Graying at an early age: causes, treatment

The appearance of the first gray threads glimmering in the hair rarely pleases women, although men are often indifferent. And early gray hair, in addition to aesthetic concerns, also causes concern about the state of one's health.

What does early gray hair tell you?

Most people associate salt-and-pepper hair color with maturity and wisdom, which means that the body is withering and losing its health. In fact, early graying is not at all a sign of poor health, as evidenced by a large-scale study recently conducted by Spanish scientists, although there are a number of diseases in which the production of coloring pigment can decrease.

The presence of gray hair is also associated with nervous tension and negative stressors, and although frequent adrenaline releases have a detrimental effect on melanocytes, the possibility of going gray from grief is not supported by the study. Some of its participants experienced serious distress while being monitored. They did not develop gray hair immediately after the psychologically traumatic event.

Early graying does not correlate with diet, lifestyle, or place of residence. Its appearance does not depend on gender. According to the observations of scientists, a quite healthy person can get the first gray hair as early as 16-20 years old, and a chronically ill person often has no gray hairs at fifty. All this is very individual and speaks only about the inherited predisposition. No other cause-and-effect relationship has been established.

Nevertheless, even a long-term, large-scale study is time-limited, and it identifies causes that have had an immediate or relatively rapid effect. Therefore, the influence of long-lasting or persistent external and internal factors unfavorable to general health should not be completely ignored, even if they do not emerge as decisive in the course of the study.

Epidemiology

Statistics show that inveterate smokers turn gray faster than non-smokers, and five times faster. Naturally, gray hair becomes more with age, but it turned out that every tenth inhabitant of our planet even after 60 years of age does not have gray hair. In general, scientists do not consider early gray hair a sign of aging and ill health, by the way, and late too. Simply in gray-haired people antioxidative processes are activated, glutathione - cell protector from toxic properties of free radicals is concentrated not in melanocytes, but in the cells of more vital internal organs, which slows down the aging of the body, and allows the owner of silver hair to live a long life with preserved health.

Causes of the early graying

Gray hairs appear in all of us according to an individual schedule, depending on the inherited propensity. Early graying is considered to be noticeable before the age of 25-30, when by the age of forty most of the hair is already depigmented, and the appearance of silver threads after the age of 35 is generally regarded as a variant of the norm. At first, individual gray hairs are found on the temples and in the upper part of the head (on the top of the head). The half-century anniversary of the majority of the population already meets a fair amount of graying, although not all - some have hair pigmentation at this age is preserved, but this is not at all evidence of good health.

So, the research confirmed the reason for the appearance of gray hair at an early age is a genetic predisposition to premature graying. Scientists were not able to connect early gray hair with other causes. The test subjects led not always correct and healthy lifestyle, different diet, work and rest, were active and not very, nervous, sometimes experienced serious psychological traumas, not all were distinguished by excellent health, but it did not turn out to correlate with the premature appearance of gray hair.

Rare congenital pathologies such as Werner and Waardenburg syndromes result in early graying, however, this is not a major symptom.

There are also acquired risk factors for natural hair discoloration at an earlier age than nature intended. Specialists attribute them to the inhibition of melanin synthesis, which involves many hormones - pituitary, thyroid, sex, neurotransmitters and peptides, in particular, glutathione, which determines the redox characteristics of cells.

The rate of melanin production may decrease in case of insufficient thyroid function, autoimmune pathologies - vitiligo, thyroiditis, diseases and errors in the diet leading to pernicious or iron deficiency anemia, protein, vitamin/mineral deficiencies, cardiovascular pathologies (usually in men).

Gray spots can be viral in nature - shingles, radiation damage and head trauma.

Early graying can appear after chemotherapy, taking anti-Parkinsonian drugs.

Frequent hair coloring with oxidizing dyes (hydrogen peroxide), bleaching, perming, environmental disadvantage (often - all in a complex) causes massive "oxidative stress", leading to impaired melanocyte function.

Early graying with a yellowish tint is characteristic of avid smokers. Excessive insolation also disrupts melanin synthesis.

Nervous shocks do not lead to instant graying of hair, but excess adrenaline in the blood disrupts the connection of dye pigment with proteins in the hair, which leads to discoloration. Vascular spasm during stress also negatively affects the formation of melanin.

So the general state of health, nutrition and lifestyle still affect the pathogenesis of gray hair at any age and can accelerate this process. In any case, the basis of graying is a slowdown in the production of coloring pigment, which is due to a decrease in activity or death of melanocytes. The structure of depigmented hair changes - it acquires air cavities, becomes porous, which gives it a silvery-white color.

Symptoms of the early graying

Silver threads in the hair of very young people - this is how early graying clinically manifests itself.

The first signs - gray hairs on the temples or top of the head appear sometimes very early, even before the age of 20, and by the age of 40, such people have already depigmented most of the hair.

The lack or absence of melanin in hair changes not only its appearance, but also its structure and properties. Melanin not only colors the hair, but also makes it strong, firm and elastic, provides protection from insolation and other harmful factors. Dark hair undergoes the greatest changes. Graying hairs are hollow inside, they are drier, more split and break, more vulnerable to unfavorable environmental influences. They become less manageable, more tangled. They are more difficult to comb and style.

Early graying is not a sign of aging, but may be one of the symptoms of somatic health problems, but not the first and only one. Therefore, if the appearance of gray hair at a young age is not characteristic of the family history and, in addition, there are some symptoms of malaise, it makes sense to consult a doctor in order to find out the causes of insufficient melanocyte production.

Psychosomatics

Any disease has not only physiological, but also psychological prerequisites. Psychosomatic medicine studies the psychological background of the development of somatic symptom complexes.

Hair grows on the head, which symbolizes ourselves, and early gray hair, from a metaphysical point of view, speaks of lack of strength and faith in ourselves, despair, strong tension, helplessness, fear of the present and the future. Our head connects us with the Universe and if this connection is interrupted, a person fails to cope with life's tasks, loses harmony in life and gets gray hair.

Traditional medicine has suggested that early graying in men may indicate weakness of the cardiovascular system. Psychosomatic aspects of heart and vascular disease correlate with tension, constant stress, nervous overload, anxiety, which corresponds to the causes of early graying.

Early graying in women is interpreted in terms of their traditional role in society and is explained by a woman's anxiety for her ancestral nest, uncertainty that she will be able to preserve the well-being of her family and provide a sufficient level of security for her children.

Only the patient himself can correct his psycho-emotional state by changing the stereotypes of his thinking.

Complications and consequences

Early graying is not an immediate threat to health, even, according to recent data, it is considered to be a prognostically favorable factor.

The consequences of early graying can be attributed to dissatisfaction with your appearance, but such a defect can be quickly corrected in a beauty salon.

However, an early graying person should pay attention to the state of his health, because the diseases that lead to a violation of melanocyte synthesis should not be launched and it is better to identify at the beginning of their development.

Diagnostics of the early graying

The appearance of early gray hair can be associated with certain diseases or external factors. To establish this, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination and get advice from a cardiologist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist.

The patient will be scheduled for tests. Laboratory tests can range from clinical blood tests to more specific ones: for serum iron levels, vitamin B12, other vitamins and minerals, thyroid hormones, serum gastrin content.

Depending on the presumed diagnosis, instrumental diagnostics may be prescribed.

Based on the results of the examination, a differential diagnosis is carried out to determine what caused the lack of melanin synthesis. Differentiate nutritional causes from diseases that led to metabolic disorders.

Treatment of the early graying

If gray hairs have already appeared, it is not always possible to stop the graying process and completely restore the former state of hair. But it is possible to slow down the rate of appearance of new gray hairs. True, you will have to make efforts: perhaps - to change your lifestyle, parting with bad habits, to revise your diet, to provide professional care for the scalp and hair, and most importantly - to revise your life attitudes, get rid of fears, overcome self-doubt and helplessness. The appearance of early gray hair is attributed to psychosomatic pathologies and positive attitudes bring real results.

What is categorically not recommended to do is to pull out the first gray hairs. They single glimmer in the sample, and the hand itself reaches out to correct the defect. Do not do this because, firstly, pulling out gray hairs can lead to infection and the development of dermatitis, and secondly, you can damage the hair follicles, and they will stop growing, which will lead to the formation of bald spots on the places of graying.

How to stop early graying of hair? There are drugs that can, as their manufacturers claim, regenerate melanocytes and restore their ability to produce coloring pigment. True from the first application of the effect will not be, a noticeable improvement should come after regular use for two to three weeks. Preparations for hair color restoration are available in different forms.

Stopsedine spray is sprayed on the hair. To use it, it is not necessary to wash your hair. It is suitable for both men and women, and its composition contains natural and useful components, the complex action of which is reduced to the recovery of hair and scalp, as well as - the restoration of natural processes of melanin synthesis.

This is inositol or vitamin B8, which has a beneficial effect not only on hair growth and the formation of coloring pigment, but also normalizes the cardiovascular and hepatobiliary system, muscle apparatus, called "elixir of youth", because it protects cells from aging and death; biotin or vitamin B7 (vitamin of beauty), taking part in the breakdown of fatty acids, leucine, a coenzyme in the process of gluconeogenesis. In addition, the preparation contains amla oil, which contains an array of essential components for the restoration of hair follicles, and the left-handed isomer of tyrosine, a substitutable amino acid necessary for the production of thyroid hormones and catecholamines, which has an anti-stress effect, reduces anxiety and improves mood.

The application of Stopsedin is extremely simple: the spray bottle is vigorously whisked, and through the dispenser its contents are applied to the roots of the hair. After that, massage movements are distributed on the scalp under the hair. Then the hair is brushed, and that's it. The return of color is promised in about three weeks or a month, depending on the degree of neglect of the problem. After which you will only have to maintain the brightness and quality of the hair, periodically applying the preparation.

The Slovak Reparex lotion is somewhat more complicated to use. Before its application, the hair must be damp, it is also rubbed into the scalp after application with massage movements, and after five minutes, the head is dried with a hair dryer. Reparex is manufactured separately for female and male consumers. It contains G-reductase, which can catalyze the process of melanin synthesis; univalent silver nitrate (lapis) and rosmarinic acid - antioxidants, leveling the effects of oxidative stress; pantothenic (vitamin B5) and ricinoleic acids, preventing discoloration and stimulating hair repair; sea salt as a source of essential mineral ingredients. The lotion is used every day for the first two to three weeks. And when the color is restored, once or twice a week - to maintain the achieved effect.

Certain vitamins for hair growth are also used. For example, Vitamin B12 (cyancobalamin). Neurotropic vitamin can be prescribed in case of its established deficiency that develops in many diseases (gastritis with reduced acidity, autoimmune processes) and protein-free diets.

Magnesia injections and magnesium preparations, such as Magne B6, have an anti-stress effect.

Para-aminobenzoic acid or vitamin B10, nicotinic (B3) and folic (B9) acids prevent the early appearance of gray hair. Vitamin A contributes to the integrity, smoothness and elasticity of each hair, without vitamin D, calcium absorption is problematic, vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants.

The quality of the hair is affected by a lack of zinc, calcium, magnesium, copper and selenium, so it is advisable to take vitamin and mineral complexes, such as Selmevit Intensive or Melan Plus. But if the use of external means Stopsedin, Reparex and others is possible and on their own initiative, before taking inside even seemingly harmless multivitamins, it is necessary to consult a doctor, because hypervitaminosis and excess of minerals is as dangerous as its insufficiency.

Treatment is prescribed individually. It is aimed at activation of blood flow in capillaries, improvement of trophics and plastic properties of the scalp, normalization of neurohumoral connections, stimulation of melanotropocytes and formation of coloring pigment.

In combination with taking mono- or multivitamins, the use of external remedies for the above-mentioned purposes, physiotherapeutic treatment is also used.

Head massage, acupuncture and reflexology are widely used to relieve stress, vascular and muscle spasms, increase blood flow and eliminate inflammation.

Mesotherapy can slow down the process of premature graying - the procedure consists in subcutaneous injection with thin and short needles of vitamin cocktails, the bulk of which are B vitamins and precursors of melanin pigment, oligoelements - the most popular complex: zinc, cobalt, nickel. Zinc is necessary for the restoration of cells of the scalp and hair; cobalt - normalizes hematopoiesis, in particular, the synthesis of proteins and vitamin B12, directly prevents the appearance of early gray hair; nickel - promotes the formation of arginine, activating blood circulation in the skin capillaries, therefore, improving nutrition and respiration. Usually, to get a visible effect, it is necessary to pass about a dozen procedures - one per week. Mesotherapy does not bring significant discomfort and is easily tolerated by patients.

Treatment of early gray hair with laser radiation is effective, which stimulates regenerative, metabolic and biosynthetic processes. The effectiveness of laser therapy is associated with the activation of enzyme systems. Laser scanning beam, laser-puncture, magneto-laser therapy are used.

A new method is plasma therapy - similar to mesotherapy, only the injections are performed with a plasma solution enriched with platelets, which triggers the autoregeneration process in the scalp.

From the apparatus methods of physiological influence use electrostimulation, d'Arsonval currents, phototherapy, ozone therapy, activating "sleeping" hair follicles and even restoring the work of damaged.

Specialists usually do not object to a patient supplementing home treatment with hair care using folk medicine recipes. However, they do not consider home treatment to be effective, although they recognize that the hair and scalp become healthier. Nevertheless, many people claim that they managed to cope with the problem exclusively with folk remedies. To check how effective such recipes are, you can only empirically test them on your own hair.

Folk treatment

Recipes for restoring hair color are numerous: from perfectly simple, on which you do not need to spend neither time nor money, to very complex in execution.

Let's start with the most basic - massages. There is an opinion that it is not the scalp but the nail plates that help to regenerate the quality of hair. It is these areas that are responsible for the health, growth and color of hair. It is recommended two or three times a day for five minutes to intensively rub the nails of the hands against each other, putting the nails bent in a half-fist fingers of the left hand to the fingers of the right hand. Do not forget about the nails of the thumbs. The result will be noticeable in a month, and in six months the gray hair will completely disappear.

Exposure directly on the hair - twist a strand of hair on your finger and hold it for about five minutes, then the next one.

Spiral movements can be used to massage the scalp from the top of the head to the back of the head and in the opposite direction. It is recommended to do this massage when you are going to wash your hair.

Hair masks with dimexide are popular. It is a medicinal non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with good penetrating ability. It is added to masks based on many natural ingredients, combining it with vitamins, oils, brewer's yeast and herbal decoctions. A good conductor, dimexide, promotes faster penetration of nutrients deep into the skin, stimulates blood circulation, improves nutrition and respiration, increasing the efficiency of cell regeneration. In addition, as a medicinal agent, it relieves local inflammation, irritation, pain.

The recipe should be followed precisely. Dimexide must be diluted with water and thoroughly mix the ingredients of the mask. Undiluted dimexide can cause skin burns. After applying the mask may feel a slight burning and tingling of the skin. This is normal.

It is also necessary to take into account the possibility of allergic reactions. Do not make masks with dimexide people with allergic reactions to NSAIDs and gastrointestinal diseases, cancer, kidney pathologies, as well as - during pregnancy and lactation. When working with the drug, hands should be protected with gloves.

First prepare a 10% solution of dimexide. One measure of the preparation, for example, a teaspoon or a measuring cup is diluted in nine corresponding measures of water. Then combine with another component of the mask in the ratio of one part of the solution of dimexide to three parts of the other ingredients. The composition is applied with a brush to the roots of pre-washed and towel-dried hair immediately after the preparation of the mixture. The head is covered with a food film, wrapped with a towel and a warm scarf, left like this for half an hour to an hour, then rinse with shampoo and rinse with lemon water.

The treatment course includes seven or eight masks, the procedures are carried out once or twice a week. Then a break is taken for three to four months.

Mask with vitamins A and E: mix a teaspoon of oil solution of Aevit, oil of turnip and castor oils, dimexide solution. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (for fragrance), blonde hair is recommended lemon. Heat the mixture a little and rub it into the roots of the hair. Cover the head. Soaking time - about an hour.

Mask with yeast: three teaspoons of liquid brewer's yeast mixed with one spoon of dimexide solution. If there is no liquid, you can take any (dry, in briquettes), activate them with warm water, milk, kefir and mix at the time of active fermentation. The head is insulated. Keep for an hour.

Without dimexide also make a mask with yeast. To do this, stir dry yeast with warm water 1:1 (a tablespoon each), add a tablespoon of freshly squeezed juice from an onion, salt on the tip of a knife, turpentine and/or castor oil (a teaspoon each). Cover the head. Keep for an hour.

The following recipe is quite complex, from the field of psychosomatics, but the author claims that he and many others, using this method, got rid of early quite massive gray hair completely, at the same time, apparently, improving the state of health. In an ecologically clean place you need to dig up the earth. It is best in spring, in the early morning. Before you start digging, it is necessary to thank the world for what it is and you live in it. The result depends on sincerity. The earth is dug up, loosened and put in a plastic bag, which you bring home. This is enough for the whole course.

The procedures are carried out in the morning and before going to bed. First, you should mentally tune in to rejuvenate your body. At the moment of the procedure do not think about business and worries, only about yourself, your favorite. Wash your head with warm water without detergents and dry your hair with a towel, so that the water does not drip. Mix a part of the brought earth with a fermented milk drink to the state of porridge. Suitable will be plain sourdough, kefir, ryazhenka. Apply the mixture to the roots of the hair for a quarter of an hour. At this time, focus on love and gratitude to the world around us. Wash off the applied mixture. The duration of the course is seven days.

Herbal treatments can be effective for early graying. St. John's wort, amaranth and aloe are used as powerful antioxidants. Basil, immortelle flowers, birch leaves and buds, oregano, calendula, St. John's wort and others are natural biostimulants of hair renewal.

To prevent early gray hair, you can prepare nettle oil (dark hair). Three tablespoons of fresh or dried nettles placed in a glass container and pour 150g of heated vegetable oil. The vessel is stored in a place protected from light for a week. Ready oil rubbed into the scalp at the roots of the hair about an hour before the intended washing. In addition to the prevention of gray hair, such procedures contribute to the health of the hair and scalp.

You can make an infusion of a pinch of calendula, chamomile flowers and hop cones. The mixture is brewed with boiling water in a glass. Infuse for about 20 minutes. Strain and rub into the roots of the hair every other day. It is not necessary to wash it off.

A powerful biostimulant for hair renewal is bay leaf. It is found in every kitchen. It can also be used to make oil. To do this, 20 dry leaves are ground in a coffee grinder and poured a glass of olive oil in a glass container with an airtight lid. It should be made by cold pressing. The vessel is stored in a dark place for a week, after which the oil is ready. It is used to prepare masks or simply rubbed into the roots of the hair.

It is worth remembering that herbal remedies can also cause intolerance reactions and often have a pungent odor. This should be taken into account by allergic, hypertensive, pregnant and lactating women.

Homeopathy

Homeopathic treatment of early gray hair should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor of the appropriate profile, its success depends largely on the correctness of the prescribed constitutional drug. It is prescribed not so much based on the presence of gray strands in the hair, but from a comprehensive analysis of the psychological profile of the patient, the features of his behavior and reactions to external stimuli, appearance, inclinations and predilections.

The drugs of choice in cases of early graying are:

• Phosphoricum acidum (phosphoric acid) when the patient has suffered a severe nervous shock or is under chronic stress;
• fluoricum acidum (hydrofluoric acid) when the patient is clearly antisocial, aggressive, egoistic;
• Vinca minor (periwinkle) - one of the symptoms is the loss of pigmented hair and the growth of gray hair in its place;
• Thallium sulfuricum (thallium sulfate) - effective when hair problems are associated with taking medications;
• Lycopodium (Plaunus pinatus) - early graying associated with metabolic disorders.

Other medications may be prescribed depending on associated symptoms and modalities.

Surgical treatment

Hair transplantation is an extremely rare surgical procedure for graying hair. It is much easier and safer to simply dye the hair. Nevertheless, such techniques exist, although they are more often resorted to in order to hide baldness and post-traumatic scars, not just gray hair. Modern hair transplantation allows you to transplant microscopic sections of scalp with hair follicles from one place to another and restore the hair cover.

The operations are expensive, highly skilled and are performed manually or with the use of modern robotic devices.

Prevention

If your parents grayed early, there's a good chance you inherited this tendency too, and there's nothing you can do about it.

But taking care of your own health - the absence of bad habits, good nutrition (proteins, vitamins, trace elements), hair care will help at least slow down and maintain the quality of hair. Do not get carried away by fashionable diets, starve, exclude the use of any products. Such experiments disrupt the balance of substances necessary for the body and cause metabolic disorders.

In addition, premature gray hair is associated with low stress resistance. Gurus of psychosomatics recommend, first of all, to put things in order in yourself, to engage in self-knowledge and knowledge of the world, to revise your value system and replace harmful attitudes to positive ones. In this regard, it is useful self-hypnosis. In solitude, a person recites attitudes aimed at positivity (affirmations), in which he wants to believe. It has been found that the repeated repetition of such verbal formulas improves a person's psycho-emotional state and physical health.

Forecast

Early graying is not life-threatening. In the vast majority of cases (some sources say 98%), even examination does not allow to establish its physiological cause. In addition, modern methods of hair care allow you to hide early gray hair, disguise it with a haircut, styling, tinting, coloring. In general, it is not a serious problem.