Gaby
Finding your first gray hair is never a cause for celebration. For most of us, it serves as a reminder that getting older is just around the corner.
Often, the timing of graying is determined by genetics. If close relatives went completely gray in their 20s or 30s, your fate is likely similar. But for others, you may be able to delay graying for a few years by following some simple rules, says Eva Proudman, a hair health expert and the founder of UK Hair Consultants.
Among these strategies: manage stress (which damages the scalp cells responsible for hair color) and wear hats to protect against UV rays. Surprisingly, some studies suggest that eating red meat and liver can help maintain natural hair color. Proudman warns that vegan diets can accelerate graying by about five years unless supplemented appropriately.
Don’t Smoke
Smoking can speed up graying because cigarette toxins cause oxidative stress. That happens when free radicals produced by smoking attack and destroy the scalp cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives hair its color.
Stay Out of the Sun
Prolonged sun exposure can bleach hair. Excessive UV light causes oxidative stress similar to the damage from smoking. UV radiation harms the scalp cells that produce melanin. The impact isn’t just on color; studies show that UV rays also disrupt keratin levels, a protein in hair that strengthens and protects it.
People who spend a lot of time outdoors, such as construction workers or agricultural laborers, should wear a hat or cap.
Consume Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is commonly low in vegan diets. It is abundant in red meat, liver, eggs, and dairy products.
B12 is essential for cell regeneration, including melanocytes. A deficiency can lead to graying, which puts vegans at higher risk of premature graying unless they take B12 supplements.
Avoid Stress
One bad day at work won’t make your hair go gray. But chronic, prolonged stress—whether from a job you hate, money worries, or family problems—is a different story.
When we experience intense stress, our bodies release hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine. That’s part of the natural “fight or flight” response that helped our ancestors survive.
If that response persists for days, weeks, or months, excess cortisol can damage the body and the hair. Under prolonged stress, melanocytes can malfunction, which contributes to graying.
Combat Stress with Exercise and Relaxation
You don’t have to run marathons or spend hours doing yoga. Find an activity that relaxes you and distracts you from anxious thoughts—whether it’s jogging, gardening, baking, or reading.
If you can avoid thinking about stressors for an hour or two each day, your stress hormone levels will fall and their impact on your hair will lessen.
Give Yourself a Scalp Massage
A gentle scalp massage stimulates blood flow to hair follicles and to melanin-producing cells, helping hair grow and maintain its color. Use a brush or your fingertips to massage the scalp.
Check Your Thyroid
The thyroid gland releases the hormone thyroxine, which helps regulate metabolism. Low thyroxine can cause fatigue, weight gain, depression, and joint pain. Reduced thyroxine production can also reduce melanin production by the scalp cells that determine hair color.
Hypothyroidism is treated with a synthetic form of thyroxine called levothyroxine. A doctor should determine the appropriate treatment plan for each individual.
Move to the Countryside
Air pollution harms hair color almost as much as cigarette smoke.
Toxins from diesel emissions that are inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream can cause oxidative stress. That damages scalp cells and reduces their ability to produce the melanin needed to maintain color.
City dwellers should wash their hair more frequently—at least every other day. This helps remove airborne particles that settle on hair and can penetrate the scalp.
People living in rural areas are generally more protected from those pollutants. So moving closer to nature is one listed solution for better health, according to the Daily Mail.
