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Understanding Grey Hair

All these while, there seems to be a many misconceptions about the cause of graying hair. Some believe that this condition is a genetic defect while some blame it on physical issues like stress and ageing.

A great number of people also have the impression for every greying hair they remove, two will grow back up in place of the lost one. So what is truth about this widespread and annoying problem?

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The Origins of Your Hair Color

Losing your original hair color is a part of life and sooner or later you will see more and more of your hairs turning grey as you age. Depending on the individual, some will face graying faster while some don't even see it till much later in adulthood. The question really is, why is it turning grey in the first place?

The key to graying hair lies with a special type of cell known as Melanocytes which is generally concentrated within the epidermis throughout your skin. Through a process known as melanogenesis, the Melanocyte cells produce a pigment known as melanin that gives your skin color.

Melanocytes are also present in your hair follicles right next to the dermal sheath, an area below the hair bulge where you can also find keratinocyte cells that produce keratin, the basic building fibers that your hair and nails are made of. Working synchronously, melanocytes and keratinocytes are the building blocks of your hair.

People from different origins and regions tend to have very diverse hair colors. That is because the Melanocytes in your hair follicles produce two very contrasting types of melanin known as

• Eumelanin, that resembles dark brown or black pigments
• Pheomelanin, that gives bright colors like yellow or red

Depending on your genetic predisposition, the combination ratio of these two sub pigments gives you the color of your hair.

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The Cause of Grey Hair

As you age on, the Melanocytes in your hair follicles will start to degrade gradually. Through the end of each hair growth cycle, the Melanocyte cells in your hair follicles will die off and be replaced by new ones by nearby steam cells when a new hair cycle begins.

Due to several reasons, the stem cells might produce less or defective Melanocytes that hamper sufficient production of melanin for your hair. Over time, your hair will start to lose its natural color and becomes semi transparent like the color of your nails, which have no pigment.

You don't need to be 50 and above to start having grey hair. Although uncommon, anyone as young as their teens can see some of their hairs losing its color. How fast your hair turns grey really depends on the person's genetic predisposition and certain lifestyle factors that can directly influence the production of the pigment melanin. If you have a family history of premature grey hairs, the chances of your hair turning graying much earlier in life is far greater.

More technical information on the link between Melanocytes and graying hairs can be found here.

(Recommended only for people who are well versed with medical jargon)

Other Possible Factors

While genetics play an influential part in graying hair, there are several other triggers that can turn your hair grey sooner than it supposed to. Some of these factors might include

• Smoking
  Smoking has long been linked with causing gene defects, cell damage, diseases and many other health conditions. Premature aging, another direct cause of smoking is also directly associated with graying hairs since grey hairs are more abundant as you age. With so many factors that smoking can influence your body and health, it's safe to say that you will end up with far more grey hairs as a smoker.
• Stress
  This popular theory about graying hairs and stress is somewhat medically proven to be true. According to Ralf Paus, a professor of dermatology at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, graying hair could be a result of chronic free radical damage. Excessive stress is the principal creator of free and unstable molecules that can damage vulnerable cells like Melanocytes and influence melanin production. Stress is also a main cause of a sudden hair loss known as Telogen Effluvium which results your hair follicles shutting down earlier they supposed to thus causing the Melanocytes to shut down as well.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
  Vitamin B12 and the other vitamins in the B group are important for stable and healthy hair growth. Facing a deficiency in vitamin B especially B12 has been associated with less effective hair pigmentation, resulting in grey hairs.
• Thyroid disorders
  Your thyroid plays a very crucial part in maintain your body's metabolism, the ability to make sufficient proteins and how sensitive your body reacts to other hormones. Several thyroid conditions like Grave's disease, Hashimoto's disease, hyper and hypothyroidism can influence your cell's behavior.

Scientists have constantly trying to prove a concrete link for the causes of graying hair but the all the above reasons seem to point towards genetics and unsound health. Like many other trivial health conditions, graying hair is accelerated by poor health management and illnesses.

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Dyeing Your Hair

Until today the most common and popular treatment for grey hair is simply dyeing it. If you are using or thinking to use conventional hair dyes then I would definitely NOT recommend this solution for you at all.

Conventional hair dyes are laden with synthetic chemicals and carcinogens that can do more harm than good in the long run. Although dyes are a simple and fast solution for grey hair, using it too often can be a potential health hazard for you. Bear in mind that dyes that are darker in color can contain significantly more damaging chemicals like Phenylenediamine (PPD) than those with lighter shades.

Besides conventional hair dyes, there are many other products on the market like restoration shampoos, creams and foams that is specifically created to conceal graying hairs. Whatever it is, if the product claims it can progressively recover back your original hair color or darken it within a short time frame, it should contain the same coloring agents like conventional hair dyes.

Furthermore, hair dyes are just cosmetical cover ups and do not permanently solve the problem. Therefore you will have to be content with applying the dyes regularly to cover the grey hairs that are constantly growing from the roots. Doing so will also greatly increase your exposure to hazardous chemicals. No matter what, conventional hair dyes are a definite NO for me.

Check out the hazards of conventional hair dyes here.

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Other Treatments

Right up to now, there has yet been a scientifically proven and guaranteed treatment for reversing grey hair although many companies have come up with many treatment methods. Some of the popular treatments might include

He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti)

He Shou Wu is a known Traditional Chinese Medication (TCM) that is perceived to help with the strengthening of the kidneys and blood. To TCM practitioners, an imbalanced kidneys are a primary cause of grey hair and other hair defects and therefore reviving the kidneys with this herb can help prevent graying hairs.

There are many herbal preparations like Shen Min, Shou Wu Pill and Shou Wu Pian that use this herb as its active ingredients. Up till now, no scientific papers have proven that He Shou Wu has any beneficial effects on graying hairs. However, scientists have indicate a rare liver condition might be indirectly related to this herb.

Melancor

Melancor is an oral supplement that is said to work with your hair's natural chemistry to produce a similar-acting pigment like melanin. The new 'melanin' will then combine with the hair's protein inside the hair to gradually "reverse" the graying process and bring back natural looking color. The website also said that Melancor-NH has been clinically proven to effectively work with a '78% success rate' in both men and women.

Some of its active ingredients include Biotin, PABA and Pantothenic acid that are actually good for the hair follicles but until results come back from the FDA about its effectiveness in reversing grey hair, I am still skeptical about its proven effectiveness and possible side effects.

Para-amino benzoic Acid (PABA)

PABA is one of the prime ingredients in your sunscreen that blocks UV rays but it's also a nutritional supplement as well sub-categorized under the vitamin b complex group. The primary functions of PABA are to assists in the formation of red blood cells, acts as an antioxidant and also reduce fatigue.

It is said that PABA also helps with hair growth and graying hair but no concise results have to proven so far. Keeping the right intake of PABA is essential for healthy skin and ward of emotional problems. High dosage of PABA has also been linked to liver problems and has can prevent the effects of some antibiotic drugs so it's not commonly found in standalone dosages. You should be able to get the right amount of PABA from consuming molasses, whole grains, mushrooms and spinach.

It's important to know that reversing grey hair is a tedious and very complex task as it involves manipulating your genes and cells to resume production of pigment for your hair. You can kind of compare this task as trying to make your hair follicles to grow hair for balding people so.....

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There's No Guarantee

Up to now, there is no real guarantee that all the above mentioned treatments will work. If do not intend to waste money trying or your grey hair doesn't bother you, you might as well live with it.

From a different perspective, grey hair more than just white colorless hair. For older people, it can symbolize wisdom and maturity. For people with a good mix of salt and pepper hair, it gives you a really special kind of character that is uncommon!

So if you want to try treating it you can give it a try but if it doesn?t work, living with grey hair with the cup half full is anytime better than grueling over it. Besides, you still have your hair!

If you intent to dye your hair, check out this segment in Hair Treatments about using a natural hair dye and other homemade remedies that is much safer than conventional dyes.

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A Recent Discovery about Greying Hair

Seeing your hair turning grey might not be a totally bad situation at all. Recently, scientists have found that graying hair might be protecting you from getting cancer.

A research conducted by Nishimura and his team of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Japan exposed mice to radiation and chemicals that can damage DNA, damaged stem cells that produce malanocytes transformed permanently to the latter. (click here for more details about this research )

David Fisher, another cancer researcher at Harvard Medical School suggests that by stopping stem cells from proliferating, it reduces the overall chance of cell mutation that can inadvertently lead to cancer.

If that is the case, at least there is some comfort for you if your hair is graying sooner and you might have one less potentially life threatening problem to worry about!

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