How Do You Stop Grey Hair, Remedies & Tips For Vibrant Hair

Are you going grey before your time and often find yourself asking the age-old question, how can I stop grey hair? Well, according to two trichologists, a healthy lifestyle and work-life balance are key.

Hair Gurus Drs. Apoorva and Sonal Shah are synonymous with strand and scalp care. Whatever your health woes – from greying and thinning to balding and hair loss, Drs. Shah has the perfect remedy. Featured in the Limca Book of Records as India’s first certified trichologist, Dr. Apoorva took up the cause of tresses long before it became fashionable, setting up the Richfeel Trichology Centers in India – fifty-two – at last count – to solve common strand woes. His beautiful wife Dr. Sonal shares his passion and is a qualified Beauty Physician in Natural Therapies and the first female Indian trichologist who launched the country’s earliest range of nutritive homeopathic remedies. The couple was also the Official Hair Care Experts for the Femina Miss India Pageant for ten consecutive years.

The Role Of Melanin In Hair Colour

Dr Sonal says that hair colour is determined by a number of factors such as the quality of food you eat, your lifestyle, stress, and to some extent hereditary traits. “If your mother got grey hair in her 30s, chances are you might too.” However, the single most important factor that determines hair colour is melanin. Produced by melanocytes found within the layers of the hair follicle melanin accumulates in cells of the newly produced hair bulb and colours the hair as it emerges from the follicle.“There comes a time when the melanocytes start making little or no melanin, causing hair to become virtually transparent. The result: grey hair, “explains Dr Apoorva. But what causes this to happen? He explains that melanocytes stop functioning effectively when there’s a decrease in the production of the hormone that stimulates their functioning. “This is usually a part of ageing and the obvious signs are hair fall, thinning, and greying.”

The Natural Causes Of Greying

Drs. Shah believes that though greying is part of the natural process of ageing, Indian men and women are spotting those pesky greys when they’re in their 20s and 30s. Dr Apoorva explains that while hair tends to lose its natural colour as we age, premature greying is a morbid condition that can age you before your time. “Hair is an appendage of skin, composed of the same kind of cells as the outer layer of skin, also referred to as the epidermis.” Hair grows from hair follicles embedded deep within the epidermis. Oil-secreting glands (sebaceous glands) in the scalp secrete oily sebum that supplies nutrition, lustre and blackness to hair. These nutrients are supplied by the bloodstream and no amount of external application – think oils and protein masks – can make the hair healthy from within.

Causes Of Premature Greying

Dr Sonal points out that greying among younger men and women is often a result of multiple causes, some of which are listed here:

• Deficiencies: Nutritional deficiencies such as a lack of B vitamins, iron, copper and iodine can all lead to premature greying. When your body is not supplemented with the right nutrients, it produces less melanin needed for the hair to remain dark.

• Stress: Tension and stress also affect scalp and skin health because they interfere with the supply of vital nutrition necessary for healthy skin and tresses. The stress activates the nervous system to release norepinephrine that causes grey hair.

• Auto-Immune Conditions: Dr Shah adds that some experts believe that rapid hair whitening can be attributed to a rare form of alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakes the hair follicles to be invaders and launches an aggressive attack resulting in partial or complete baldness. Typically, only pigmented hair is targeted and falls out. Greys that may have been hidden under layers of darker strands now become more obvious.

• Unhealthy Hair Habits : Dr Shah says that other causes of premature greying include unclean scalp, shampooing with hot water, over-use of hair dryers and hair dyes. “There have been instances when extreme shock causes overnight greying,” says Dr Apoorva.

How To Delay Or Prevent Premature Greying

Treatment protocols for premature greying lie more in the preventive category than in the curative realm. Since oxidative stress is an important cause of greying, eating an energising, antioxidant-rich diet choc-a-bloc with strawberries, red apples, cherries, green tea, red and black grapes, and kidney beans can pack a punch. “People must learn to de-stress through exercise, yoga or meditation.” It’s also important to maintain a healthy work-life balance and work towards ensuring a less fast-paced lifestyle. As Dr Shah points out, “Those greys may well be an early warning of an internal imbalance. Think of them as a warning bell and seek help.”

Step-by-Step Hair Care Routine For Premature Greying

Apart from an improvement in your diet and lifestyle you can also incorporate the right hair care products and build a routine that will make you stop asking yourself how to stop the grey hair.

1. Shampoo For Premature Greying

Nykaa Recommends:

Made with dark roasted coffee, henna, coconut oil, and indigo oils this shampoo is ideal for people who experience premature greying. The naturally pigmented ingredients add colour and rejuvenate your hair. Made with no silicones, parabens, mineral oil, or artificial dyes this shampoo is great for a natural nourishment and cleanse.

2. Conditioner For Premature Greying

Nykaa Recommends:

Enriched with arcolys, bhringraj, brahmi, shikakai, curry leaves, fenugreek, and black tea this shampoo plus conditioner helps restore the natural hair colour and reverse grey hair as well. It’s cruelty-free, free from parabens, delays greying, and boosts nourishment within 3–5 uses.

3. Hair Serum For Premature Greying

Nykaa Recommends:

Formulated with arcedin, biotin, black tea extract, herperidin, and hyaluronic acid this serum naturally darkens grey hair, improves hair strength, boosts overall health, and is non-greasy and lightweight. In less than 8 weeks you can reverse your premature greying with regular use.

Wash your hair twice a week twice with anti-grey shampoo. Rinse it thoroughly before going in with the conditioner, and once your hair is dry yet damp, finish the routine with the anti-grey hair serum.

Parting Thoughts

Greying of hair is a common condition that manifests itself as you grow old. But many people experience premature greying due to a number of causes. These causes can be physical, mental, or environmental. And with the right products, routine, diet, and care you can stop, slow-down, and even reverse premature greying.

FAQs

1. What causes premature greying of hair?

   Premature greying is primarily caused due to a decrease in melanin production that gives the hair its colour. But other factors such as genetics, stress, nutritional deficiencies, smoking, and medical conditions can all aid in the premature greying of hair.

2. How do I stop grey hair?

   You can stop or even reverse premature greying by improving your diet and supplementing it with the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Identify what’s causing the premature greying of your hair and tackle those situations to stop grey hair.

3. Can stress cause grey hair?

   While stress doesn’t cause grey hair but it does accelerate the process. It can affect melanin production and lead to oxidative stress and damage to hair follicles all leading to grey hair.

4. How to avoid grey hair with diet?

   A balanced diet with all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals such as B12, iron, zinc, Omega-3s, and antioxidants can reduce the occurrence of premature greying.

5. What are natural ways to reduce grey hair?

   You can use ingredients such as alma, coconut oil, curry leaves, black tea, and bringaraj to naturally reverse grey hair.