Do you know Stress causes white hair?

November 30, 2022November 30, 2022 peace 5 Comments

Is stress causes white hair?

Do you know stress causes white hair? Scientists say they may have discovered why stress makes hair turn white, and a potential way of stopping it happening without reaching for the dye (Readers may find some of the details distressing).

In experiments on mice, stem cells that control skin and hair colour became damaged after intense stress.

In a chance finding, dark-furred mice turned completely white within weeks.

Men and women can go grey any time from their mid-30s, with the timing of parental hair colour change giving most of the clues on when.

When we started to study this, I expected that stress was bad for the body—but the detrimental impact of stress that we discovered was beyond what I imagined,” says Dr. Ya-Chieh Hsu of Harvard University, who led the study. “After just a few days, all of the melanocyte stem cells were lost. Once they’re gone, you can’t regenerate pigments anymore. The damage is permanent.”

stress causes white grey

You should worry about premature graying if-

You don’t have a balanced diet:

Poor nutrition and low reserves of vitamin B12 , proteins, and the amino acid phenylalanine can lead to premature hair graying.

You have Parents who grayed early:

If genetics are playing a part and your parents experienced premature graying, it is likely that you will too.

You have hypothyroidism/ yperthyroidism:

Premature hair graying is a common symptoms of thyroid disorders. in most cases, the graying can be reversed by treating the disorder.

You smoke:

Studies have found that smokers are two and half times more likely to develop premature graying.

Causes of white hair

Vitamin deficiencies:

Any deficiencies of vitamin B-6, B-12, biotin, vitamin D, or vitamin E can contribute to premature graying.

One 2015 report in the journal Development notes various deficiency studies on vitamin D-3, vitamin B-12, and copper and their connection to graying hair. It finds nutritional deficiencies affect pigmentation, suggesting color can return with vitamin supplementation.

A 2016 study reported in the International Journal of Trichology looked to factors related to premature graying in young Indians Trusted Source under 25 years of age. It found low levels of serum ferritin, which stores iron in the body, vitamin B-12, and the good cholesterol HDL-C were common in participants with premature hair graying.

Genetics:

Premature graying of a person’s hair is largely connected to genetics, according to a 2013 report in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology.

Race and ethnicity play roles, as well. Premature graying in white people can start as early as 20 years old, while a person can be as young as 25 years old among Asians, and 30 years in African-Americans populations, according to the same 2013 study.

Real life stressors:

There are conflicting research studies on real-life stress, such as that caused by injury, leading to premature graying.

One study from New York University, reported in Nature Medicine, finds that the cells responsible for hair color Trusted Source can be depleted when the body is under stress.

Other studies indicate that while stress may play a part, it is only a small part of a bigger picture where disease and other factors contribute.

Chemical hair dyes and hair products:

Chemical hair dyes and hair products, even shampoos, can contribute to premature hair graying. Many of these products contain harmful ingredients that decrease melanin.

Hydrogen peroxide, which is in many hair dyes, is one such harmful chemical. Excessive use of products that bleach hair will also eventually cause it to turn white.