Context: Although the primary cause of premature
While vitamins cannot reverse gray hair, they can slow down the process. Eating a diet rich in vitamins D, B5, and B12, iron, and calcium can prevent your existing hair from turning gray.
Vitamin D
When there isn't enough vitamin D in your body your hair may turn grey or white. One study published in The International Journal of Trichology found that children who experienced premature hair greying had low vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D also contributes to the stimulation of new and old hair follicles, which is why it is essential in preventing the greying of hair.
Copper and iron deficiency also can cause graying of hair. A study reported significantly lower levels of copper in patients with PGH when compared to the control group. The study, however, did not report lower levels of zinc or iron in the affected population.
As you age, your body makes less melanin, causing gray hair. However, some people notice gray hair in their 20s. Genetics plays one of the most significant roles in the onset of premature gray hair. Still, stress, certain health conditions, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies might raise your risk, too.
Premature graying may be reversed with vitamin B12 supplementation only if vitamin B12 deficiency is the cause. If you are graying due to other factors, such as genetics, zinc deficiency, and medications, your gray hair cannot be reversed.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones). Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases: In children, it can cause rickets. Rickets is a rare disease that causes the bones to become soft and bend.
Vitamin D stimulates hair follicles to grow, and so when the body does not have enough, the hair may be affected. A vitamin D deficiency may also be linked to alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss.
However, the rate of hair colour loss is largely determined by your genes. The chances are that you will experience premature greying if your parents do. However, certain nutritional deficiencies and underlying medical conditions may play a role. In these cases, yes, white hair can turn black again.
"Ensure you have an adequate level of Vitamin D3 and Vitamin B12, since deficiencies in either of these may accelerate graying," explains Lain. Other important micronutrients for healthy hair include vitamin E, vitamin A, zinc, iron, copper, selenium and magnesium.
Your hair follicles produce less color as they age, so when hair goes through its natural cycle of dying and being regenerated, it's more likely to grow in as gray beginning after age 35.
There isn't a lot of medical data to back it up, but some research does show that magnesium deficiency may be behind some (not all) causes of gray hair. If this is the cause of your greying, then making sure your magnesium stores are optimal could stop or even reverse the greying of your hair.
A white person is considered to be prematurely gray if their hair turns gray by age 20; gray before 30 is early for Blacks.
Vitamin A, C and B12 are the most needed vitamins to increase the melanin production in your hair. Add citrus fruits like oranges, grapes, pineapple, and melon to your diet. Also eat vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beans, etc. Non vegetarians can try adding red meat, chicken liver, fish, and eggs to their diet.
In general, the two main causes of vitamin D deficiency are: Not getting enough vitamin D in your diet and/or through sunlight. Your body isn't properly absorbing or using vitamin D.
Having inadequate levels of vitamin D may correlate with unintentional weight gain. A study on women over the age of 65 found that participants with a lower vitamin D level experienced more weight gain. A systematic review of 23 different studies found similar associations between vitamin D deficiency and obesity.
A medical condition termed "diffuse alopecia areata" can result in sudden hair loss. The biochemistry of alopecia isn't well understood, but in people who have a mix of dark and gray or white hair, the uncolored hair is less likely to fall out. The result? A person can appear to go gray overnight.
But when your hair starts to gray earlier than you might expect, it could be related to your thyroid. The thyroid is responsible for regulating your metabolism, so when your thyroid is not working correctly, it can affect every cell in your system - including your hair.