Have you ever discovered a grey hair on your scalp in your twenties and panicked? Well, ideally you must. Having few grey hair before the age of 25 is considered as premature greying of hair and it can adversely affect our self esteem and confidence. Hair holds a lot of cosmetic and aesthetic value and is of extreme importance in defining our personality. Healthy hair is on every one’s wish list, more so without any signs on grey when we are young.
Causes of premature greying of hair
Hair gets its colour due to a pigment called melanin. A decrease or malfunctioning in this pigment production during hair growth leads to grey hair.
Oxidative stress due to UV rays, Pollution, Emotional stress and Inflammation damages the pigment, melanin production leading to greying. Alcohol consumption & smoking, Genetic conditions, Vitiligo, Anemia, Vitamin B12 deficiency, Thyroid disorders, Malnourishment, Copper deficiency, Calcium, Vit D and zinc deficiency, Excessive use of hair styling products can lead to premature greying
Ayurveda view:
Causes as per Ayurveda for premature greying:
Dietary: Excess intake of hot sour salty pungent, very light and dry food like chips, popcorns, mustard, linseed , green vegetable ,fish , curd, alcohol and sour food.
Lifestyle causes: Over indulgence in physical exercise, exertion, awakening during night. Excessive exposure to sunlight, smoking, intake of vitiated air and fast
Excessive anger grief, fear and mental stress
All of the above reasons, cause excess heat or pitta in the body which can destroy the pigment melanin leading to early greying and ageing and making you feel unhappy Ayurveda believes that greying of hair is due to excess pitta or the heat element. The best way to correct in ayurveda is to prevent pitta excess in the body.
Tips to prevent and correct premature greying
Eat healthy: Incorrect food habits, which include a regular share of junk keep your pitta element imbalanced and cause premature greying. In fact excess intake of salty and sour food leads to inflammation and oxidative stress causing premature greying of hair. Ensure that you have well balanced diet with proteins, vitamins, minerals and necessary carbs.
Change Lifestyle: Exercise regularly as per your body’s capacity to improve circulation and eliminate toxins from your body. It also reduces stress and fills you with positive emotions, thereby addressing one of the causes of premature greying, Stress!!! Sleep on time and enjoy looking at the sunrise by waking up early. This synchs the imbalanced elements in the body
Meditation: Practicing calming techniques helps reduce stress. In fact listening to good music is as good as meditation. Learn to enjoy simple things to stay stress free and prevent grey hair
Hair care: Ensure good hair and scalp health with a proper hair care routine, like washing hair atleast twice per week with a mild shampoo to remove dirt, grease and pollutant remnants from hair and keeping scalp dandruff free to prevent hair issues.
Nasya or instillation of oil in the nostrils: this procedure is recommended as a part of daily routine to improve hair health and prevent greying of hair. It can be done using desi ghee or sesame oil. Just oiling your nostrils with these daily help with the cause.
Hair masks: application of hair masks with natural dying herbs like henna, hibiscus, curry leaves with some curd helps reduce and prevent premature greying
Oiling the hair: Massage or abhyang to scalp and hair is an amazing way to keep hair healthy and prevent premature greying. Massaging with oils like coconut, almond and sesame which are well-known for their hair nourishing properties. Oiling help improve circulation and has anti-oxidant effect of the
hait follicles to prevent premature greying. Coconut oil specifically has pitta pacifying properties to prevent greying. Regular massages with herbal oils prevent hairfall and improve scalp health as well, which help with healthy luxuriant. Moha 5 in 1 hair oil is a blend of luxurious hair nourishing oils like coconut, sesame, argan, almond, hibiscus and more to prevent premature greying, reduce hair fall and give you thick, luxuriant shiny and black hair that you have always desired.
Always remember, if you want to have a lovely mane, you will have to give it love, time and attention. And if you do it the natural way, your tresses will thank you always.
