No matter how old, the first strand of grey hair never fails to surprise and dismay a woman. There are a number of reasons why premature greying in women-only affects a few, and some women grey earlier than others – and age is not the only factor.

You know (of course) that the only three choices you can really make when you go grey is to hide it, apologize for it, or embrace it. Right?

The rise of the silver “hair color movement” opened our eyes to new color possibilities – that included grey. Gone were the dull, lifeless shades of grey our moms were growing old with; we could now choose to go silver. Or blond. Or even look like Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad if we wanted to.

A memorable moment in so many wrong ways for so many women, going grey also means an acceptance of the way of life we need to adjust to. That means taking it a little easier on not just your physical and mental health, but on your overall well-being, too.

Statistically, most women begin going grey in their 30s or 40s already, while other women may begin going grey as early as in their 20s. Your chances increase by 10-20% every decade thereafter, and estimates reckon that 50% of the female population will have turned 50% grey by the time they turn 50 years old.

DID YOU KNOW?

Hair is considered a form of skin when it comes to color

Premature Greying In Women: 2 Reasons Hair Turns Grey

“Embracing the change” is always hardest to do at the beginning, much like with anything else. Naturally, that includes an understanding of the causes behind your greying hair. Let’s take a quick look.

• Melanin

Whatever your natural hair color is, that color is determined by a substance called melanin, the same substance responsible for skin pigmentation issues such as hyperpigmentation and eye color. Melanin is synthesized in the skin by melanocytes, which are pigment-forming cells. Melanin is also made by hair follicles, originating in the hair shaft’s middle layer (known as the cortex).

Over time, melanin production slows down, and hair follicles make less and less of it. A protective pigmenting agent, melanin protects our skin and hair from harmful UV rays, and absorbs and scatters the penetration of UV to our eyes. When melanin production slows down or is halted early, we see less and less color, and eventually just the grey hair remains.

• Chemical hair treatments

These days it’s pretty standard to make your hair product as user-friendly as possible. While this may give the illusion of a softer, fuller, darker head of hair, chemical treatments often take away years of life from your mane.

Think of it this way: each hair follicle needs to be stripped completely of any life-giving ability for a moment in time – just long enough to chemically alter its appearance for an extended amount of time.

Hair cells naturally produce a little hydrogen peroxide that’s broken down by an enzyme (called catalase) into oxygen and water. But your hair needs oxygen to survive, and chemicals starve follicles, weakening them.

As we age, we naturally produce less catalase, too. Hydrogen peroxide begins to build up, damaging melanocytes and causing grey hair.

Can You Get Grey Hair On Your Body?

Absolutely. Women usually begin greying around the temples and high forehead, moving towards the top of the head. At this point, hair may even turn white.

On the body, facial and body hair may also turn grey or white in places, such as under the chin, in the eyebrows, in the pubic area, or even in the ears. Body hair generally goes grey later than hair on your head, though.

Premature Greying In Women: 5 Factors That Impact How Early Your Hair Turns Grey

A natural part of growing older, premature grey hair could be caused by a number of factors, some preventable and some not.

• Genetics

Your biological parents and grandparents are responsible for your premature grey locks, especially if you see that you’re going grey before your 20th birthday! Known as premature greying, this condition tends to happen earlier in Caucasians but later in Asians, while African Americans may go grey later than Asians. This suggests that race also plays a pivotal role in premature greying.

• Stress

The culprit of every bad health condition, stress is here to stay. How me manage that stress is important to our overall health and well-being.

A controversial topic at best, the jury is still out on whether stress causes or contributes to grey hair in general, and premature greying specifically. Either which way you look at it, stress causes permanent damage to cells and DNA strings. Once melanocytes cease to function, they cannot be revived.

• Health and nutrition

A balanced diet never hurt anyone’s chances of survival, and studies consistently show that the human body needs essential minerals and vitamins – not all manufactured by our bodies – to function optimally. Poor nutrition results in diet deficiencies (such as a lack of protein, iron, or zinc) that could cause grey hair.

• Lifestyle choices

Premature greying may be linked to unhealthy lifestyle choices and bad habits (such as excessive alcohol consumption or cigarette smoking).

• Illness and pre-existing medical conditions

Medical conditions like thyroid disease or scalp psoriasis (a common autoimmune disorder) contribute to hair health and longevity. Consult with your medical practitioner if you have any questions or concerns about your symptoms.

The Role Of Melanin And Collagen In Skin

The largest protein in the human body, collagen can be found in tendons and ligaments, cartilage and bone, skin and other organs, nails, eyes, and hair. Collagen-damaging factors that impact our overall appearance include sun exposure, pollution, injury, and cigarette smoke (collectively known as stressors).

Genetics once again play a large role in collagen destruction, often influencing chronological aging, immune suppression, or hormone depletion. In all instances, collagen is broken down faster than it can be made.

How Does Collagen Slow Down Greying Hair In Women?

Whilst the average hair care product may give your hair a superficial feeling of being nourished, collagen hair supplements nourish the hair follicle and scalp more effectively from the inside. Collagen also feeds hair follicles the nutrition they need to fight thinning hair, weak hair, greying hair, slow-growing hair, dull and lifeless hair, or hair loss caused by nutritional deficiencies and medical conditions.

Checkout the collagen collection here