Gray Hair

Causes

Hair naturally turns gray as you get older. Most people don't see gray until their late thirties, but a very few turn prematurely gray in their teens. It all depends on genetics.

The most common reason is heredity; premature gray hair is yet another thing we can blame on our parents. But there are also several medical conditions characterized by graying of the hair. A B-12 deficiency, a thyroid imbalance, and anemia can all cause premature gray hair. And if you needed yet another reason to quit smoking, there is new evidence that smokers are four times more likely to go gray at a young age.

Melanin is the same stuff that makes our skin's color fair or darker. It also helps determine whether a person will burn or tan in the sun. The dark or light color of someone's hair depends on how much melanin each hair contains.

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 it grows. As people continue to get older, fewer pigment cells will be around to produce melanin. Eventually, the hair will look completely gray.

A faulty diet and mental worries are the two primary causes of premature greying of hair. Lack of some of the B vitamins, iron, copper, and iodine in the daily diet is said to be a contributory factor. Mental worries produce extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp; this interferes with the supply of vital nutrition necessary for the health of the hair.

Other causes of premature greying of hair are an unclean condition of the scalp, washing the hair with hot water, drying it with an electric dryer, and use of hair dyes. Heredity is also a predisposing factor.

Treatments

Amla is the best cure for grey hair and falling hair. Regular massage of "amla" paste rubbed into the scalp has worked wonders in many cases, frequently reversing the process of greying or falling off of hair.

Massage your hairs with coconut oil and Lemon everyday for at least 15 minutes. There are instances of people having black hairs even up to the age of 60-70 years by using this method.

Mix lemon juice in castor oil and beat till frothy. Add 'henna' in to it. Apply the mixture evenly over the scalp, and bathe after an hour using 'shikakai' and 'ritha' shampoo as above. This checks greying of hair.

Take a cup of strong black tea (without milk), and to this add a tablespoon of salt. When cold, strain the tea and massage it on the roots. Leave it on for an hour, and then rinse with cold water. Do not shampoo it.

Amaranth is another effective home remedy for hair disorders. Application of the fresh juice of the leaves of this vegetable helps the hair to retain its black colour and prevents it from premature greying. It also helps the growth of the hair and keeps it soft.

The butter made from cow's milk has the property of preventing premature greying of hair. A small roll may be taken internally and a little quantity may be massaged into the hair roots twice a week.

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