What is the Best Way to Treat Gray Hair?
As people age, everyone will have gray hair to some extent. This is caused by normal physiological factors, but some people may have a large amount of gray hair at a young age, which is commonly known as premature graying of hair. This condition is likely to be caused by genetics. In order to treat premature graying of hair, besides daily diet, patients also need to go to the hospital for examination. Based on the specific conditions of the patients, doctors will choose drug treatment or dietary therapy.
Congenital premature graying of hair is most commonly seen in people with a family history of this condition. They often have gray hair at birth or their hair turns white earlier than others. In addition, there are no other abnormal symptoms. Acquired premature graying of hair can be caused by many factors, including malnutrition such as lack of protein, vitamins, and certain trace elements (such as copper), which can lead to hair turning white. Chronic consumptive diseases such as tuberculosis can also cause hair to turn white earlier due to nutritional deficiencies. Long-term fever can cause hair to become brittle and yellow, or even turn white and fall out. Some endocrine diseases, such as pituitary or thyroid disorders, can affect the ability of pigment cells to produce pigment granules, leading to premature hair graying. Some young people may experience a rapid increase in gray hair in a short period of time, which is related to severe mental trauma or excessive mental fatigue such as excessive anxiety and sadness.
Symptoms: Premature graying of hair usually occurs during adolescence or young adulthood. Initially, there are a few sparse and scattered gray hairs, mostly appearing at the back or top of the scalp, interspersed with black hair in a mottled pattern. Subsequently, the gray hair can gradually or suddenly increase. Sudden onset is related to nutritional disorders. In senile gray hair, the gray hair usually starts from the temples and gradually develops towards the top of the head. After several years, the beard, nasal hair, etc. also turn gray, but the chest hair, pubic hair, and armpit hair do not turn white even in old age. This is caused by the progressive loss of tyrosine enzyme activity in melanocytes, resulting in the loss of pigment in the hair shaft. The number of melanocytes in gray hair is normal, but the melanin content is reduced, while in white hair, both the number of melanocytes and melanin content are reduced.
Symptoms: Gray hair appears at the temples, followed by the top of the head. The clinical manifestations of gray hair vary. Inherited gray hair is usually present at birth or rapidly appears during childhood. This includes albinism, which involves generalized hair whitening, and piebaldism, which involves localized patches of white hair. Senile gray hair often starts at the temples and gradually progresses towards the top of the head. After several years, the beard, nasal hair, etc. also turn gray, but the chest hair, pubic hair, and armpit hair remain unchanged even in old age. Premature graying of hair in young or middle-aged adults initially involves only a few white hairs, which gradually increase over time. In some diseases, such as vitiligo, Vogt-Koyanagi syndrome, and Alezzandrini syndrome, there may be localized patches of white hair.
