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As a 28-year-old, I still remember spotting my first grey hair. TBH, it wasn’t that long ago but my reaction was as animated as you could imagine. My mother did console me by pointing out I was turning wiser but my granny self couldn’t help but freak out. Nope, I didn’t pluck that hair out (don’t ever do that!). In fact, I researched a lot about effective grey hair treatments, reasons for premature greying of hair, home remedies for white hair and everything under the sun about treating grey hair. End Result: I found a lot of stuff that I would like to share with you, starting from causes of premature grey hair.
But before we explore the causes and treatment for grey hair, let us make it clear that grey hair is not an “issue” that requires a remedy. Greying is a natural, inevitable process that takes place as we age, and it’s absolutely normal. It’s your personal choice to dye your hair to camouflage greys. On the bright side, if you are keen to colour your hair, premature greying could be a boon, because you’d no longer have to bleach the strands; your naturally grey hair would make for an excellent base for any pigment to shine. A win-win!
Reasons For Grey Hair
Firstly, your hair is supposed to turn grey between the ages of 30 to 40 because that’s when your melanin cells stop producing. So, anything before that is premature greying (mostly in your 20s) that can be caused due to several factors:
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Genetics
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Your genetics play a huge role in your hair becoming grey earlier than expected (thanks Mom and Dad). Sadly, you can’t reverse your genetics but you can definitely cover your greys with effective home remedies and hair colours.
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Stress
Oh, this one again! We can’t emphasise this enough — stress is pure evil and chronic stress can lead to soooo many problems starting from lack of sleep and anxiety to grey hair. It is believed to deplete stem cells in your hair follicles. Need we say more?
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Thyroid Disorder
A Thyroid Disorder can cause hormonal changes and that can contribute to reasons for premature greying of hair. Apart from influencing your metabolism, the thyroid gland can also affect the colour of your hair as it reduces melanin production in the body.
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Deficiencies
As per a research study, the premature greying of hair is associated with low levels of serum ferritin, Vitamin B12, and HDL-C among the young adult Indian population.
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Smoking
According to a study, smokers experience premature greying considerably earlier than non-smokers. Smoking tends to alter your blood chemistry and leads to saggy, drooping facial muscles as well as greying hair.
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Medical Causes
Autoimmune diseases such as alopecia, vitiligo, and Werner’s syndrome, among others, can cause premature greying of hair. In such cases, the natural melanin and pigment in the skin and hair diminishes over time, causing certain parts of the body to appear far lighter than others.
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Chemical Treatments
Bleaching, hair dyeing, styling, and using the wrong hair care products can cause the mane to grey sooner. These products are designed to alter the hair’s natural appearance, leading to the early onset of grey hair.
How To Prevent White Hair
If you are looking for preventative measures instead of white hair treatments, here are a few things to consider:
- If caused due to smoking, first and foremost, you should consider stopping or minimising smoking. Other than premature greying, smoking can exacerbate health issues such as cardiovascular damage and, in more serious cases, cancer.
- If caused due to deficiencies, consider adding essential nutrients to your diet to compensate for the lack thereof. Add nuts, seeds, legumes, green leafy vegetables, and fruits to your daily diet. These foods contain the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to stall or prevent early greying.
- If caused naturally, there isn’t much you can do to prevent it, rather, turn to grey hair remedies such as hair dyeing or using henna to organically add pigment to the hair.
- If caused due to over-styling or chemical treatments, you can indulge in hair care with ingredients such as onion oil, rosemary, curry leaves, bhringraj, and black tea, which work by enhancing the natural pigment of your hair.
Home Remedies For Grey Hair
Grey Hair Remedy #1: Onion Juice
Like we couldn’t think of multiple ways to incorporate onion in your life. Here’s one more: onion juice works as a great grey hair remedy. All you have to do is mix it with lemon juice and olive oil and massage it into your scalp. Wash it after half an hour for the best results and by results, we just don’t mean hair darkening but also, hair growth. And lemon juice in it will add much-needed shine and bounce to dull hair.
Nykaa Recommends:
Grey Hair Remedy #2: Amla Powder
If you are looking for a hair solution, you will find every solution in amla! In this scenario, we recommend amla powder for grey hair. It is not just a permanent solution for grey hair but also, prevents hair loss. As a hair treatment, it works perfectly well when combined with coconut oil. Heat the oil and mix it with the powder – massage the mixture on your scalp and keep it overnight. Wash it first thing in the morning to prevent grey hair.
Nykaa Recommends:
Grey Hair Remedy #3: Henna
We have our grandmothers' to thank for this grey hair solution. Didn’t your grandma too sit outside on the veranda and cover her hair in henna to hide her greys? Brings back all those fond childhood memories *sigh*. There are two to three ways in which you can use henna for grey hair - mix it with coconut oil to use it as a conditioner, or make a hair mask by mixing the leaves with black coffee and yoghurt. Keep the mixture on for three hours and finally, shampoo your hair to rinse it off thoroughly.
Nykaa Recommends:
Grey Hair Remedy #4: Bhringraj
An effective Ayurvedic treatment, you can also rely on bhringraj Powder for grey hair.
a) It works as an effective premature grey hair treatment.
b) It doesn’t damage your natural hair colour.
c) Black dye obtained from it can be used as a natural hair colour. In a hot pan, mix the powder with coconut oil and apply it to your scalp and hair. Keep it on for an hour and finally, rinse it off with warm water.
Nykaa Recommends:
Grey Hair Remedy #5: Castor Oil
Oh yes, castor oil for grey hair FTW! Castor oil, when mixed with lemon juice and henna, works as a hair mask that will keep a check on your greys. All thanks to the Omega-3 fatty acids present in this hair oil for grey hair. Once the creamy hair pack is ready, apply it to your scalp and keep it on for one hour. Finally, wash it off with a herbal shampoo to ward off premature grey hair.
Nykaa Recommends:
Grey Hair Remedy #6: Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is known to prevent and delay further greying of hair, owing to its ultra-moisturising and nourishing properties. Consider mixing coconut oil and lemon juice and applying it to your hair for 30 minutes before rinsing it off. Coconut oil also helps treat premature greying due to the regular use of chemical hair dyes.
Nykaa Recommends:
Products For Grey Hair
’Coz not all of us have time to cure grey hair at home. In our busy lives, we are looking for one product to do the job – in this case, work efficiently as a grey hair treatment.
1. Nat Habit Curry Sesame Anti-Greying Summer Dasabuti Ayurvedic Hair Oil
Your one-stop solution for premature greying, Nat Habit Curry Sesame Anti Greying Summer Dasabuti Ayurvedic Hair Oil boasts a harmonious blend of 15 Ayurvedic herbs created via a slow heat infusion for best results. Just massage it on the scalp for 1-2 hours on your hair roots, and you’re good to go.
2. Khadi Natural Black Herbal Hair Colour
If it was up to us, we would use natural hair colours only. Actually, we are almost moving towards natural everything. This is why we love the Khadi Natural Black Herbal Hair Colour that will not only refresh your hair colour but also, cover greys effectively. With prime ingredients like Amla, Henna and Indigo, the hair colour will supply some much-needed nutrition to damaged hair and keep it shiny for days. Make a thick paste by mixing the colour with warm water and apply it to your scalp. Keep it on for 30 minutes and finally, wash it off with warm water.
3. L'Oreal Paris Colour Protect Shampoo
Opting to colour your greys? You need a shampoo for grey hair too. By that we mean, a shampoo that will provide colour protection from the get-go. Enter L'Oreal Paris Colour Protect Shampoo! C’mon someone in your family must be using this shampoo at the moment - it’s THAT good. With its UV filter, it will enhance the hair colour and make your hair smooth & silky. Of course, without causing any damage to your natural hair. A dream come true, truly!
4. Mantra Herbal Bhringraj & Hibiscus Nourishing Hair Oil
Don’t blame us for recommending another natural remedy, such as a grey hair solution. The Mantra Herbal Bhringraj & Hibiscus Nourishing Hair Oil is enriched with Vitamin E and Bhringraj (scroll up for its multiple benefits) that will nourish your hair follicles and stimulate hair growth. But the main reason why we love this hair oil is because of its power to fight premature greying. And no compromises on your natural hair colour. Win, win, win!
5. Thriveco Anti-Greying Hair Prime Serum
Bid farewell to greying hair with Thriveco’s potent potion that claims to reduce grey hair ratio up to 49%. Boasting black tea extract, which contains tannic acid to darken your hair, the Thriveco Anti-Greying Hair Prime Serum promotes melanin synthesis and offers long-lasting re-pigmentation, promising noticeable results in 7 weeks!
Parting Thoughts
In conclusion, grey hair is not an alarming condition that requires immediate attention. For most, covering up grey hair is merely an aesthetic choice, and there are numerous ways to do so. First thing involves identifying what is causing the hair to turn grey, followed by tackling the root cause (pun unintended). Once you identify what’s causing the premature greying of hair, it becomes a matter of making minor adjustments to achieve your best hair yet.
FAQs On Grey Hair Treatment
Q. Once I cover my greys, can they turn black again?
A. Well this is a mix of yes or no. Your grey hair due to old age can’t turn black again naturally (sorry, ladies!). However, if your hair has turned black due to stress, food, pollution and any other physical factor, it can turn black again if you take care of it properly.
Q. What changes can I make to my diet to prevent premature ageing?
A. A healthy diet above everything! Consume food and fruits that are rich in Iron and Biotin supplements to prevent premature greying. The fact that a healthy diet will keep you happy and reduce stress and consequently, reduce greying is only an added bonus.
Q. Is there any effective grey hair treatment in Ayurveda?
A. Oh yes! As per Ayurveda, greying of hair takes place due to increased Pitta Dosha inside the body that can be caused due to reasons such as eating extremely spicy food, drinking too much alcohol or caffeinated beverages and excessive anger. There are specialised Ayurvedic treatments that you can indulge in to treat premature grey hair.
Q. What are some of the best oil treatments for grey hair?
A. Some of the best hair oils to prevent the premature greying of hair include coconut oil, castor oil, onion oil, and bhringraj oil.
Q. What are some grey hair remedies to try at home?
A. You can try applying a concoction of onion oil, curry leaves, black tea, hibiscus, and castor oil to strengthen the hair and prevent greying. Along with topical treatments, you should consume a nutritious, well-balanced diet including fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes to sustain healthy hair growth and pigmentation.
