Causes of gray hair at an early age

Sooner or later, your hair will turn gray with age. It’s something we cannot fight. Even so, premature graying is not something that most of us look forward to.

Besides age, there are other things that contribute to premature graying. If you are still in your 20s and your hair is already turning gray, below are some possible causes you need to know:

1. Genetics

Beautiful gray hair (NaturAll Club) Pulse Live Kenya

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to alter your genetics. It’s possible that the reason your hair is turning gray at an early age is due to your genes. Your parents or grandparents probably had gray hair at an early age. But if you are not comfortable with gray hair, you always can color it.

2. Smoking

Smoking causes premature graying ece-auto-gen

There is so much that happens to your body when you smoke. It affects your fertility, your lungs, causes heart disease, and, it could also make your hair gray at an early age.

A study comprising of 207 subjects found a significant relationship between premature graying (before age 30) and smoking cigarettes.

It is believed that the oxidative stress that results from smoking could damage the melanin-producing cells thus causing premature graying.

ALSO READ: Common hair myths you need to stop believing

3. Chronic stress

Stressed man[Credit: Kenya Insights] Pulse Nigeria

You are going to get stressed at some point in life. However, what really causes graying is not that one-time stressful moment. It’s prolonged stress. Studies show that stress hormones can reduce the melanocyte stem cells which are responsible for giving hair its color.

Take things easy and you shall not only lead a longer life but also look young for a longer period.

4. Vitamin B12 deficiency

Sources of vitamin B12 (Harvard Health) Pulse Live Kenya

The human body does not create vitamin B12 and you must, therefore, get it from your diet. This vitamin contributes to healthy hair growth and color. A deficiency of it thus leads to graying of hair and it may also cause numbness, tingling of hands and feet, fatigue and shortness of breath.

Sources of vitamin B12 include; eggs, liver, chicken, beef, low-fat milk, fish, and fortified cereals.