Why do gray hair?

In most people, gray hair is associated with old age. These images have firmly established themselves in our brains since early childhood, when parents told us that the hair grows gray only with grandparents. Therefore now, when we meet a young man or a girl with gray hair, for us it is very unusual. And indeed, the gray hair that appeared early is still an exception to the rules, rather than the rule itself. And why is this happening? And is it possible to influence this process?

What affects the hair color?

As you know, hair color depends on two pigments - eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin gives the hair a black-brown hue, and pheomelanin is yellow-red. From the ratio of the number of these pigments and the amount of air that is mixed with them, and depends on what color the person will have hair. This proportion is determined based on the genetic predisposition of a person.

From the physiological point of view, the answer to the question "Why do gray hair?" Is simple enough. In the structure of the hair over the years, the amount of eumelanin and pheomelanin decreases and their functionality decreases, and the amount of air on the contrary increases, and it gives the hair a gray hue. But even such a detailed consideration of the structure of the hair and the nature of graying does not explain why sometimes hair grows gray in young people, because according to this logic, the loss of certain functions by pigments occurs only in people of age.

Why do hair grow gray early?

The main cause of early appearance of gray hair is the influence of hereditary factors. But there are other reasons why hair grows young and even sometimes children. It is a way of life and a diet of years. We draw attention to the fact that it is precisely the long-term disruption of lifestyle and nutrition. A single use of harmful products or non-compliance with the regime of the day will not lead to the appearance of gray hair.

It should be noted that today in Europe, the appearance of gray hair in people is slightly older than 30 years. Yes, such precedents have been before, but recently they happen more and more often. Some begin to sound an alarm and urgently go to the doctor as soon as they see the first gray hair on their heads. Perhaps this behavior is the most correct, because hair rarely grow gray all overnight, often this process takes about 2 years, and, accordingly, there is still time to slow it down.

Modern doctors believe the main cause of early hair loss is a metabolic disorder. In their opinion, the greater part of people who faced the problem of early gray hair, metabolism was violated. Hence it is also observed that in people suffering from shortage or excess weight, there is a higher probability of early losing their hair color. Another reason why hair grows gray early is autoimmune and viral diseases, and also diseases of the nervous system. Less common cases of hair loss caused by a lack of trace elements in the human body, which are responsible for the production of melanin.

Also, doctors note various diseases of the endocrine system, as the cause of the appearance of gray hair in young people. These include diseases of the thyroid gland, and various diseases of the testicles and ovaries. All these ailments affect the pituitary gland, which reduces the pigmentation of the hair.

But let's say also a couple of encouraging words to those people who, alas, ran into this problem. Today, modern cosmetology has learned to successfully cope with gray hair, which means that if you regularly visit a beauty salon or an ordinary hairdresser you can successfully hide from the annoying fact surrounding this.