Gray hair before 30: main causes and possible solutions –

Have you ever stopped to think that it is more and more common to find people who start to have white hair before 30 years? It could be a coincidence of genetics, as the predisposition to go gray well before maturity happens when this trait is a family trademark. “Whitening happens with the death of the melanocyte, a cell that gives color to the skin and hair”, says dermatologist Adriano Almeida (@dradrianoalmeida), director of the Brazilian Hair Society, in São Paulo.

According to him, each one of us is born with a specific cellular programming, which determines when the process of depigmentation will occur. But it seems that, today, there is more than heredity at work behind the scenes. Research carried out in recent years suggests that the stressThe pollution and the unruly eating have collaborated to hasten the arrival of white highlights.

White hair before 30: good habits as prevention

According to a study by the multinational company and cosmetics John Friedain England, 32% of the women interviewed declared having white hair before 30 years — two decades ago, only 20% of participants in this age group responded that the first hairs had already appeared. According to the authors of the research, stress is one of the causes. “By observation, we realized that traumatic and stressful factors, such as the loss of loved ones, illnesses in the family and separation, can speed up the process”, says Bellini.

The finding is well founded. The cells that give hair its color can stop working properly and die when subjected to continuous attacks on the DNA, as scientists at a university in Japan discovered after subjecting mice to radiation and chemical components. The damage led to the early appearance of white fur on the animals.

O cortisol, a hormone related to stress, is one of the substances that would make the environment toxic to cells. Another villain is oxidation, which happens naturally in the body when it transforms nutrients into energy to survive and, in the middle of the way, releases free radicals. These molecules, in excess, can damage cells. Pollution, solar radiation, cigarette and alcohol collaborate to increase the production of free radicals. That’s why many experts believe that, despite not being decisive, lifestyle interferes with the anticipation of colorless locks.

“There is no scientific proof, but it is known that nutritional deficiencies of iron, zinc, copper, folic acid and organic silicon can interfere in the process, since these nutrients are very important in maintaining the integrity of the threads”, believes Bellini. Iron is present in dark green vegetables and beans. Zinc can be found in wheat germ. Copper and folic acid in the chickpea. Organic silicon, on the other hand, is in whole grains and collaborates to increase the production of keratin, the protein that builds hair. “Deficiencies in the intake of B vitamins, omegas 3 and 6 and selenium may also be related”, says the dermatologist Ricardo Romiti, responsible for the Hair Studies Ambulatory, at Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo.

The end of white wires?

– (Gabriel Silvério, Unsplash/Playback)

As free radicals are pointed out as possible accelerators of hair depigmentation, the cosmetics industry has dedicated itself to developing products that protect the DNA of melanocytes and, therefore, ensure that they work correctly for longer. “International studies are looking for mechanisms that can delay or even reverse the emergence of white hair before 30with emphasis on the use of stem cells and substances such as the amino acid L-methionine”, says Romiti.

For now, there is no miracle solution. beside the good habits, which bring beauty from the inside out, dyeing the hair remains the ultimate solution. Choose between toner, permanent coloring, henna and highlights can be a complicated task for those who want to hide the first gray hairs. What will be the right technique for you? That’s what you’ll discover next.

White hair before 30: basic lesson to start coloring

It’s worth warning: it’s a myth to think that the transformations we undergo our hair contribute to anticipating the appearance of gray hairs. Curling iron, babyliss, dryer and dyes can damage the hair fiber, but do not promote whitening”, says dermatologist Adriano Almeida. To disguise the first colorless strands, you can resort to toners, less aggressive, and move on to dyes when the amount of them increases.

“In general, permanent coloring comes into play when more than 50% of the strands are white. But some women opt first-hand for dye, since the toner provides transparency to the thread, that is, it does not completely replace the color, explains Andréa Cassolari (@andreacassolari), salon hairdresser Ricardo Cassolari, in Sao Paulo. There are still those who prefer to bet on reflections, which can work well depending on the amount and location of the gray hairs. “Of course, it doesn’t guarantee 100% coverage, but the lighter strands mix with the white ones, disguising them”, says Andréa.

If you’re going to paint at home, Andréa suggests starting with the toner, which is shorter in duration and therefore less risky if you make a mistake in choosing the color. Henna is another possibility, but experts say the coverage and durability are less than that of the toner. “It works like a makeup”, believes Andrea. If you are in doubt about the technique and even the right color for you, it is worth making an appointment with your hairdresser even if you are going to dye your hair at home.

age of gray

The quarantine is causing several changes in our life. The way we deal with vanity and beauty care is one of them. With the impossibility of going to the salon, many women began to flirt with the idea of ​​taking on gray hair. But even before the pandemic, the acceptance of white people was already a trend that, although not yet widespread among the population, is very strong in the fashion world, with even some young people dyeing their hair to simulate gray hair.

In the end, what counts is being well with yourself!