Gray - Hair And All That Surrounds It.

Gray hair is a hair with no pigment and the way in which the light has reflected that it looks slightly greyish in colour as defined by Rodney Sinclair, Professor of Dermatology at Epworth Hospital at the University of Melbourne.

Each hair on our heads is made up of two parts a shaft — the colored part we see growing out of our heads and a root — the bottom part, which keeps the hair anchored under the scalp

The root of every strand of hair is surrounded by a tube of tissue under the skin that is called the hair follicle. Each hair follicle contains a certain number of pigment cells. These pigment cells constantly make a chemical called melanin that gives the growing shaft of hair its color of brown, blonde, black, red, and anything in between.

However as we get older, the pigment cells in our hair follicles gradually die. When there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle, that strand of hair will no longer contain as much melanin and will become a more transparent color — like gray, silver, or white. As people continue to get older, fewer pigment cells will be around to produce melanin. Eventually, the hair will look completely gray! But it is not only about decreased production of melanin, increase production of hydrogen peroxide can also cause gray hair.

With old age, hydrogen peroxide collects in the hair follicles and cannot be degraded as the enzyme catalase loses its ability to do so. Hydrogen peroxide acts as a bleaching agent and whitens hair from inside out. Hence, the main culprit is the failure of the enzyme catalase to work in old age.

In former times a gray hair was associated with wisdom and symbolized unusual abilities of the owner of gray-hair locks. A gray hair caused respect. Now the relation to a gray hair has changed. Most people with discontent about first gray-hair looks in a mirror and take great pain to get rid of them.

Now in modern day, people are conscious of gray-hair as it represents old and not vigorous, not having perspectives in private life and at work.

The childhood images of witches, sorcerers, ailing old men with a gray hair cause fear and that is the negative relation to a gray hair in people. However the gray hair of men frightens not so strongly, for them the bald head is more terrible. A gray hair adds to men solidity, steadiness and sincere nobility, well on a lighter mood this might be why professors prefer to live their hair fro and all gray here in Nigeria... haha.

Women hesitate of a gray hair stronger and try to hide them by means of coloring of hair, and some even cut off or pull out gray hairs. The gray hair for women is a sign of approach of an old age and loss of attractiveness. The gray hair is a characteristic not only to aged women but also to young girls.

It is allegedly considered that early gray hairs are connected with mostly stress and genetic predisposition of the woman.

Gray hairs is normal for European women at the age of 34-45, and at the Asian – in 30-34 years. Black women's hair are the steadiest against gray hairs, their hairs begin to turn gray only after 43-45. Earlier hair for blondes begin to be silvered, but their gray hair is less noticeable, than dark-haired women.

For women the first gray hair appears usually on temples, then on the nape. At 55 years many women more than 50% has hair already turn gray. But If the woman by 40 years has 50% of gray hairs already or in 25 years there are first gray-haired locks, then doctors consider it as a premature gray hair.

Gray hair in young adults or premature gray hair - Causes.

Genes

When I was in high school, a class mate of mine then tons of gray hair. We though she was really old back then. She was badly laughed at when she newly joined us because the gray hair covered almost half of her head. According to her she claimed her mum told her the the gray hair accumulated because by her hair stylist who usually plucked the gray hair anytime she made her hair.

People can get gray hair at any age. Some people go gray at a young age — as early as when they are in high school or college — whereas others may be in their 30s or 40s before they see that first gray hair. How early we get gray hair is determined by our genes.

I guess this clearly explains why my high school classmate had gray hair covered her head at a young age.

*Aren't they adorable? 😚

In other words, if your parents and grandparents went gray early, you probably will too. “When we are born our bodies are already programmed with the information to begin the process.

-Dr. Michael Eidelman, Medical Director of Chelsea Skin & Laser and Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Smoking

Studies have also shown a significant correlation between smoking and the onset of gray hair before age 30. A 2010 study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that smokers are two and half times more likely to develop premature gray hair than non-smokers.

Not only has smoking been linked to premature gray hair, but also to baldness. The chemicals in smoke can break down the hair cells and damage hair hair as well.

stress

So many people liken stress to the growth of gray hair. So many research has proven otherwise as the main cause of premature gray hair may be from genes or over all health status. But Stress can only partly accelerate or decelerate hair graying.

The mechanism of how stress causes hair whitening is still unknown. Many studies revealed that wherever the stress is generated in the body, the melanocytes migrate from hair follicles towards the area of stress, i.e. damaged tissue.

Hence, lack of melanocyte means lack of pigmentation in the hair. The more the level and duration of stress, the more apparent will be the outcome in terms of hair unpigmentation. Also, stress is also known to kill body’s stem cell store.

Stem cells are nascent cells that mature into any kind of cells needed by the body. Lack of stem cells also lessens the production of new melanocytes, thus hinders rich hair pigmentation.

In rare cases, going gray may present itself as a medical condition.

Going gray is a natural process and only in rare circumstances should it raise a red flag, says Eidelman. Medically speaking, going gray could potentially be associated with a vitamin B-12 deficiency, anemia, vitiligo or issues with the pituitary or thyroid gland.

Clearing the air on existing myth about gray- hair.

It is funny that just like my class- mate's mum told her why her gray-hair got so accumulated that most of us were also told the same story. But hey it's just a myth which has nothing to do with gray- hair accumulation.

Plucking One Gray Hair Will Not Cause Three To Grow In Its Place. This old wives’ tale is a myth. Each follicle can contain only one hair, and plucking it won’t make it able to produce multiple hairs. Furthermore, what you do to one follicle has no effect on the ones around it.

That said, excessive plucking isn’t a good idea for the hair because it can damage the follicles and even stop hair production in that area altogether.

Maintaining healthy looking hair through diets.

Hair consists of protein (keratin) so it is very important for strong healthy hair. Foods like eggs and fish are all good sources of first class protein. Proteins consist of amino acids (some essential and some non-essential). Essential amino acids are more abundant in animal protein and more easily absorbed by our body.

Deficiencies of iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, B12 and B6 can be common so it's important to eat foods that contain these vitamins or, if you're vegetarian, it may be necessary to take them in supplemental form.

If you've got some amazing gray- hair it should not bother you after all you still looking amazing anyways. Be confident in yourself and flaunt you hair. Make sure to eat well to maintain healthy looking hair. Stay away from plucking gray hairs and avoid habits that might damage your hairs altogether.

Till I come your way again I remain yours lovely and truly @gloglo. Stay awesome!💐💐🤗🤗

Source:

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Image credit: GOOGLE.

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