3 reasons why your hair is turning gray too soon

The graying of hair is a natural phenomenon that marks the passage of time in human beings, even though many people don’t like this fact very much.

This phenomenon happens due to the lack of melanin, the pigment that gives hair color, in the hair follicle.

In most cases, the cells that produce melanin are still present in the follicle, but over time, they cease to function as efficiently.

In women, the first gray hairs appear after the age of 35, so it’s understandable that you might be a little disappointed if your hair starts to gray before that.

But there’s not much you can do other than dye the locks, as the main factor involved in this process is genetics: if your father or mother had an early graying of the wires, it’s quite possible that you will too.

However, if no one in your family has this trait, your hair may be turning gray for reasons other than genetics. Find out what they are:

1. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be one of the reasons

Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is essential in the formation of our red blood cells and in the proper functioning of the nervous system. In addition, according to some studies, such as the one carried out in India in 2016, the deficiency of this vitamin may be related to premature graying of the hair.

While researchers are still unsure about how a lack of this nutrient affects hair pigmentation, there are some clues as to why this is. The proliferation of hair follicle cells depends on DNA synthesis, which in turn is dependent on vitamin B12. In addition, cobalamin participates in the stabilization of the hair growth phase.

Therefore, it is important to include foods that provide vitamin B12 to our body in the diet, such as salmon, tuna, pork, liver, milk and dairy products and eggs. Vegans and vegetarians may find it more difficult to maintain adequate levels of this vitamin, so supplementation may be necessary under medical supervision.

2. Cigarettes age the skin and hair

You already know that smoking causes a number of serious diseases, such as pulmonary emphysema and various types of cancer, as well as contributing to premature aging of the skin. And if you suspect that smoking can accelerate the appearance of gray hairs, you are right. There are even scientific studies proving this.

Scientists still aren’t sure how smoking causes hair to turn white, but, as with a lack of vitamin B12, they have some hunches. The main theory defends that the cigarette is associated with the formation of free radicals, which harm the cells that produce melanin, the substance that gives color to the hair.

3. Stressful life: the debate continues

Another factor commonly associated with gray hair at an early age is everyday stress. Although this reason is still questioned, this belief has found some evidence among the scientific community.

A 2013 study carried out at New York University showed that, when subjected to stressful situations, the mice tested showed an increase in the amount of white fur.

This would be the result of the migration of melanin-producing cells, which leave their original location, at the base of the hair follicle, without replacement cells to produce the pigment that gives color to the hair. This abandonment would be caused precisely by the action of hormones linked to stress, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone.

Another line of researchers, however, argues that the results obtained in mice cannot be extrapolated to humans.

Anyway, even if there is an influence of stress on hair graying, it seems to act only in people who already have a genetic predisposition to present this characteristic. In other words, the biggest “culprit” for your gray hair before the age of 35 is still family heritage.