Moms and Dads

5 Causes of White Hair And How to Deal With Them

by Kevyn Gohu
February 28, 2023

Here are some causes of white hair and how we can deal with them.

Every woman’s crowning glory is her hair. But when our hair turns white, we think we’re getting old or we rush to the nearest store to buy our favorite brand of hair dye. A variety of things, however, can turn our hair white—not just old age. But white hair isn’t always a bad thing; if we know how to rock it, we can achieve aging gracefully!

However, it’s also okay to not like seeing white hair. So to help you understand, here are the usual causes and ways to deal with growing white hair.

1. Some people are just born to grow white hair earlier than most.

Some people are just more predisposed to growing white hair because their hair grows fast. Our hair is made of keratin, a type of protein that our skin is also made of. But like our skin, the hair needs pigments as well, which is what decides if we have black, blonde, or brown hair. But when there’s too much keratin being made, the pigmentation can’t keep up, which leaves us with white hair.

A study in the British Journal of Dermatology by Choi and colleagues revealed that the proteins responsible for hair growth are unbalanced when the hair grows too quickly. The speed at how fast our body creates those proteins is, unfortunately, in our genes.

How to deal with it: Truthfully, if it’s genetics, there’s not much we can do, especially if the family has fast hair growth. But some people have learned to rock white hair by dyeing the rest of their hair in a similar color or style. Milk tea dye has become popular among those who have early greying. Others prefer to rock it by growing their hair long.

2. Imbalanced diet

While there is no such thing as the “perfect” diet, there are situations when the diet is not just for your body. Especially if it’s a drastic change. Because the body suddenly loses out on certain nutrients, it will show its displeasure by having us grow a few white hairs. Certain nutrients like Iron, Copper, Vitamin B, Iodine, Omega-3, and Vitamin-D are what can slow down our hair from turning grey early.

An imbalanced diet can also cause what people call Oxidative Stress. When we eat too much processed sugars and meat, we eat something known as “free radicals” which is what makes us age—causing wrinkles and white hair.

How to deal with it: Time to rebalance the diet! Foods like eggs, seafood, meat, milk, and cheese can be added. If there are allergies, vitamin pills can provide the lacking nutrients. Additionally, it’s good to take some tea or fruits rich in antioxidants like Vitamin C to slow down the growth of white hair.

3. Stress

Some industries such as Real Estate, BPOs, Marketing, and even Information Technology are so stressful that it can cause white hair. When we’re stressed, we release a hormone called Cortisol which suppresses a lot of things, including the immune system and the production of melanocytes. Melanocytes are the cells that give hair and skin color and cortisol can slow down your body’s ability to create that.

How to deal with it: Find the source of your stress. Sometimes, it may be time to quit working. Or, find a job with a less stressful environment.

4. Chemicals in hair products

It’s why many hair products are going organic now. Some chemicals damage the scalp, weakening it and leading to an annoying amount of hair fall and white hair. Some chemicals such as Hydrogen Peroxide, which is common in shampoos, can mess with our body’s ability to produce melanin — the pigment for our hair.

How to deal with it: Look for more organic shampoo or maybe make your own. Some people have also advocated shampooing your hair once every other day to lessen the damage from commercial shampoos.

5. Vices

Vices like smoking and drinking, especially if done daily, can make more white hair grow. Some studies have also used hairs as “biomarkers” or ways to measure how badly damaged a body is from vices like nicotine, tobacco, and alcohol. With the lowered antioxidants, we’re more prone to aging and thus white hair.

How to deal with it: Slowly let go of the vice before going cold turkey. It will help lessen the withdrawal symptoms, especially with the help of a professional.

We can rock white hair, too!

While white hair means we’re getting old, it can be a health issue. But if it’s genetics that’s the cause, there are ways of styling and rocking the look. Besides, some celebrity women have rocked light-colored hair. White hair doesn’t always mean just getting old. It can also be a sign of wisdom.

References

H.I. Choi, G.I. Choi, E.K. Kim, Y.J. Choi, K.C. Sohn, Y. Lee, C.D. Kim, T.J. Yoon, H.J. Sohn, S.H. Han, S. Kim, J.H. Lee, Y.H. Lee, Hair greying is associated with active hair growth, British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 165, Issue 6, 1 December 2011, Pages 1183–1189, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10625.x

O’Sullivan, J. D., Nicu, C., Picard, M., Chéret, J., Bedogni, B., Tobin, D. J., & Paus, R. (2021). The biology of human hair greying. Biological Reviews, 96(1), 107-128.

Seiberg, M. (2013). Age‐induced hair greying–the multiple effects of oxidative stress. International journal of cosmetic science, 35(6), 532-538.

Sikkink, S. K., Mine, S., Freis, O., Danoux, L., & Tobin, D. J. (2020). Stress-sensing in the human greying hair follicle: Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) depletion in hair bulb melanocytes in canities-prone scalp. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-13.

Trüeb, R. M. (2015). The impact of oxidative stress on hair. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 37, 25-30.