Are you struggling with the gray hair starting to show up? On this road you are not alone. This thorough guide explores the reasons of graying and offers a range of remedies to enable you to embrace your changing looks and rebuild confidence. From knowing the physics underlying gray hair to investigating creative coloring treatments, we will cover what you need to know to make an educated hair decision. This page will give you insightful analysis and useful guidance whether your favorite color is something you want to keep or whether you're thinking about embracing your natural silver.
1. Understanding the Science Behind Gray Hair
Advertisement
Although gray hair is a normal aspect of aging, have you ever considered what might be causing your hair to fade in color? Fascinating and complicated, the science of graying involves a careful interaction of genetics, biology, and environmental influences. Melanocyte specialized cells abound in the base of every hair follicle. Melanin, the pigment giving your hair its original hue, is produced by these amazing cells. Melanin output declines as we age as these melanocytes progressively lose activity and finally die off. Without enough melanin, new hair grows in a spectrum of colors from gray to white, giving the silvery look we link with aging.
Still, the graying process involves other elements besides age. When you'll start to see the first silver strands depends in great part on your genes. Should your grandparents or parents grow gray early, you can find yourself becoming so as well. One of the reasons some people start graying in their 20s and others keep their natural color well into their 50s or beyond is this hereditary inclination. Furthermore accelerating the graying process are some medical diseases and lifestyle choices. Premature graying has been linked to vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid problems, even long-term stress. Certain studies have also indicated that exposure to some environmental pollutants and smoking might hasten the loss of hair color.
Fascinatingly, every hair follicle chronicles its own loss of pigment. This is the reason you can find a few gray strands mixed in with your original color instead of your head going gray over night. Usually slow, the process begins at the temples and then extends to the top of the head and beyond. Although hair doesn't really "turn" gray, once each hair approaches the end of its development cycle and falls out it may be replaced by a hair lacking pigment.
Knowing the science underlying gray hair will enable you to decide how best to handle it. For example, knowing that stress might cause early graying could inspire you to include stress-reducing strategies into your general hair care regimen. Likewise, knowing how nutrition affects hair condition could motivate you to make sure you're obtaining all the vitamins and minerals required for best hair development and pigmentation. Whether you decide to embrace your grays or look for coloring options, knowing what's occurring at a biological level will provide you great background for your decisions and enable you to feel more in charge of the path your hair is on.
Advertisement
