Gray hair explained - causes, age factors, and care tips

Why does hair turn gray?

Graying is a natural process that involves the gradual growth of hair with less and less pigment. Its lower level is caused by a gradual decrease in melanin production in melanocytes as a result of aging.

To fully understand why does your hair turn gray, let's take a closer look at how the graying process works.

Hair color depends largely on the type of pigments that are produced by cells called melanocytes. In hair, we find two types of them:

eumelanin, which is found in black, brown and blond hair,
Pheomelanin, which is found in red hair.

An adequate number of melanocytes is provided by stem cells. As we age, their number in the hair follicles decreases, and the hair has less and less pigment over time.

What Causes Gray Hair?

The main factor that affects the graying process is the expression of two genes: Bc12 and Bclw. So it can be said that is graying speed is a genetically determined trait. Therefore, if you have ever wondered at what age do you get gray hair, ask your parents or grandparents when their first gray hair appeared.

However, graying is a more complex process that is determined by many other factors, unrelated to either genetics or age. Younger people may also tend to turn gray faster, as you will read below.

What causes gray hair at young age?

Most often, the first gray hairs appear between the ages of 35 and 40, although more and more people are facing premature graying. Here are the factors that accelerate the graying process:

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 is involved in the production of melanocytes, or as we explained earlier - cells that are responsible for producing pigment in hair follicles. Deficiency of the vitamin can lead to a decrease in their number, resulting in premature graying.

Endocrine disorders

Hormonal imbalances - in particular, thyroid disorders can have a significant impact on the condition of hair and its graying. They negatively affect the functioning of melanocytes and the condition of hair follicles.

Oxidative stress

Our nerve cells, which are extremely active at high levels of the stress hormone cortisol - release norepinephrine, among other things. When there is a lot of it, the stem cells in the hair follicles are overactive, so they can simply become exhausted after a while. Since they are responsible for the formation of pigment cells, once they stop functioning, the graying process begins.

Nutrient-poor diet

Nutrition plays a significant role in maintaining the condition of our hair. Eating meals rich in vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, is essential for the production of melanin - the pigment that gives hair its color. Moreover, an inadequate diet based largely on processed foods can contribute to increased oxidative stress in the body. As we established above, it affects hair pigmentation, accelerating the graying process.

Can you reverse gray hair?

Many people wonder how to reverse graying hair. Unfortunately, it is not entirely possible, but we can influence some of the factors that contribute to this process. Although we are not able to "jump over" genetic issues, as much as possible we can influence external aspects and slow down graying. First of all, we should try to reduce the level of stress, which negatively affects the body and contributes to the loss of pigment in the hair. It is important to lead a healthy lifestyle: avoid stimulants such as alcohol and cigarettes, maintain a diet rich in nutrients and take proper care of the hair and scalp. Although proper nutrition and care for hair regeneration such as cosmetics will not restore hair color, but - since graying hair is thicker and stiffer - it is recommended to choose shampoos and conditioners that are highly moisturizing and regenerating.

Gray hair is a natural part of the aging process that we may experience at different ages. Probably some of us, however, count on the fact that the first gray hairs begin to appear only in old age. Scientists are constantly trying to find out the exact gray hair causes and discover what can reverse or at least stop the loss of pigment in hair. It may not be long before we have methods to preserve our natural hair color for longer. Currently, however, we can cover up gray strands in various ways. How to do it?

How to cover up gray hair naturally?

Many people, after realizing that the first gray hairs appear on their head, tend to pluck them out. After all, it's just a single hair - it's easier to remove it mechanically than to color it. Meanwhile, this is exactly the kind of action we can harm ourselves with. Few people realize this. Repeatedly pulling out hair in the same area of the scalp can make us damage the hair follicles, as a result of which hair stops growing at all. Therefore, if you want thick and healthy hair, it is better not to act rashly. If you are bothered by even the smallest gray strands, it is better to use coloring products to mask them.

The most common way to regain natural hair color or get new hair color is, of course, coloring, which can quickly and effectively cover gray strands. Unfortunately, such products permanently alter the pigmentation in the hair structure, creating an unsightly and unnatural regrowth effect over time. An excellent alternative to traditional chemical dye is Alizard Color Kit. The mechanism of action of the product is very gentle, which allows to achieve a natural effect in the form of complete coverage of gray hair, without damaging its structure.

Alizard Color - get to know our product better

Alizard Color mousse restores the natural color of the hair and completely masks the obvious signs of graying. The natural active ingredients contained in the coloring product, after oxidation, form a special pigment only on the outer layer of the hair, tinting it gradually during several applications. Thus, the effect of the product is only to change the color of the cuticle - the outer layer of the hair, and not its structure, as happens with dyes.
Our kit also comes with a shampoo, which fixes the effect and helps properly care for both skin and hair. Thanks to natural extracts, hydrolyzed collagen and allantoin, the shampoo has a soothing effect on the scalp.

It is worth mentioning that in men graying often goes hand in hand with hair loss. This is influenced by miniaturization and weakening of the hair follicle. This is because the melanin responsible for pigmentation is formed in the same place where the hair is formed.

In summary, graying hair is associated with a decrease in melanin production in melanocytes as a result of aging. It's a complex process determined genetically, which is also influenced by other factors, such as vitamin B12 deficiency, hormonal disorders, oxidative stress and diet. Turning gray will not reverse it completely, but it can be masked by using special coloring cosmetics.