Grey hair

Grey hair is seen as one of the most typical signs of getting old. Everyone experiences it since it is a normal aspect of aging . The age at which the greying process starts is dependant on three factors: health, heredity and environmental factors. Mostly people start to develop grey hairs around the age of fifty.

The loss of hair colour is due to a gradual decrease of melanin production in the hair bulb. Melanin is a colour-producing substance in our hair. There are two main types of melanin that determine the colour of your hair. Eumelanin makes your hair brown or black. Pheomelanin causes hair to be reddish yellow. Over time the amount of melanin decreases and thus the hair loses its colour. White hair has no melanin at all. The lack of melanin also contributes to a lack of moisture. Therefore the hair becomes lighter, gets a dryer and coarser texture.

The greying process generally starts at the temples, then spreads to the crown and finally to the back of the head. Some researchers have shown that the greying process is influenced by gender. Males generally start to grey earlier than women do. Heredity is also of importance. If people in your family started greying early, it’s likely you will too. Exceptionally individuals turn grey before the age of 20 or 30. Sometimes this is caused by a medical condition. Though usually it’s due to a particular gene. There is also a relationship between turning grey and one’s environment and lifestyle. Smokers are four times as likely to get grey hair at an early stage in life. Drugs and alternative medicine can stimulate the greying process as well.

Women tend to use a colouring or colour rinse shampoo to cover up their grey hairs and keep a young appearance. Grey hair might very well be a sign of ageing but it also shows that you develop normally.