Premature Greying of Hair: Causes, Treatment and a 4-Step Routine

Hair turns grey when the cells that make its pigment, called melanocytes, make less melanin. Melanin gives hair its black or brown colour. When white strands mix with coloured ones, hair looks grey. Here is what to know about premature grey hair in nutshell:

1.   Genetics is the main reason if your parents, brothers or sisters also went grey early. If there is no family history, look for a cause you can fix. Most fall into three groups: hair damage, a nutritional deficiency, and stress.

2.   Grey hair that is already there will not turn black. What you can change is the new hair that grows in. Hair grows about 1 cm a month, so give any routine at least 3 months.

3.   A 4-step routine helps: a gentle shampoo, a conditioner below ear level, a grey hair serum on the roots, and a hair oil once or twice a week.

4.   Check your blood for vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, copper, zinc and thyroid, because low levels are linked to early greying.

5.   Serums you may try:

• Greyex Solution

• Revgrey Solution

• Arata Anti Grey Hair & Beard Serum

• Cureskin Anti Grey Hair Serum

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When Is Greying Called Premature?

It depends on your skin tone:

·       Fair skin: before 20.

·       Wheatish skin: before 25.

·       Dark skin: before 30.

If you see grey hair in your twenties or thirties, it is worth finding the cause.

A 4-Step Routine for Premature Grey Hair

1.   Wash with a gentle shampoo. Any gentle shampoo will do. Shampoos and conditioners do not reverse greying.

2.   Apply conditioner below ear level.

3.   Towel dry, then apply a grey hair serum to the roots of the grey hair, twice a day.

4.   Use a hair oil once or twice a week, ideally overnight. If you use a serum at night, put the oil on an hour after the serum. Look for oils with bhringraj, amla, curry leaves and jatamansi. A heavy oil may not suit an oily scalp.

Best Grey Hair Serums

These serums contain a peptide such as Greyverse or Silverfree, which are the most widely studied peptide ingredients for hair pigment.

Be consistent. You will see results in about 3 months. Your existing grey hair will not turn black, but when it falls, the new hair that comes in can be pigmented.

How to Colour Grey Hair

• The best step is to delay colouring. First find the cause of your greying and treat it, as explained in this guide.

• If you do want colour, choose a natural hair colour. Our guide on how to use henna and indigo for natural black hairshows you how.

• If you plan to use a box hair dye, choose a less harsh one. Our guide on how to colour hair explains what to look for.

Also, Grey hair is more fragile and has no melanin to protect it from the sun.

• Go easy on heat: air-dry where you can, and use flat irons and blow-dryers less.

• Avoid hair waxes and harsh chemical treatments.

• Protect it from the sun with a scarf or hat.

Vitamins for Grey Hair:

A consultation with a dermatologist begins with identifying the root cause of your premature grey hair. They may order blood tests to check levels of iron, folic acid, copper, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, and thyroid hormones. If a nutritional deficiency is the primary cause of your grey hair, you can prevent new grey hairs from appearing by addressing these deficiencies. However, existing grey hair cannot be re-pigmented. To support this process, you may need to take multivitamins and specific supplements for a few months.

Is Premature Greying Linked to Bone or Heart Disease?

Studies have not proven a strong link. Some suggest that people who grey early may be more likely to have low bone density (osteopenia) later in life, and men who grey early may be more likely to have coronary artery disease. This does not seem to hold for women. A healthy lifestyle and a talk with your doctor matter more than the grey hair itself.