The New Greys You’re Seeing Might Not Be From What You Think

It doesn't happen all at once. One fine morning you're looking at yourself in the mirror, and you notice a single silver strand. Sometimes you ignore it and continue with your day. But after a while, it's not just one single strand anymore. Every time you look in the mirror, you begin to notice more and more strands turning silver. 

A lot of people would panic at this point. If you did as well, it's normal for you to be stressed about it. But it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with having grey hair. 

Many people in their 20s and 30s are concerned whenever they notice grey hair cropping upon their heads. Much of the worry has to do with the stigma society has created around aging. Greying hair is a natural process, but people expect it to occur when they're in their forties or fifties. So when it happens to someone in their early twenties, they get worried. 

It's important to distinguish whether you have grey hair in the first place. If you have random silver strands cropping up all over your hair, it might not necessarily be greying hair. However, if you see patches of grey hair in the same area of your scalp, you're more likely experiencing grey hair. 

This stigma around white hair is wrong and is the cause of a lot of unnecessary stress. Here are some reasons people experience grey hair. 

Genetics

If you start noticing greys in your hair at an age younger than you expected to see them, chances are it has to do with your genetics. Either your parents or grandparents probably had grey hair at an early age. But this isn't a free pass to start an argument with your parents/grandparents about whose fault it is that your hair is grey. 

Stress

No matter how much you try to avoid it, stress creeps up in different ways. Some other consequences of stress include sleeping problems, change in hunger, blood pressure issues, and anxiety. Stress also affects your hair. A study conducted in 2013 found a connection between stress and the depletion of stem cells of hair follicles in mice. So if you're stressed about the whites in your hair, it's likely the outcome of stress. Stop. Stressing. 

Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Your vitamins are essential. The mom of your friend group says this. Your mom says this. Your doctor says this. Vitamins are crucial for your body, and some vitamins are more popular than others because people know more about them. Vitamin D is good for your bones; Vitamin C is good for your skin.

Similarly, Vitamin B-12 is necessary for red blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for taking oxygen to all the cells in your body, including the hair cells. A deficiency of B-12 can weaken hair cells and affect melanin production. 

Smoking

Not only is it bad for your lungs and your heart, but it is also bad for your hair. Smoking constricts the blood vessels, which affects the blood flow to the hair follicles and causes hair loss. Furthermore, the toxins in cigarettes damage certain parts of your body, which include hair follicles and cause early grey hair. 

There are ways to cure things that might be causing your hair to turn grey prematurely, but at the end of the day, you should learn to embrace yourself!