It is normal for hair color to change, as people age. But white hair can appear at almost any time in life. Even teenagers and people in their 20s may notice strands of white hair.
The human body has millions of hair follicles or small sacs lining the skin. The follicles generate hair and color or pigment cells that contain melanin. Over time, hair follicles lose pigment cells, resulting in white hair color.
In this article, we look at some common causes of prematurely white hair, along with ways to slow the graying process down or prevent it, in some instances.
Causes of white hair
There can be many causes besides age that result in a person’s hair turning white.
Vitamin deficiencies
Any deficiencies of vitamin B-6, B-12, biotin, vitamin D, or vitamin E can contribute to premature graying.
One 2015 report in the journal Development notes various deficiency studies on vitamin D-3, vitamin B-12, and copper and their connection to graying hair. It finds nutritional deficiencies affect pigmentation, suggesting color can return with vitamin supplementation.
A 2016 study reported in the International Journal of Trichology looked to factors related to premature graying in young Indians under 25 years of age. It found low levels of serum ferritin, which stores iron in the body, vitamin B-12, and the good cholesterol HDL-C were common in participants with premature hair graying.
Genetics
Premature graying of a person’s hair is largely connected to genetics, according to a 2013 report in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology.
Race and ethnicity play roles, as well. Premature graying in white people can start as early as 20 years old, while a person can be as young as 25 years old among Asians, and 30 years in African-Americans populations, according to the same 2013 study.
Oxidative stress
While graying is mostly genetic, oxidative stress in the body may play a part when the process happens prematurely.
Oxidative stress causes imbalances when antioxidants are not enough to counteract the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage cells, contributing to aging and disease.
Too much oxidative stress can promote the development of diseases, including the skin-pigment condition vitiligo. Vitiligo may also turn the hair white due to melanin cell death or the loss of cell function.
Smoking
A study from 2013 reported in the Italian Dermatology Online Journal, shows that smokers are 2 1/2 times more likely to start graying before age 30 as non-smokers.
A 2015 study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology also demonstrated that smoking is linked to premature white hair in young men.
Chemical hair dyes and hair products
Chemical hair dyes and hair products, even shampoos, can contribute to premature hair graying. Many of these products contain harmful ingredients that decrease melanin.
Hydrogen peroxide, which is in many hair dyes, is one such harmful chemical. Excessive use of products that beach hair will also eventually cause it to turn white.
Natural remedies
There are plenty of hair dyes on the market that cover white hair, but many of these contribute to premature graying and may cause allergic and adverse reactions.
Natural remedies offer an alternative to slow down hair-whitening without harming the body or causing further hair pigment damage.
Curry leaves. The medicinal use of curry leaves goes back centuries. When combined with hair oil and applied to the scalp, curry leaves can slow premature graying.
One report in the International Journal of PharmTech Research highlights the traditional use of curry leaves to retain black hair color and even prevent premature graying. Curry leaves can be purchased at Indian supermarkets, as well as traditional grocery stores.
Bhringaraj. The false daisy or bhringaraj will darken hair and keep it from becoming white early, according to some reports. The juice of the leaves is boiled in coconut oil or sesame oil and massaged into the hair.
Bhringaraj leaves are available in oil form.
Indian gooseberry. Also called amla, this is an herbal supplement recognized for reversing premature graying by promoting pigmentation. Its effectiveness is believed to be because the gooseberry is rich in antioxidants and anti-aging properties.
Amla is available as a fruit in Indian grocery stores. It can also be found, as a powder or supplement, available online or in a traditional health food stores. The powder can be mixed with coconut oil and applied directly to the scalp.
Black tea. Black tea can make hair darker, shinier and softer. It can be used by steeping 3 to 5 tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water, cooling and adding to clean, wet hair. Tea can also be mixed with conditioner, left in the hair for 1 hour, and then rinsed out.
Copper. Low copper levels can lead to premature graying, according to one 2012 study. Good food sources of copper are beef liver, lentils, almonds, dark chocolate, and asparagus.
Ridge gourd. The ridge gourd is known for restoring hair pigment and stimulating the roots of the hair. Regular massaging of ridge gourd oil can prevent hair from turning white. The oil can be purchased online.
- Coconut oil. Every other day, before bed, massage coconut oil onto your hair and scalp. The next morning, wash your hair as usual.
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Every day, eat a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger mixed with 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Blackstrap molasses. Every other day, eat a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses (from sugarcane juice, not from beet sugar); it’s believed to reverse the graying process.
- Amla (Phyllanthus emblica). Drink six ounces of fresh amla juice every day or massage your hair with amla oil one time each week. Amla is also known as Indian gooseberry.
- Black sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum). Two to three times a week, eat a tablespoon of black sesame seeds to slow down and possibly reverse the graying process.
- Ghee.Twice a week, massage your hair and scalp with pure ghee (clarified butter).
- Amaranth (Amaranthus). Three times a week, apply fresh amaranth juice to your hair.
- Wheatgrass juice (Thinopyrum intermedium). Drink one to two ounces of fresh wheatgrass juice every day or add 1 tablespoon of wheatgrass powder daily to your soups and smoothies.
- Fo-ti (Polygonum multiflorum). In traditional Chinese medicine, fo-ti is taken internally as a supplement — 1,000 milligrams two times per day with food — to reverse the graying hair process.
- Onion (Allium cepa). Blend an onion in a blender and then use a strainer so that you’re left with the juice. Twice a week, rub this juice into your scalp, leaving it in place for 30 minutes and then shampooing as usual.
- Carrot juice (Daucus carota subsp. sativus). Drink 8 ounces of carrot juice every day.
- Catalase. Eat foods rich in the enzyme catalase such as:
- garlic
- cabbage
- sweet potato
- kale
- broccoli
- almonds
- Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii). Make a paste of ¼ cup of curry leaves and ½ cup of yogurt. Apply it to your hair and scalp and then wash it off after 30 minutes. Repeat two to three times a week.
- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Take an ashwagandha supplement with food. Ashwagandha is also known as Indian ginseng.
- Almond oil. Mix together equal parts of almond oil, lemon juice, and amla juice. Massage the mixture into your hair and scalp. Follow this routine two times a day for three months.
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). Fill ⅓ of an 8-ounce jar with dried rosemary and then fill the jar to the top with extra virgin olive oil. Leave the jar in a sunny place for four to six weeks, shaking it every few days. After six weeks, use it as a hair oil.
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