While it’s true that a salt-and-pepper look has its appeal, it can sometimes feel like your hair is betraying you by turning grey before its time. As we age, our hair naturally loses its pigmentation, leading to grey or white strands. However, many people can experience greying early on in their 20s and 30s. Genetics play a significant role in premature greying along with different lifestyle factors like stress, poor nutrition, and environmental pollution. In addition to consuming foods that are rich in iron and protein, and reducing stress levels, one can also add some ingredients to their hair care routines that can help with reversing the greys!
5 Factors That Cause Premature Greying Of Hair
1. Genetics
A history of premature greying of hair in your family is likely to make you experience the same at around the same age.
2. Stress
Research shows that premature greying of hair is closely associated with stress, which initiates the fight-or-flight response. This in turn leads to the damage of stem-cell response for regeneration of the pigment that colours your hair. Trauma can also result in premature greying.
3. Food Deficiencies
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can reduce the natural supply of blood to the hair follicles, which accelerates greying of your hair. This happens as a result of a regular diet that does not provide you with as much nutrition as your body needs, along with other unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.Â
4. Certain Health Conditions
Certain medical conditions like vitiligo, autoimmune diseases, pituitary problems, thyroid disorders, anaemia, and vitamin B12 deficiencies can turn your hair white prematurely. This health condition manifests through discoloured patches in different parts of your body. When a similar patch appears in the area of hair growth, the hair strands lose their pigmentation.Â
5. Harmful Chemicals
Lack of fresh hair and inhaling harmful fumes also lead to premature greying. Frequent exposure to hair treatments can also result in the same, along with other hair concerns like hair fall.
5 Ingredients To Treat Premature Greying Hair
The Channel 46 caught up with Bhaskara Seth, Co-Founder of Neemli Naturals, who lists 5 ingredients you can include in your hair care routine, to arrest premature greying of the hair.
1. Arcolys
A patented botanical ingredient that has gained popularity in recent years, arcolys is derived from the plant Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora (did you just say that for fun?) that grows in the Himalayan mountains and is used in Ayurvedic medicine. Arcolys help by protecting hair follicles from oxidative stress. It also increases tyrosinase activity to boost melanin production which leads to reviving the hair’s natural pigmentation. Invest in an acrolys-rich hair care serum to make the most of this ingredient.
2. Biotin
This water-soluble vitamin plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy skin, nails and hair. It supports the production of keratin and improves blood flow to the scalp, to provide the necessary nutrients and oxygen needed for healthy hair growth. It also supports the production of melanin, the pigment that gives hair its colour. You can consume biotin supplements or apply them topically to see a difference in hair health.
3. Fenugreek Extract
Fenugreek or ‘methi’ has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries. Its extract is rich in several nutrients including protein, iron and vitamins A, C and B-complex, which are essential for healthy hair. It contains a compound called lecithin, which boosts melanin production, restoring the hair’s natural colour. It is also rich in antioxidants that protect your hair from further damage and greying.
4. Liquorice Extract
Derived from a medicinal herb cultivated in the Himalayan regions, liquorice extract is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It helps in keeping the scalp cool and contains ‘Glabridin,’ a tyrosinase inhibitor that is known to increase pigment production. Â
5. L-Cysteine
An amino acid that is essential for the production of keratin, L-Cysteine may help reverse greying of hair by providing the body with the necessary building blocks to produce healthy hair. It also has antioxidant properties, which can help protect the hair and scalp from damage.
A recent study observed that lower stress levels could reverse greying and bring back colour to your stressed-out fibres. So you could plan that holiday to de-stress or, if you can’t find the time to do that, it’s worth giving these ingredients a shot at re-pigmentation!
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