Gaby
Finding your first gray hair is never a cause for celebration. For most of us, it serves as a reminder that old age is just around the corner.
Often, the timing of our graying is determined by our genes. If you have relatives who went completely gray in their 20s or 30s, your fate is likely sealed. However, for others, there may be a chance to delay the inevitable graying for a few years by following some simple rules. This is according to Eva Proudman, a hair health expert and founder of UK Hair Consultants.
Among these strategies is managing stress (which damages the scalp cells responsible for hair color) and wearing hats to protect against UV rays. Surprisingly, some studies suggest that consuming red meat and liver can also help maintain your natural hair color. By the way, as Ms. Proudman warns, veganism can accelerate the graying process by about five years.
Don’t Smoke
Smoking can speed up graying. This is because the toxins found in cigarettes cause oxidative stress. This biological process occurs when free radicals produced by smoking attack and destroy healthy scalp cells that produce melanin, the pigment responsible for hair color.
Stay Out of the Sun
Prolonged sun exposure can bleach your hair. This happens because excessive UV light causes oxidative stress similar to that caused by smoking. UV radiation damages the scalp cells that produce melanin. The impact isn’t just on hair color; studies show that UV rays also disrupt keratin levels—a protein in hair that strengthens and protects it.
Those who spend a lot of time outdoors, such as construction workers or agricultural laborers, should definitely wear a cap or hat.
Consume Vitamin B12
This vitamin is definitely lacking in vegan diets. B12 is abundant in red meat, liver, eggs, and dairy products.
Vitamin B12 is essential for cell regeneration, including melanocytes. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to graying. For this reason, vegans are at a higher risk of premature graying. However, they do have an option: supplements containing this vitamin.
Avoid Stress
One bad day at work won’t hasten your graying. But chronic, prolonged stress—whether from a job you hate or financial or family issues—is a whole different story.
When we experience intense stress, our bodies release hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine. This is a sign of the natural “fight or flight” response that was crucial for our ancestors’ survival in the wild.
However, if this natural response lasts for days, weeks, or even months, excess cortisol can harm our bodies and hair. Under prolonged stress, melanocytes malfunction, leading to graying.
Combat Stress with Exercise and Relaxation
You don’t have to run marathons or spend hours doing yoga. The key is to find an activity that relaxes you and distracts you from anxious thoughts: whether it’s going for a jog, gardening, baking, or reading a book.
If you can avoid thinking about stressors for at least an hour or two each day, your stress hormone levels will decrease, and its impact on your hair will lessen.
Give Yourself a Scalp Massage
A gentle scalp massage stimulates blood flow to both hair follicles and melanin-producing cells, helping hair grow and maintain its color. You can use a brush to perform the massage.
Check Your Thyroid
The thyroid gland releases the hormone thyroxine, regulating metabolism in the body. When thyroxine levels are low, we suffer from fatigue, weight gain, depression, and joint pain. Reduced thyroxine production contributes to decreased melanin production by the scalp cells that determine hair color.
Hypothyroidism is currently treated with a synthetic form of thyroxine called levothyroxine. However, the treatment plan should be determined by a doctor for each individual case.
Move to the Countryside
Air pollution harms hair color almost as much as cigarette smoke.
Toxins from diesel emissions that are inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream can cause oxidative stress. This, in turn, damages scalp cells and reduces their ability to produce melanin, which is necessary for maintaining color.
City dwellers should wash their hair more frequently—at least every other day. This is the simplest way to remove particles that pollute the atmosphere and penetrate the hair.
Of course, those living in the countryside are more protected from the harmful effects of civilization. Therefore, moving to an area closer to nature is the best solution for health, according to the Daily Mail.
