Gray hair is called hypochromia or depigmentation. This phenomenon indicates a partial or complete loss of hair pigment. Today there is no widely recognized position that would unequivocally explain the origin of gray hair. Therefore, there is no medicine that “heals” gray hair effectively and in every case.
Gray hair is thicker, more durable, and generally more resistant to all kinds of brutal autoimmune tricks. This is why gray hair often grows at the site of alopecia areata outbreaks.
So where does gray hair come from? Here are some basic theories:
Oxidative stress, a very dangerous condition that can lead to the development of many diseases, including cancer. It consists in an imbalance between free radicals (oxidants, reactive oxygen species) and antioxidants. Among others, they are exposed to oxidative stress. people who live under stress or eat poorly. High levels of stress cause the oxidative imbalance and increased production of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide accumulates, among others, in the hair causing their depigmentation. That is why antioxidant supplementation is so important.
Iron deficiency and related deficiencies. It is worth checking ferritin, serum iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid.
Protein deficiency as an important building block of enzymes, receptors and hormones.
Deficiencies of other nutrients such as copper, manganese, tyrosine, methionine, para-aminobenzoic and pantothenic acid, vitamin E, iodine.
Deficiency of thyroid hormones, melatonin, adrenal gland dysfunction.
When gray hair appears, especially at a young age, it is good to start a diagnostic search, restore the proper functions of the body, and then observe it. Maybe the gray hair will disappear, maybe not. Even if they don’t disappear , your overall health will definitely improve!
In March 2016, a publication was released on the first known gray hair gene – IRF4. IRF4, the regulatory factor of interferon 4, was already known, but we now know that it is involved in the pigmentation of the hair, skin and eyes, helping to produce melanin. Its role in graying has been proven, and research in this direction is still ongoing.