Gray hair is unavoidable for most people. It is a natural biological process that accompanies aging. However, could also be due to other factors.
Gray hair has a much greater effect on a person's appearance than on biology. For this reason, Many people panic when they see gray hair and try all sorts of things to hide it. Others dye them before the gray hairs appear.
The chance of graying increases by about 10 to 20% in every decade of your life after the 30th year of your age. However, there are people with gray hair under the age of 30 years.
Well, what causes this natural process; Keep reading to find out.
Gray hair
Gray hair usually appears gradually as we grow older. However, Note that we all have white hair before we are born, at the beginning of our lives. During the process of fetal development, begins to acquire colors due to melanin, of a pigment.
There are two types of melanin:
- Eumelanin, leading to dark hair.
- Fomelanin, which leads to light colored hair.
Both combine from time to time and create other hair tones such as brown, red etc.. They form melanin in cells called melanocytes, whose function is the production of hair dye. Gray hair appears because the melanocytes no longer produce pigment.
This can happen at any age, but it is very rare to occur in people under 20 years. When it happens before their age 30, due to premature graying
Why gray hair appears;
There are some common myths about the reasons why hair turns gray. However, science has identified only two fully proven causes.
- Genetic: Although the genes responsible for this process have not yet been identified, we know that genetics play a crucial role. Including, determines the age at which hair begins to lose its color and turn gray. also, there are more cases of premature graying between Caucasians and Asians.
- Illnesses: Conditions such as vitiligo are due to pigment loss. also, malignant anemia, the lack of vitamin B. 12, Hypothyroidism and Werner syndrome have a similar effect.
Some suggest that other factors promote or speed up the process. However, there is no evidence that this is the case, although there is evidence of their influence. They are:
- Stress: Changes in metabolism and stress-induced hormones could affect melanin production. People who go through difficult times over and over again tend to turn gray faster..
- An unbalanced diet: Some researchers suggest that low consumption of antioxidants and inorganic vitamins affects graying.
- Toxic substances: Some believe that smoking and alcohol consumption and drug use can lead to gray hair. However, there is still no solid evidence behind this claim.
New data
A group of German scientists conducted a study in which they concluded that low melanin production is due to the excessive presence of hydrogen peroxide in capillary cells. The way to avoid it is to you consume foods rich in catalase, such as avocado, leeks, onions and beef liver.
Similarly, Professor Desmond Tobin, from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, concluded that there is a kind of biological clock in the hair follicle. This determines when the melanocytes stop producing hair dye. The innovation here is that there is evidence that the graying process is reversible.
In the meantime, a study conducted at Cairo University in Egypt, led by Professor Irini Samuel, found that there is a link between the tanning process and coronary risk in men. Gray hair at a young age could be indicative of this.
Source:meygeia.gr
