Gray hair at a young age? These habits and nutrient deficiencies are accelerating the formation of gray hair

Reviewer of this article: Zhou Xiaobo, Doctor of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Growing gray hair is a very normal physiological phenomenon in the elderly - as the human body ages, the hair follicles gradually age and the ability to synthesize melanin weakens, so gray hair may gradually grow.

However, some people have white hair at a young age, in their twenties or thirties. How can this be explained? Let's take a look at the things about white hair.

Sudden gray hair? These 3 nutrients may be the key

If you have an unbalanced diet, picky eating, dieting and other habits in your daily life, it is easy to cause nutrient deficiencies, which in turn accelerates the formation of white hair, especially the lack of the following:

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Protein: The Raw Material of Hair

The essence of hair is keratin, which is a kind of protein; and the formation of hair melanin also requires an amino acid called "tyrosine" as a raw material. So if the protein supply is seriously insufficient, then even the protein renewal of the body's internal tissues cannot be met, how can there be spare energy to ensure the supply of protein and amino acids for the hair?

If there is a lack of protein, hair will grow slowly, fall out easily, and the hair quality will deteriorate. The hair will become thinner, brittle, dry and turn white.

Recommendation: A glass of milk, an egg, and some lean meat every day to meet daily protein needs.

Metallic mineral elements: important raw materials for synthesizing melanin

The color of hair is also related to the metal elements it contains - the pigment particles in black hair contain equal amounts of copper and iron. If these elements are lacking, the nickel content in the hair will increase significantly, and the hair color will easily change from black to white.

Copper supplements: hazelnuts, sesame paste, sunflower seeds, green tea, soybeans, mung beans, peanuts, shiitake mushrooms, etc.

Iron supplements: red meat, animal liver, oysters, mussels, clams, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, etc.

Vitamin B: Metabolites

The formation of hair melanin is inseparable from B vitamins. Once it is deficient, it will lead to reduced cell function and cause metabolic dysfunction, resulting in less melanin production.

Among the big family of B vitamins, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 are most closely related to gray hair.

Vitamin B2 can promote cell regeneration and promote the normal growth of skin, nails and hair. It can be supplemented daily through dairy products, meat, eggs, etc.

Vitamin B6 can participate in the normal metabolism of sugar, protein and fat, and is related to the production of white blood cells and hemoglobin, which is beneficial to the growth of hair. It also has a good preventive and therapeutic effect on seborrheic alopecia. Sesame, oats, nuts, spinach and avocado are all good sources of supplements.

Vitamin B12 can prevent anemia, maintain the body's hematopoietic function, and prevent the formation of white hair. You can eat meat and dairy products to supplement it.

These behaviors will accelerate the formation of gray hair

In addition to the lack of nutrients, some bad habits in daily life are the "accelerators" of gray hair:

Staying up late, high pressure

Staying up late for a long time or accumulating too much stress will affect the human endocrine system. Under emotions such as grief, anxiety, and tension, the function of hair matrix cells and melanocytes will be reduced, which will lead to an increase in gray hair.

As the saying goes, "A smile makes you ten years younger, while worry makes your hair gray." Learning to relax and relieve stress can also help regulate hormone secretion and make your hair darker.

Neglecting sun protection

When the sun is strong in the summer, we pay attention to sun protection for our skin, but in fact, our hair also needs sun protection.

Because ultraviolet rays will generate active oxygen, which will gradually reduce the number of melanin cells and cause gray hair; and it will block the chain binding of proteins in the hair, causing the protein chains to break and make the hair scales curl up and peel off, making the hair fragile and easy to break, causing hair loss and dry hair.

So wear a hat or carry a parasol when you go out in the summer.

Not paying attention to hair management

Not washing your hair for a long time will cause oil to accumulate in the scalp and hair follicles, thereby breeding bacteria. As a result, the melanocytes are not guaranteed nutrients, and the secretion of melanin will be reduced accordingly, making it easy for gray hair to grow.

In addition, some people like to wash their hair before going to bed, but go to bed without blowing it dry. This may also inhibit the growth and development of melanocytes, causing them to lose the ability to secrete melanin, hindering the formation of melanin particles and leading to gray hair.

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Being sedentary

People who sit for long periods of time and lack exercise may have poor blood circulation, making it difficult for blood to be transported to every corner of the scalp, which can easily cause melanocytes to not function properly.

It is generally recommended that you exercise at least three times a week for half an hour each time. Aerobic exercise is preferred, such as jogging, swimming, cycling, etc., which are all very good choices.

Long-term smoking

When nicotine enters the body, it causes blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood fluidity, which indirectly results in the nutrients needed for hair growth not being delivered to the hair roots through the blood circulation in time, resulting in the melanin needed for hair growth not being replenished in time, and the hair will turn white as a result.

Source: I am a great doctor official account

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