Premature Gray Hair

Graying hair is a condition in which the hair begins to lose its coloring pigment. The graying of hair is usually considered to be the early sign of ageing, though, this is not always so. There are a lot of people who suffer from this rather rare condition in which hair turns gray prematurely. It can be very distressing for the person who experiences graying of hair since it is generally seen as a sign of ageing.

Signs of Gray Hair

If the hair is graying naturally, you should experience other signs of old age like appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your skin. However, premature graying of hair may not have any symptoms other than an increase in the number of hair strands that are gray.

Causes of Gray Hair

Our skin contains glands known as melanocytes which synthesize melanin, a pigment which gives the skin its color. The hair follicles similarly contain melanocytes which give our hair its natural color. The graying of hair is usually caused when the pigment melanin is no longer manufactured in the hair follicles. This should normally be due to the natural ageing process but when it is premature then it could be due to a medical condition which affects the melanocytes. Heredity is also a predisposing factor.

Some other causes are:

• Stress (both physical and mental) - Mental worries produce extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp, this interferes with the supply of vital nutrition necessary for the health of the hair.

• Constant worrying

• Washing hair in hot water

• Malnutrition - Lack of some of the B vitamins, iron, copper, and iodine in the daily diet.

• Using excessive amounts of chemicals in the hair.

Home Remedies for Gray Hair

• Indian gooseberry (Amla)

This so far is the best remedy for graying hair. It is a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth and hair pigmentation. Grind the fruit into a paste and then apply it on your scalp. Apart from treating graying of hair, this also makes your hair silky and smooth, improving the texture of the hair and helping it grow longer and thicker.

• Coconut oil

Warm the oil (not boil please), then apply some and massage your scalp with it regularly.

• Curry leaves

You can also ground some and consume them regularly along with your food. This will help prolong the life of the melanocytes of your hair follicles. These leaves have the property of providing vitality and strength to hair roots. New hair roots that grow are healthier and contain a normal pigment. When the leaves are boiled in coconut oil, the oil forms an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and bring back hair pigmentation.

• For best results, take some coconut oil and add some curry leaves and amla paste into it. Now warm this oil and massage it gently into your scalp every time before you wash your hair.

• Butter

The butter made from cow's milk has the property of preventing premature greying of hair. A small roll may be taken internally and a little quantity may be massaged into the hair roots twice a week.

Diet for Gray Hair

Vitamins B, C, E and K are essential for your hair. To keep your hair healthy, consume lots of vitamins and minerals. Your hair is basically made of proteins. Therefore, it is important to consume a good amount of proteins in your diet.

Avoid devitalizing foods, soft drinks etc

Devitalizing foods such as white flour, refined sugar and all products made from them, soft drinks, pastries, jams and jellies should be avoided. These foods take away energy, cause wrinkles, unattractive skin, grey hair, and premature old age.

Other Suggestions

If none of the remedies are working you can dye your hair. If you want to use a natural dye, you can use Henna. There are lots of hair care products that contain the natural dye henna. A good and trusted brand is Nature Vital. It comes in shampoos and conditioners.