Gray hair: causes and methods of prevention

Until recently, gray hair in the hairs appeared in a man in adulthood, was evidence of wisdom and importance.Recently, there is a not very pleasant trend - people start to turn gray in 20-30 years!

Usually the first gray hairs appear in a person at 35 years old, then, after about 10 years, the discolored hair begins to predominate over natural hair.But the appearance of gray hair can begin at an earlier age - a similar process may well indicate the development of any pathologies in the body, so it's worth taking this seriously.To prevent the appearance of gray hair yet nobody has succeeded, but there are effective methods of fighting this physiological process.

Contents: Reasons for the appearance of gray hair How to prevent the appearance of gray hair

Reasons for the appearance of gray

What is the physiology of the hair?Their color is caused by special pigments - eumelanin, pheomelanin, triochromy, ossimelanin.These pigments are derived from melanin, the synthesis of which occurs under the influence of thyroid hormones and the pituitary gland.Participate in this process and sex hormones, and mediators of the sympathetic nervous system.All these pigments stain keratin, which consists of hair rods, and the intensity of the shade depends on how many melanin derivatives each hair bulb receives individually.

Melanocytes( cells that produce melanin) begin to function even before the birth of the child and gradually regress with age.After reaching the age of thirty, every 10 years, the activity of functioning of melanocytes fades by 10-20%. It depends on how actively the process of extinction of the melanocyte functionality is going on, the speed of appearance and spreading of gray hair through the hair depends.As soon as the death of melanocytes has occurred, the pigments generally cease to flow into the hair follicles and all hair rods become colorless.

Relatively recently it was found out that with age, the hair bulbs begin to release a minimum amount of hydrogen peroxide - it interacts with the pigments and discolours them.This process can be neutralized by the enzyme catalase, but over the years it is produced in the body all the less.

Graying in the hair may appear due to the following factors:

• internal - age, genetic characteristics, metabolic processes, stresses and so on;
• external - unfavorable environmental conditions.

The reasons for the appearance of gray hair can be:

• an unfavorable ecological environment - this leads to the development of various diseases and premature aging;
• heredity - most often gray hair in people appears at the same age as their parents;
• depression and stressful situations - with a nervous breakdown in the blood receives a large amount of adrenaline, which is able to break the connection between melanin and keratin.In addition, persistent stress and prolonged depression accelerate the aging process of the body;
• pathologies of the thyroid gland - diseases of this organ lead to disruption of metabolic processes, which invariably affects the production of melanin;
• disorders of pigmentation - it is a question of vitiligo, tuberous sclerosis, albinism;
• deficiency of iodine, vitamins A, B, C, minerals of copper, manganese, selenium and zinc, iron - lead to disruption of internal organs and stop the normal blood supply of all tissues;
• irrational nutrition - is a factor provoking the violation of metabolic processes;
• skin diseases - alopecia areata, herpes, erysipelas;
• hormonal disorders - an unstable level of hormones( for example, during pregnancy or during menopause) leads to depletion of the nervous system, impaired functioning of the thyroid gland;
• autoimmune diseases;
• long-term administration of medications - this refers to antibacterial agents;
• incorrect hair and scalp care - prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or cold, frequent use of aggressive hair styling products, permanent chemical staining.

After the majority of the pigment has been lost, the hair becomes ash gray, and after the loss of all melanin - white.If a person smokes, then gray hair can acquire a yellowish shade.In addition, gray hair not only changes color, but also structure - it becomes dry, tough and brittle, can get tangled and curled.

How to prevent the appearance of gray

Neither doctors nor beauticians have yet learned to restore gray hair, return the original color.Therefore with already gray hair is absolutely useless to fight, it remains only to use colors and hide them.But it is quite realistic to prevent early graying and even to suspend the already begun process of !

Power

One of the main factors that contributes to the preservation of health and youth is proper nutrition. In order to prevent the appearance of early gray hairs, you need to include in the diet products that are rich in certain trace elements:

• chrome - wheat bread, oysters and wine( in very moderate quantities!);
• calcium - greens, dairy products, nuts, wheat, soybeans;
• iodine - persimmon, black currant, sea kale and sea fish;
• copper - pumpkin seeds, kidney beans, almonds, eggs, green vegetables;
• iron - buckwheat, sea kale, cocoa, apples, beef, legumes;
• zinc - egg yolks, mushrooms, oysters and whole grains.

In addition, when preparing the menu, it is necessary to consider the presence of products that are rich in vitamins:

• inositol - legumes, meat, melon, prunes, kiwi, nuts;
• beta-carotene - liver, spinach, carrots, fish, cabbage;
• С - Brussels sprouts, citrus, Bulgarian pepper, dog rose, berries, kiwi, apples;
• folic acid - hazelnut, liver, ramson, spinach, broccoli, walnuts, kidney beans;
• group B - dairy products, pine nuts, buckthorn, cashew, rabbit, lentils, sardines, mushrooms, mackerel, eggs, pork, liver;
• E - wheat, peanuts, spinach, hazelnut, dried apricots, viburnum, pistachios.

The above mentioned elements are important not only to prevent the appearance of early gray hair, but also to hair health.It is enough to introduce these products into the diet and in a short time the hair will become shiny and strong, and the will stop falling.Doctors recommend to include in the diet products that have in their composition omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids:

• almonds;
• flax seeds;
• fish oil;
• extra virgin olive oil;
• oats.

Please note: all of these useful substances can be taken in the form of dietary supplements, but before they begin to take, you must get a consultation with a doctor.The best option will be to contact the therapist - he will conduct the survey( possibly, a disease, for example, the thyroid gland) will be revealed, and he will give specific recommendations on the choice of biologically active additives.

Drinking regimen

Hair bulbs need a lot of fluid - its lack makes it difficult to absorb and absorb nutrients, which is the cause of hair graying.Doctors recommend using every day a half or two liters of water - this will preserve the health of the curls.

Proper hair care

As soon as the first gray hairs were seen, care must be taken to care for the curls. Here's what experts recommend:

1. Hair should be washed with warm water, it should not be too hot or cold.
2. For shampooing, you need to use those shampoos that do not contain aggressive ingredients, but have natural ingredients and nutrients.
3. It is necessary to minimize the use of a hair dryer, ironing, thermal hair, aggressive hair styling products.
4. In hot and frosty weather, do not neglect headgear.
5. Eliminate the hair styling, which can lead to a violation of blood circulation in the scalp - it is a question of "tails", tight braids, use of elastic bands and hairpins.

Saloon procedures

You can apply to beauty salons - they offer some procedures that can stop the spreading of gray hair:

• plasmolifting;
• microelemental mesotherapy;
• laser therapy;
• ultrasound therapy.

The hardware methods of hair treatment can be supplemented with various maxs that help strengthen the curls.

Folk remedies

Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers were able to prevent graying - it would be unfair to not use their experience.

Garlic mask

Pass the cleaned garlic through a press, add a few drops of burdock oil to the resulting slurry.Ready mixture should be gently massaged movements rub into the roots of hair.After applying the mask on the skin, you should wrap your head with a towel for 10-15 minutes, then wash your hair with shampoo and clean warm water.

The procedure for applying the garlic mask can be carried out at most twice a week.

Infusion from burdock roots

Pour 500 ml of boiling water 2 tablespoons of chopped burdock roots and 2 teaspoons of dill seeds, insist 3 hours.The received structure to rub in a pure or clean skin of a head 2 times during the day, and in the evening the hair should be simply rinsed with warm water.

The procedure is carried out daily for 3 months.

Mask from wheat germ oil

50 ml of wheat germ oil mixed with 7 drops of lavender oil, rose and sandalwood.On the scalp, the mask is applied with massaging movements, then the head is wrapped with a towel and everything is left for one and a half to two hours.Then the hair is washed with shampoo.

The masking procedure should be carried out 2 times a week for 2-3 months.

Please note: Before using folk remedies, must be sure that there is no allergic reaction to the components.

Struggling with stress

Normal functioning of the body is possible only if there is no stress factor.Just the incredible speed of modern life does not leave a chance - stress will in any case be present.Therefore, doctors recommend the use of relaxation techniques, normalize sleep and rest, do yoga or another sport.If there are doubts that you will manage to cope with stress on your own, then you should visit a psychotherapist or neurologist - these specialists will teach you how to cope with depression and irritation.

In addition, you need to undergo a full course of treatment of existing chronic diseases that literally destroy the body's immune system, which provokes the appearance of gray hair.

The process of preserving the health and beauty of hair, the fight against the already begun process will be long and troublesome.But who said it would be easy?But by conducting all the recommended procedures, you can be sure that the gray hair for a long time will not spoil the appearance.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical reviewer, therapist of the highest qualification category