Greying Hair

 

Troubled by premature greying of your hair? We all wondered why we get those silver strands at some point in our life when we least expect them?

The amount of pigment in our hair follicle is determined by color-producing cells known as melancoytes. Each melancoyte is genetically programmed to function for a specific period of time, after which it dies. This gives rise to the birth of white hair. A mixture of some dark hair with white hair give the visual effect of grey hair.

Typically, Caucasians start going grey in their mid 30s, Asians in their late 30s and African-Americans in their mid 40s. Half of all people have a significant amount of gray hair by the time they turn 50.

CAUSES

Age

The natural process is with increasing age, our body’s enzyme and amino acid productions start to slow down, causing the cells in hair follicles to stop producing these pigments and hairs to turn colourless. However, some people start going grey as early as their 20s and are perfectly healthy.

Bad Diets

With increasing affluence, fast foods are commonly available and consumers prefer convenience over nutrition, rendering most people ‘undernourished’. Researchers believed that a nutritious diet comprises high amino acids and calcium can help to produce the melanin pigment much needed to keep the hair strands saturated with color.

Auto-immune

Some autoimmune diseases can cause premature greying because the immune response might target the pigment-producing system, which thus explains why those no follicles no longer producing coloured hair are unaffected.

Vitiligo is an auto-immune condition where a sudden decrease or stop in melanin production derivatives of the amino acid - tyrosine causes the hair and skin to lose pigmentation that gives off the natural color. Hence, the hair follicles that grow after melanin death have no color or grey appearance.

Lack of B12 and/or Folic Acid

A Swedish study conducted with participants suffering vitiligo increased their consumption of folic acid and vitamin B12 through their diets and oral supplements were astounded to see re-pigmentation of grey hair in 64% of the patients, with 6 individuals experiencing total re-pigmentation. This is due to poor Vitamin B12 absorption resulting in decrease in the number of red blood cells, and weakening immunity.

Smoking

In addition to increasing your risks of contracting deadly diseases such as cancer, heart disease and kidney failure, smoking can also cause your hair to prematurely grey. A 1997 study carried out by researchers in England discovered that smokers were up to four times as likely to have grey hair as their non-smoking counterparts.

Tooth Whitening/Hair Care Products

By using teeth whitening toothpaste, you can end up having whitening hairs too!

As hydrogen peroxide is the main ingredient in most teeth whitening products, scientists have been associating an increase in its uptake within the body with melanocyte death due to the deactivation of the enzymes directly responsible for preserving your hair color. In fact, the tiniest dose of hydrogen peroxide is sufficient to kick-start melanocyte death.

Hydrogen peroxide is also present in hair care products such as hair bleaches, dyes, conditioners and shampoos with some products carrying exceedingly high levels to cause a gradual build-up and thus blocks melanin production.

Environmental Pollution

The harmful molecular free radicals in the environmental pollution bind themselves to our healthy cells and steal their valuable electrons. If left unchecked by our immune system, it can cause cellular damage that inevitably influences the melanin production we need to keep our hair healthy, strong and pigmented.

Genetic Predisposition

Researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Health System recently confirmed the role of genetics behind greying hair, stating that gene inheritance determines not only your hair color, but also when the greying process begins.

Prolonged Stressful Lifestyle

Researchers have shown that high stress level prompts a surge in our body’s production of hydrogen peroxide which accumulates within the hair follicles, causing premature cell death and effectively bleaching. Also, the stress hormones may impact the survival and activity of melancocytes.

Any cure?

To-date, there is no medical treatment that can turn white hair back to its former color, nor are there scientific studies to indicate that any method can reverse the greying process for those with genetic disposition. Some drugs promise to address this tissue but are expensive and can have potentially severe and deadly side effects. For these people, learn to accept that grey or white is beautiful too!

VIVA corner


As for those with are exposed to environmental hazards and aging effects there are some viva products to assist in reversing the negative effects.

Viva Ageguard contains the free form amino acid, L-tyrosine - vital for melanin production. Being the basic component of hair, amino acid deficient also causes one to lose hair easily.

Vivashield offers protection against environmental pollution and free radical damage due to oxidation from within.


Viva Liquick gingko helps to deliver more oxygen through the capillaries to the dermis layer to assist in new cell reproduction.

Viva B easy provides the full range of Vitamin B to assist in the utilisation of other vitamins and activate enzymes for an improved immune function and relieve tension for highly stressed individuals.