Greying Before Time

Health Guides
Greying Before Time
Hair Care

Greying hair used to be a phenomenon linked with aging and often used to set in after 50 years. But now its early onset is becoming very commonplace.

While most of us experience many hair related problems as we get old, premature greying occurs in persons who are in their late teens or early twenties. In rare cases, greying before time is witnessed in children also.

Usually, the hair turns grey because of the reduction in the amount of melanin produced in the hair follicles. Melanin provides the hair its dominant colour and it decreases as the person gets aged. The production of melanin can also be reduced in the young age because of many factors that are related to the modern day lifestyles.

Due to the modern lifestyle and change in many of our customs and norms, the younger generation is increasingly finding itself engulfed in the problem of looking older than the actual age. Here are the main causes of premature greying:

Long working hours

Although long work hours are a norm in present times, one of its ill effects can be greying before time. Long work hours do not give a person enough time to eat, sleep or rest properly. A study conducted by Health Canada reveals that more than 40% of the Canadian working population works for long hours in the offices.

Smoking

Recent studies have indicated that smoking can be a predominant factor in greying before time. Studies show that 21% of the Canadians over the age of 15 are smokers. This takes the number of young Canadian smokers to 5.4 million and exposes the younger generation to problems like greying before time like never before.

Improper eating

Multitasking is the new age mantra. As we find less and less time to finish our works, we have developed the habit of doing two or more tasks at a time. We have our lunches watching TV or completing the office work. When we do not chew our food properly, this leads to indigestion and causes problems like premature greying. Irregular eating timings will also contribute to this.

Nutrient Deficiency

The growing popularity of processed, packed and junk foods, has brought about an alarming decline in nutrition quotient we get from our food. Nutritional deficiencies in a person can stop the supply of essential vitamins which encourage the growth of melanin in the body.

Heredity

If someone in your family from your dad’s or mom’s side had it, the chances of you being the victim of premature greying will increase.

Caffeine Consumption

It’s a well known fact that most Canadians love to start their day with a cup of coffee. Excessive consumption of coffee will decrease the water levels in the body. This leads to problems like greying before time.

Stress

Stress is a common factor among Canadians due to today’s hectic lifestyles and peer pressure. According to “Annual Report Card on Canadians” Health foundation, about 43% of Canadians of all adults aged 30 and over face many issues in family and professional life, which leads to a stressful lifestyle. Stress leads to the reduction of melanin in the hair follicles at an early age and this leads to greying before time.

Apart from the above mentioned factors, some believe that using hair colours can also lead to greying before time. While using cheap colours on your hair may cause many problems, it’s not proven that the usage of colours on the hair leads to premature greying. It’s better to take proper advice before you try new colours on your hair.