Facts About Grey Hair

Robust youthfulness is often described by good health, happy smiles and most importantly, jet black hair. At least in India, black hair is a symbol of vigour and youth where the most common Indian hair colour is black, unlike the blondes and brunettes of the western world.

As they say, there are always two sides to a coin, and so is the case with the human hair too. While an individual spends the prime of his life as a black-haired and energetic youngster, he has to live the last few years of his life with hair as white as snow. While black hair is associated with vigour and youth, white hair is commonly associated with wisdom and old age.

In today's blog, we are going to discuss neither the youthful black hair nor the wiser white hair, but the link that bridges these two worlds in the middle, which happens to be the Grey Hair.

Grey Hair:

Before we begin it is essential for us to understand the basics of grey hair. Like our skin, our hair follicles too have pigmentation cells that secrete melanin which controls the colour of our hair. As we grow older, these pigment cells begin to die, which results in loss of melanin, the newer strands of hair grow without any pigmentation. The complete loss of melanin in pigment cells turns even the grey hair into white hair.

Because in most cases, greying of hair is a natural occurrence and irreversible, the individuals have no other option but to rock the grey look confidently.

Facts About Grey Hair:

1. THE GENE FACTOR: While it is true that stress is a common cause for the greying of hair, it is not the only one. Ageing and genes are the two other major causes for the greying of hair. If an individual's parents scalp started greying in their late twenties, then there is a high chance of the same happening to their descendants too.
2. PREMATURE GREYING: For most people in India, the late forties are when their hair actually starts losing colour. This is quite natural and is of nothing to worry about, but when this happens in a person's youth, the phenomenon is called 'premature ageing'. If a person starts noticing grey hair in his late 20's to early '30s, it is a sign of premature ageing.
3. STRESS: Is there any health problem that is not caused by stress? I think not. The cursed touch of stress and anxiety has managed to touch our body from top to bottom. Quite literally. Stress induces a lot of problems to our scalp, causing hair fall, thinning of hair and even grey hair.
4. AVOID SMOKING: It goes without saying that cigarette smoking is the mother of all vices. And true to its moniker, cigarette smoking has managed to harm every cell of the human body. Not resistant to its vile clutches are the hair follicles and the pigmentation cells on our scalp. A recent study has found that smoking increases the chances of premature grey hair by a whopping 5 times.
5. THE MYTH: There is a widely prevalent myth that pulling out a grey hair will make way for three or four more great hair to grow in its place. While there is absolutely no truth to this obvious myth, it is advisable not to pull out grey hair of any sort. This will have an adverse effect on the scalp as it will destroy the follicle cells permanently, stopping hair growth altogether.
6. THE BIG DIFFERENCE: Contrary to popular opinion, grey hair is not the same as black hair. It is not just the difference between colours and melanin pigmentation, but texture and robustness as well. It is a well-documented fact that grey hair much more coarse and thin than the black hair, while also being hard to maintain.

Even though grey hair is a common occurrence, premature greying of hair may cause low self-confidence and hair fall in an individual. Hence, it is advisable to consult with a doctor at the earliest.

Dr V. S. Rathore:

For the past two decades, DrRathore's only focus in life has been the well being of his patients. He studied Master of Surgery in the general category and M.Ch. in plastic surgery in the Kolkata Medical College. He, one of the best hair transplant surgeons in Kolkata, has mentored, nurtured and employed several other best surgeons in his multiple facilities situated across Kolkata. He chairs and operates the best hair transplant clinic in Kolkata that caters to the people of India, especially West Bengal. Of the wide spectrum of services offered at Dr V. S. Rathore hospitals, dermatology and skincare are of the utmost importance. More than over 5000 patients across the country have chosen to consult Dr V.S. Rathore, the best surgeon in Kolkata, because of his dedication and enthusiasm to serve his patients towards a better quality of life and well-being.