Assuming you live a long life, at least some of your hair will turn gray. Just like wrinkles, it is a part of the aging process. Whether you end up with a little “salt and pepper” in your hair or go totally gray depends on the genes passed down to you from your parents.
Function
Your hair grows in a cycle composed of three stages: anagen, catagen and telogen, reports Penn State University. In the active anagen stage, your hair grows for approximately two to four years, after which it enters the transitional catagen phase. After a couple weeks, new hair will push out the old hair in the telogen phase. According to Penn State University, this cycle gets shorter as you age, accelerating the breakdown of the melanin that gives your hair color.
Cause
Hydrogen peroxide naturally builds up in your hair follicles, and normally your body breaks it down into water and oxygen by releasing an enzyme called catalase, reports the University of Southern Florida. As you age and your hair growth cycle shortens, your body cannot keep up with the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, the body produces lower levels of the catalase enzymes as you get older. The increased levels of hydrogen peroxide damage the melanin cells that color your hair, according to the University of Southern Florida. Furthermore, the aging process inhibits the production of the tyrosinase enzyme that promotes the creation of melanin in your body.
Time Frame
Caucasians tend to start graying between the ages of 30 and 50, while African Americans generally start graying after 40, reports the University of Alabama Birmingham Health System. Facial hair and the area around the temples often turns gray before the rest of a person’s hair, although the reason is unknown. While more noticeable in dark-haired people, all hair colors have the same likelihood of going gray.
Prevention/Solution
As a natural part of the aging process, there is no “cure” for graying hair, although there have been instances of gray patients unexpectedly growing darker hair after certain medical treatments, including radiation therapy, reports Penn State University. Researchers in the cosmetic industry continue to search for a way to reverse the graying of hair, but for now your only options are to use hair dye to cover the gray or embrace the change.
Theories/Speculation
A lack of B vitamins, thyroid problems and anemia have all been linked to the acceleration of the body’s aging process and premature graying, according to the University of Alabama Birmingham Health System. Additionally, some medications, diseases and treatments may contribute to graying hair. On the other hand, the claim that severe psychological trauma or shock can cause hair to gray overnight has no basis in scientific fact.
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