products with more natural ingredients is always advisable. The easiest way how to prevent premature grey hair is to cut use sulphate-free shampoos, natural hair dyes, etc.

How does our hair turn grey?

Knowing a little about the structure of the hair is essential here. 

Every hair strand grows out of a hair follicle present in the scalp. Each of these hair follicles contains the hair strand that has two parts, the root (which is under the scalp) and the hair shaft (which is visible as it grows out of the scalp).

Now it is important to note that our hair color depends on a pigment called melanin, which makes it brown, black, red, blonde, etc.

Melanin is a natural skin pigment present in our bodies. It also determines the color of our eyes and skin.

There are special skin cells called melanocytes, which are responsible for the production of melanin in the body. 

Therefore, the higher the product of melanin produced by the melanocytes, the darker will be the color of the hair.

Each of the hair follicles in the scalp contains pigment cells that produce melanin. As we age, these pigment cells fail to produce melanin and begin to die out naturally. 

There could also be a possibility that aging can cause the pigment cells to reduce the production of melanin. 

Either way, it will cause the hair strands growing out of that hair follicle to become a greyish or a whitish shade, as the lesser the melanin, the lighter the hair color becomes. 

So those who already have naturally lighter hair shades will not be able to notice premature greying of hair as much as people with darker hair shades.

What are the causes for hair to grey prematurely?

Genetics: This one is a pretty obvious one and yes, genetics play an important role in premature greying as a gene called IRF4 (Interferon Regulatory Factor 4) can disrupt the production of melanin in the hair follicles, causing the hair to grey prematurely.

Stress: Stress is a common factor for a lot of bodily issues. High levels of stress can cause damage to the melanocyte stem cells which are responsible for the production of melanin, causing the hair to grey prematurely.

·         Free radical damage: If our bodies do not have enough antioxidants to combat the oxidative stress caused by free radicals, the person is prone to developing a condition called vitiligo (where white patches develop on the skin). 

Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage the healthy cells in the body. It is the antioxidants that help fight this free radical damage. 

Therefore, those who develop vitiligo can also develop premature grey hair as it occurs due to a lack of melanin.

·         Hormonal changes: As we age or go through certain stages of life like puberty, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, andropause, medical conditions associated with the thyroid gland (like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism), etc, can all cause lack of melanin production in the body leading to premature greying of hair.

·         Dietary changes: There are times when we follow a certain diet that makes us deficient in the essential nutrients for our bodies contributing to premature greying of hair.

· Hair products: Very often people use hair products like chemical hair dyes, that contain harmful chemicals that can also lead to premature greying of hair.

Busting a myth: Can plucked grey hair cause more grey hair to grow around it?

Well, this is something that a lot of people have been talking about and I’ve always wondered whether there is some fact in the statement or not. 

I decided to find out for myself by doing a little of my own research and from my findings, I began to realize that this statement is actually a myth. Let me tell you why.

Scientifically looking at it, each of our hair follicles contains pigment cells that produce melanin (like I’ve mentioned above). 

Therefore, each time we pluck out a strand of hair from a particular hair follicle, the possibility of another grey hair growing in its place is normal (and the reason why it is grey is because of the lack of melanin, as explained earlier). 

So, this means that there is no reason for the surrounding hair follicles to turn grey, as there is only one strand of hair that can grow back from each hair follicle

And this means that it has no relation with the surrounding hair turning grey.

The only logical and scientific explanation for the surrounding strands of hair turning grey could be the fact that the melanin in the pigment cells of those hair follicles is also beginning to reduce, making the hair turn grey.

This being said, plucking of grey hair is not advisable as it can cause damage to the hair follicle, and therefore, gently cutting it off close to the scalp is recommended.

The final takeaway

Premature greying of hair can be due to a lot of underlying factors and it is important to identify the reason behind yours and treat or find ways to prevent it accordingly.

Greying is a natural process and will eventually occur in all people as they age because of the lack of melanin produced by the cells. 

So I suggest using natural prevention methods to delay the onset of grey hair. I hope the article helped you learn how to prevent premature grey hair naturally.