Worry less about gray hair

While some people welcome gray hair, which many believe, is associated with old age, others cannot stand it. The good news: Scientists are hard at work on how to prevent it. However, research has shown that using natural ingredients will help to boost and rejuvenate the hair, Omolara Akintoye writes

EVERY man and woman knows the day will come, and they all dread it. You look in the mirror, and there it is — your first gray hair! Men are seen shaving their hair while women start dyeing it or covering their hair with wig. While some people start experiencing it at a later age, some are not that lucky. In an interview with Mrs. Lucy Odunayo, a business woman, she recalled how she started battling gray hair from her youthful days. “My mother gave birth to me in her late forties, so my mum had been told that I would start experiencing gray hair early. So, I had no choice than to start wearing wig right from my youthful days,” she lamented. For Mr. John Iluoma, he had to have his hair shaved to keep gray hair at bay.

What actually causes gray hair is as simple as normal aging. As we get older, we produce less of two enzymes: the first is an enzyme that helps break down hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a well-known tool for bleaching hair, but did you know your hair cells actually make hydrogen peroxide? As we age, the amount produced increases, ultimately bleaching hair pigment. A Beauty Consultant/ Dermatologist, Temitope Faronbi, who spoke on the causes of

gray hair, said with age, we also produce less of another enzyme that helps repair damaged hair follicles. This slow down reduces the amount of pigment, or melanin that we produce. If the amount of melanin is reduced, the hair turns gray. Once the production of melanin is stopped altogether, hair turns white.

According to Faronbi, gray hair is not necessarily associated with old age. Many reasons can be attributed to it, such as depression, stress, inadequate rest, not eating balanced diet, lack of supplement, health issues, among others. “When someone is not happy, he/she can start having gray hair, because it leads to hormonal imbalance and this can make someone to have gray hair,” said Faronbi. A lot of people cannot manage stress, but irrespective of what you are going through, you should be able to manage your health.

Similar to hair loss, Faronbi pointed out that gray hair is primarily the result of genetics. “You can look to your parents or grandparents for a glimpse of what the future may hold for your looks,” she said. Basically, ask your parents when they got their first gray hairs, and you may just be getting a glimpse into your future.

Of course, you’re not going to wake up one day and be totally gray. It’s a process, and that process typically follows a pattern. Gray hairs will first appear around your temples, and slowly fill in and move up and around your scalp. While it’s not lucky that they tend to show up first right up front, at least you can take comfort in the fact that if your temples aren’t gray, there probably aren’t any in the back of your head you don’t know about, either.

Speaking on how it can be prevented, Faronbi said do what makes you happy; ensure that you are among people with positive mindset, be happy, eat enough balanced diet, take the necessary supplement. “Go for beauty therapy and body massage; take care of your health. Gray hair is

more common among women than men because of domestic violence as well as other things being faced by women on a daily basis. It also affects men, especially those that are financially low. They can start looking older and having gray hair, but in the course of my work it affects more women than men.”

Faronbi warned that people should not pull off gray hair. “Once one is pulled off, it starts coming out more,” she disclosed. One of the ways it can be checked, according to Faronbi, is the use of natural shampoo made with okro and apple cinder vinegar can be used.  “Rather than using harsh chemical substance, use natural ingredients which will help to boost and rejuvenate the hair.” She stated.   Carrot oil or coconut oil can be used as hair oil. She said also that the hair can be massaged with egg oil. Egg oil contains anti-oxidant which arrests premature aging (graying) of hair and even reverses early stage gray hair.

She advised that people should avoid dyeing their hair. Dyeing, she pointed out, will increase the grey hair.  Managing gray hair, according to her, also implies staying off smoking, as effect of smoking is also linked to premature hair graying, with the onset of gray hair occurring before the age of 30.

Get enough vitamins: Vitamins (including B12) are essential for hair and skin health. When you have a deficiency, your hair can prematurely begin to lose some of its pigment or even fall out (it may fall out if you have a zinc deficiency), making you gray or bald (you’d want to avoid both).

Finally, Faronbi tasked people to take multivitamin supplements to prevent going gray too early. “Taking supplements isn’t a magic potion guaranteed to keep your hair colourful, but it may give you a little extra time before it turns gray,” she said.