Can Stress Turn Your Hair White/Gray?
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Yes, stress can in a way or another contributes in turning hair white/gray. Studies proved that it is primarily biological in nature. So, anything beyond the natural body mechanism affects the whole system.
This is how our hair turns white or gray. When our bodies are functioning well, cells in our hair follicles called melanocyte generate pigments -- the chief one being melanin. When the melanocytes stop producing these pigments, we sprout a transparent hair, which appears as an unsightly gray due to the color of the dead cells that comprise the strand.
But first, what is melanin? A dark biological pigment (biochrome) found in skin, hair, feathers, scales, eyes, and some internal membranes; it is also found in the peritoneum of many animals (e.g., frogs), but its role there is not understood. Formed as an end product during metabolism of the amino acid tyrosine, melanin is conspicuous in dark skin moles of humans; in the black dermal melanocytes (pigment... melanin).
Why does this happen? The most common reason is heredity; premature gray hair is yet another thing we can blame on our parents. But there are also several medical conditions characterized by graying of the hair. A B-12 deficiency, a thyroid imbalance, and anemia can all cause premature gray hair.
While Scientists are researching about skin cancer they found out another possible causes gray hair. The hair is losing its color because of the slow dying off of adult stem cells, called melanocytes. These cells provide a reservoir for the renewal of pigment-manufacturing cells. They further found that the loss of melanocytes not only leads to gray hair, but it is also the reason for diminishes hues that give the hair shaft a shiny, healthier and more youthful look. The melanocyte cells not only become depleted, they also make errors as they age, turning into ‘fully committed' pigment cells that position themselves in the wrong part of the hair follicle, consequently leading to a loss of pigmentation.
There is new evidence that smokers are four times more likely to go gray at a young age. There's common belief that psychological shock or trauma can turn hair gray faster.
If there is happening with smoker, chances are it will also happen to alcoholic, frequently stressed and emotionally troubled people, malnutrition and other forms of body abuse. For me anything that affects the health of our skin where the hair grows and wherein the pigmentation occurs, it would have big factor with our hair discoloration. ;))
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Comments
Hi doods. Thanks for this Hub and the comment. I think you are doing great here. All the Best to you.
Thanks sweetie, just trying to revive writing which I have set aside for more than 10 years already. Im having a hard time eventhough this is not technical writing or journal type. Well, not a good as before but im enjoy this for now not mentioning a number of gray hairs ;D not visible anyways jajaja.
Is it true that some people turn all gray overnight?
Yes, according to some studies there were exceptional cases that hair turns gray overnight. Like this: From Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.,You've heard tales of extreme fright or stress turning a person's hair suddenly gray or white overnight, but can it really happen? History records that the hair of some condemned prisoners [e.g., Thomas More (1535) and Marie Antoinette (1793)] turned white overnight before their executions. Medical facts proved that it is impossible as there is no mechanism by which hair could organically turn white, either suddenly or overnight. Once the hair grows out of the head, it can’t be influenced by any psychological or physiological processes in the body (including scares or shocks). Even if an illness, injury, or sudden shock could turn hair white, it would be weeks before the effect would be visible because only the root would be affected. Gray hair might appear to turn white if the colored hair shafts selectively fell out for some reason (for example, the medical condition alopecia), leaving the white hairs behind. Whatever this may be, I still considering turning of hair to gray or white is nature’s miracle that even scientists haven’t further proved their studies about this case.
Nice Hub like SunSeven said, is it also because of worries. I read one time when Mumtaz died, Shah Jahan's black hair turned grey very soon.
Greying is a natural process I think, no worries.
You're right but graying of hair still affects person somehow as usually being associated with aging, problematic, emotionally disturbed, etc. Now, when I've noticed few strands of white hairs in the my late 20s, it bothered me for it is one of the few signs of weak body mechanism, jejeje ;))
very informative hub. Now, i will not keep on wondering why i have white hairs.
Hi Aleish, yeah many of us will get to that point of having white hairs.... let's just enjoy it coz we don't have to go to beauty salons for white hair stricks jejeje;D
But what will happen to a person who has natural white hair? LOL!! Perhaps they turn black?!!
Awww usually when we are afraid we turn pale, whiter like being soaked in a vinegar LOL but in some case we turn gray or black if worse jejeje. Going back to the article its says " They further found that the loss of melanocytes not only leads to gray hair, but it is also the reason for diminishes hues that give the hair shaft a shiny, healthier and more youthful look." Wow, they don't have to go to beauty parlors for the hair coloring and treatment. They can save some bucks jajajaja ;D
My wife had grey hair appear after the birth of our second daughter and a stroke... meanign she had a stroke during the pregnancy. It appears that the stress on her was so great it caused this to happen.. according to the doctors.
It's good being fair-haired to start with when it comes to aging - my Granny (and starting for my mother) just got more silvery hairs, and gradually went from gold to silver.
I still remember my grandmother. For black to Silver gray but still shiny hair ;)
I am only 29 years old and I started find some white hair . I was shocked. what can I do to stop that??
The anti cancer drug "Ipilimumab" can turn the whole shaft white over night. It causes your immune system to attack melanocytes and melanin. Everyone agrees the rapid hair color change is impossible, but there it is just the same.
Hey there,the article was very good.But i wanted to know what if i dye my hair.Will it effect or even increase the process of whitening or greying???my freinds told me not to pluck off any of my grey hair or i'll have a greater number of them very soon.Is that true??i know i dont have to worry much but i guess it really hurts when you start having grey colour appearing in your hair soo quickly when you are just 19 :(
Not exactly, but if the condition is hereditary most likely to soon
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doodsdpogi says:
2 years ago
Hi Ms. Sun7,
OMG my hair starts turning white this year. But take note I never emphasized aging here, jejejeje ;)