by Gray hairs have no age, there are people who appear earlier, others later, and even people who take a long time to find gray hair on their heads.
Why do gray hairs come out?
Hair color is determined by two types of stem cells: those responsible for orchestrating the development of hair follicles (the part of the skin where hair grows) and stem cells that determine hair color, known as melanocytes.
A team of researchers from New York University Langone Medical Center, in the United States, reported that they had identified a protein called Wnt as the agent that combines the work of both cells in hair pigmentation and, therefore, it is possibly also involved. involved in the appearance of gray hair.
Other experts pointed out that “some gray hairs appear to arise from a excess hydrogen peroxide that is produced in the hair cells”. It was a group of German scientists who made public in 2016 that they had discovered that this chemical compound is responsible for whiten hair and prevent melanin production that brings color to the hair. The mixture between the darker forms of this pigment (eumelanin) and the light ones (pheomelanin) design the palette of hair colors that is seen in people (black, brown, reddish, blonde, ect).
This loss of pigment, which begins at the temples and then extends to the back of the head, is generally associated with age, or scientifically known as “physiological graying,” but varies by race. White and yellow people are those who are affected by the premature appearance of gray hair, between 30 and 40 years of age; while black people are affected from the age of 45.
In the few cases in which hair begins to gray before the age of 20, which is known as “precocious or premature graying”, genetic factors or, to a lesser extent, rare genetic pathologies are involved. These can also produce localized areas with white hair, which is called poliosis and is usually hereditary. In addition, there is the so-called ring grayness, which is when the white hairs are distributed in a scattered and isolated manner throughout the head.
Causes of the appearance of gray hair
Gray hair can have different origins and, therefore, alert to some problems such as:
- Genetic, especially in the polyasis type.
- Stress, which alters the functioning of the metabolism and hormones, affecting the production of melanin. A study published in 2013 found in mice that stress can interfere with the hormones that regulate color production.
- Food deficiencies.
- Diseases: vitiligo (cutaneous pathology of depigmentation of the skin, eyes, mucous membranes…), vitamin deficiencies (such as a deficiency of vitamin B12, important for the production of red blood cells, a disorder called pernicious anemia) or other antioxidants, such as iron, copper or zinc; hypothyroidism (decreased function of the thyroid gland) or the strange pathology of Werner syndrome, characterized by accelerated aging.
- Chemical products or agents, such as dyes or the abuse or misuse of a hairdryer or iron, as well as tobacco use -smokers are four times more likely to get gray hair- or certain medications.
- Poor hair hygiene or the use of very hot water.
How to prevent and treat gray hair?
German researchers discovered the effect of hydrogen peroxide on changing hair color, antioxidant enzymes such as catalase break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Therefore, they consider that to prevent or reverse hair whitening, it may help to eat foods rich in catalase, such as avocado, leek, onion, carrot, spinach, potato, peach, pineapple, radish or ox liver.
For their part, researchers from New York University Langone Medical Center stated in an article published in the journal ‘Cell’ about his research that it might be possible to genetically manipulate the communication of Wnt proteins to modify pigmentation in cases of graying hair.
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However, the constant loss of melanocyte precursor stem cells leads to a drop in melanin production. As a solution to this deficiency, there are shampoos and hair products that contain an antioxidant enzyme present in the hair bulb -dopachrome tautomerase- which can help strengthen melanocytes.
Taking into account the factors that promote the appearance of gray hair, some remedies to slow down its presence in our hair can be:
- Avoid stress: perform relaxation techniques, such as yoga or tai chi, or any sport that helps us release tension.
- Take a good diet: any healthy diet involves avoiding sugars, fried foods, fats and artificial components and increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables. In this case, the intake of foods rich in vitamins and nutrients is especially important.
- take care of hair: use natural dyes or non-aggressive coloring products to hide gray hair and receive scalp massages.
- quit tobacco
