For several months, they have appeared without warning, despite all your efforts to ignore them. These long-term “visitors” are of course these little white hairs, sneaky but clearly visible. How can we explain their sudden appearance? And how can we try to slow down their progress? Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of True Medical, answers us.
Why does our hair turn white?
If we are not all equal when it comes to gray hair (some people have graying hair at the age of thirty, others have dark hair until old age), no one can avoid it – all hair turns white over time.
“Hair becomes white or gray because it gradually loses its pigment, melanin, under the effect of aging, genes and factors such as oxidative stress or certain deficiencies. We cannot stop this process, but we can sometimes slow it down (especially when it is premature) by acting on lifestyle and general health.” indicates the emergency doctor.
In detail, each hair is pigmented by specialized cells, melanocytes, located in the hair follicle. With age, these melanocytes function less well, then disappear, and melanin production decreases until it stops: the hair then grows gray, then white.
“The main factor is genetic: the age at which the first gray hairs appear is largely programmed (some turn gray before the age of thirty, others much later). Oxidative stress (free radicals linked to tobacco, pollution, UV rays, chronic stress, etc.) damages melanocytes and accelerates their death.
specifies the medical director of True Medical.
Indeed, when we are stressed, the body releases hormones that deplete melanocyte stem cells, responsible for hair pigmentation.
Vitamin and trace element deficiencies (B12, folate, iron, copper, etc.) or autoimmune or thyroid diseases can also promote premature graying.
Can we slow down this natural process?
If today we still do not know how to permanently “recolor” a follicle which has lost its melanocytes, we can try to limit what accelerates graying, especially if it is early.
Here are some good reflexes that can make a difference on a daily basis:
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Stop smoking or significantly reduce tobacco use (in order to limit vascular and follicular oxidative stress);
- Adopt a varied diet sufficiently rich in proteins, B vitamins (especially B12), iron, copper and zinc;
- Correct any deficiencies if they are revealed by a blood test;
- Protect hair from damage: avoid direct exposure to the sun (by wearing a hat) and very harsh products or repeated bleaching;
- Reduce chronic stress (by improving sleep, practicing regular physical activity or adopting relaxation techniques), which can accelerate the loss of pigment cells;
- Finally, consult a doctor if these famous white hairs appear very early (before 20–25 years) or very suddenly.
“In practice, we can sometimes slow down premature graying by improving our overall state of health (nutritional balance, digestive health, quality of sleep, etc.). However, “age-related” graying remains a physiological and irreversible phenomenon once established!”, concludes Dr Gérald Kierzek.
If graying is part of normal aging, its very early appearance can reveal an imbalance. A simple blood test can sometimes identify a correctable deficiency.