Stop the gray?

Just yesterday I was talking to one of my clients about gray hair and a particular myth surrounding it. You know, the one about plucking one and then two appearing (which is false by the way, see here)!

Anyway, he asked me a question about gray hair that got me thinking… He said- “Is there a way to prevent gray hair from growing?” What a great question! I mean, doctors have made unbelievable strides in hair-loss prevention, why not graying hair prevention?

So of course I did a little research…

Graying hair occurs when hair follicles are deprived of oxygen-rich blood due to the lack of enough red blood cells- called melanocytes. As you age, they slow down until they totally stop working to produce color. This results in gray hair. Although the time table to which a person goes gray is linked to older age and genetics, there are many cases of young people going gray prematurely.

Studies have found that the deficiency of the Vitamin B-12 is commonly cited as a cause for premature graying. This deficiency causes unhealthy hair growth leading to gray hair and weak hair. The food sources found to contain B-12 are: fish, meat, eggs and  milk. All very common food choices, but perhaps not consumed enough in many of our diets.

So based on this information, there is no way to stop gray hair from making its appearance. However, if you’re on the right side of your genetics meter, then there is chance you can keep them from coming in before time.  For the rest of us with not as much luck with the gene pool, go ahead and up the intake of those Vitamin B12-rich foods. Hey why not, it’s worth a shot! Besides, there are many things in life that are inevitable but who says you can’t try to fight it?